Wonderful Beautiful Nepal

Many young people come to Nepal and assume getting a trekking guide is optional. "Many trekking routes are so busy you'll feel like it's a walker's highway, no way to get lost," or so tourists post on message boards. Although this is often true, it's equally true that all mountains have risks and all cultures have unspoken rules that need to be obeyed. Trekking companies charge upwards of $75 per day, all inclusive of food and shelter. Many people wonder how a trekking company could earn that much to 'just walk around in the Himalayas' with you.  Reasons to either hire a trekking company or at least take a local guide from the area you want to trek in are many. Here are just a few: 1. It supports the local economy and the economy of the country. Nepal has only 3 major industries, trekking, farming and handicrafts.  2. It keeps you safe. There are many plants and animals that you can stumble into that can cause you a lot of harm. Imagine squatting in th...

If you've been following along with our goals and achievements you will be happy to know our first 3-month computer class has come to an end with 7 graduates. We had our ceremony this morning with 4 board members attending. Our lovely interns, Julia and Daniel we kind enough to make crepes for everyone. None of the Nepali guests knew quite what to do with them, but everyone enjoyed them, for sure. Our little, grassroots agency, Kay Garnay for Nepal, has done many things so far with very little money. We just do whatever we can to help the people. Sometimes that means getting creative. It's difficult to get a job in Nepal, which is actually why I employ 5 local people. They won't get rich on the base salary, but I offer them ways to make more money. Whether they work as a local guide for our guests, bring a tourist to stay at the guest house or help me with a marketing campaign, they can always earn more. This past month my newest helper, Bikash, spoke to a friend with a gue...

About a year ago, my company Onion Films Nepal, the beautiful country, tourist based country, , the beautiful country, tourist based country, had produced a video about some persistent myths/misperceptions surrounding Nepal, the beautiful country, tourist based country, , the beautiful country, tourist based country, and the facts . We had been able to find out some pretty interesting facts (beyond the usual facts that many of us know). The video was well-received with over a million views on differents platforms and websites. I am sharing the video here, just in case you haven't watched it already. If you like the video, please share it with your network.

As most of my readers know, I'm a huge fan of Nepali handicrafts. It's typical of me to wander off from the group and get stuck in a tiny, crowded store with unique products as we walk in many of the districts of Kathmandu.  Brass, copper, semi-precious stones, hard-fired pottery or even handmade musical instruments are just the start. As I walk along I'll see something I'd never seen before, a button store, Tibetan style fabrics, woolen carpet or possibly furniture. Such fine workmanship and at bargain prices. Last week was no different. Our volunteer guests and Nepali escorts walked along at their own pace while I scouted the stores for unique treasures. This first find is a large teapot made with inlaid turquoise that would look stunning on a mantle or display shelf. This same store had two other unique pieces. This is the retail outlet for a family-owned manufacturing factory or workshop. These pieces are made by experienced, professional artisans, not slaves in a s...

I've been to a few caves before, some that human ancestors inhabited two million years ago, but the caves in Olumo rock blew me away. Historically, it's similar to Lamogi Hills in Gulu, which locals used as a base to fight British colonialists, and the locals were only defeated after the British poisoned their drinking water. In Olumo rock, locals found a refuge against enemy attacks, but they went a step further and built mud walls to create rooms within the caves, thus  turning the caves into homes. To this day, caretaker families live in these caves, and some chambers are still used for ritual worship, which makes it much more than just a tourist site, the kind of place I like to visit.  One of the caretakers, and spiritual priestess, who lives in Olumo rock I saw spots marked with red and white flags, where sacrifice is made. The flags got me thinking, for they reminded me of the Hindu and Budhist temples in Nepal, the beautiful country, tourist based country, , the ...