Facts about Nepal

The small kingdom of Nepal is positioned between India and Tibet (China).. Though small in size (about 500 miles east to west and 145 miles north to south), Nepal is the number one country in the world when it comes to height. Mountains cover more than 80% of the kingdom, and its borders contain more than one-third of the total length of the Himalaya - including 10 of the world's 14 tallest mountains towering over 8000 meters.

Nepal's most populous cultural centers are found in the Kathmandu Valley in the three wonderful cities of Kathmandu, Patan, and Bhaktapur. Nepal has been a kingdom since the 12th century. Following the death of Malla ruler Yaksha Malla in the late 14th century, the Kathmandu Valley was divided into three mini-kingdoms, each to be ruled by his three children. Their rivalry to control the rich trading routes with Tibet expanded into arts and culture, and the astonishing temples and buildings you'll find today in each city's Durbar Square is the result of the rulers trying to surpass each other. Nepal is still a kingdom; however, the role of the king today is as a constitutional monarch.

Religion is a basis of Nepali daily life and during your visit there you'll experience early morning ritual offerings at local temples (puja) all over in the city streets, hear monks chant in monasteries, and probably spin a prayer wheel or two yourself. Officially, Nepal is a Hindu country, but it's one of the few countries in the world where you'll see a large variety of religions (Hinduism, Buddhism and small groups of Islamists, Christians, and Shamanists) living and practicing so peacefully among each other.

Though the younger generations, especially in the urban centers, are intrigued by a Western lifestyle, the majority of Nepalis live by traditional customs and values. Loyalty to one's family and ethnic group is vital, extended families live in the same house or share several houses, everyone helps out in growing and harvesting food, arranged marriages remain custom, children are important (as entertainment, a set of extra hands, and someone to look after you when you are old), and when you're old it's your time for relaxation, prayer, meditation, and to be cared for (now THAT'S retirement…).

Nepal has about 23 million inhabitants and is growing rapidly. About one million live in the Kathmandu Valley, but with 85% of the population living in the countryside, Nepal remains primarily rural. The country is a wonderful mix of people – Newars, Gurungs, Tamangs etc. – and of course the Sherpas. Sherpa means "easterner" because they came from Kham in eastern Tibet – migrating from the unrest in their homeland to settle in Nepal's high altitude Solo-Khumbu region. Trekkers from all over the world are drawn to the Khumbu for its stunning mountain vistas, bustling villages, and ancient monasteries, which is why the Sherpas have become the best known ethnic group in Nepal. But there's another, more obvious reason for the Sherpas' "fame" than their presence in the Khumbu – most people are drawn to Nepal by the promise of adventure but the majority return bewitched by the friendliness and openness of the Sherpa people and their amazingly rich culture.


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Facts About Tibet

TThe Tibetan plateau – also known as "the Roof of the World" is one of the most isolated regions in the world. The Tibetan plateau covers an area of about 800,000 square miles (about one quarter the size of the US) and borders the 1500-mile-long Himalaya (including four of the world's highest mountains) to the south, the Karakoram to the west and the Kunlun and Altyn Tagh ranges to the north. The Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR) – a political entity created in 1965 – makes up about half the geographic area of the Tibetan plateau. It's difficult to "stay low" in Tibet as the average altitude is 15,000 feet. Blocked by the Himalaya mountain range, Tibet gets very little of the Indian monsoon and the majority of the landscape is dry high altitude desert and sand dunes are a frequent sight. However, north of the Himalaya, you'll find a totally different landscape of snowcapped mountain peaks, lush rhododendrons, and agricultural valleys.

Politically, Tibet has one of the saddest chapters in the world history: the Chinese "Liberation," which led to 1.2 million dead Tibetans; the destruction of the traditional Tibetan lifestyle; the Dalai Lama's flight to India followed by a life in exile; massive demolition of significant Tibetan buildings and monasteries; and the massive immigration of Han Chinese. Though Tibetans have won back some religious freedoms, the politic and cultural situation in Tibet is still a highly sensitive matter, and as a traveler your best advice is to stay neutral while in Tibet to avoid bringing danger to yourself or the Tibetans.

The population of TAR is estimated to be around 2.5 million people and is growing fast - mostly due to the Han Chinese immigration. Tibetan society has three distinct groups – the community of monks and nuns (sangha), the farmers in the valleys (rongpas) and the nomads (drokpas). About a quarter of Tibetans still live a nomadic life (drokpas), and travel in groups of several families. They live in four-sided yak-hair-tents usually shared by one family and when to move on is a collective decision among the group. During the day, the men tend to the herds of yaks and sheep while the women and children stay back and do house chores such as cooking, weaving, and tanning sheepskins. The drokpas main diet consists of tsampa (dough made with roasted barley flour and yak butter), yak butter tea, dried yak cheese and sometimes yak meat. On your trek in Tibet you'll meet nomad families and very likely be invited for a cup of yak butter tea!

Tibetans are Buddhists are very religious people. Undertaking pilgrimages, sending sons to be monks, and daily prayers are all part of Tibetans' daily life, and as westerners, we've always been fascinated by the spirituality of their religion. What has also always fascinated us is the sky burial of the dead. In the very early history of Tibet the dead may have been buried in the ground, but with soil at a premium and firewood equally scarce, Tibetans have spent the last few centuries coming up with alternative ways to get rid of remains. Since the introduction of Buddhism in Tibet sky burials have become the most common way to dispose of the dead. A sky burial involves taking the body to a designated high place, cutting it up, and leaving it for the birds of prey (usually vultures). Despite its nauseating brutality, Tibetans believe that the spirit of a deceased has exited the body to reincarnate for another circle of life, and the corpse is nothing more than an empty vessel.


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Facts About Bhutan

The tiny kingdom of Bhutan – about 188 miles long and less than 100 miles wide – borders with Tibet to the northwest and north and the rest is surrounded by India. The entire country is mountainous – the highest point being Kulha Gangri peak at 24,783 feet on the border with Tibet. At this point, Bhutan is at the same latitude as Miami and very little rain falls in the autumn (October – December), making it the ideal season for trekking.

Known as Bhutan to the outside world, the kingdom has been known as Druk Yul, "land of the thunder dragon," to its inhabitants since the 13th century. The population of Bhutan is about 600,000 people – and is split into three main ethnic groups: Sharchops – "people of the east" – live in the eastern part of the country. They are assumed to be the original inhabitants of Bhutan. The second group is the Ngalongs – descendants of Tibetan immigrants arriving in the 9th century, and finally there's the Lhotshampa – the Nepalis settling in the southern part of Bhutan in the late 19th century.

The countryside of Bhutan consists of sprawling green and forested hillsides with a great variety of trees and vegetation. Bhutan has an amazing array of plants – more than 5,000 species have been documented (including 600 species of orchids!). In the larger, inhabited valleys Bhutan's extraordinary dzongs dominate the picture. A dzong is a huge white citadel that today primarily serves as administrative headquarters as well as the focus of religious authority in each district. Dzong is Tibetan and means "fortress" - and these castle-like structures built on hilltops overlooking the valleys were introduced to the country in 1153 with the purpose of also serving as a refuge during wars.

Bhutan's national flower is the blue poppy. It's a very delicate flower that can grow to be about three feet tall, is found on rocky mountain terrain above tree line, and blooms only once. In the past, the blue poppy was believed to be a myth, as its existence was never confirmed. But in 1933 a British botanist, George Sherriff, found the blue poppy in full bloom in a remote region of eastern Bhutan. The blue poppy will bloom during the early monsoon (late May to July) and though its existence has been confirmed, very few people have ever seen one. It's apparently as elusive as the snow leopard but we would like to add that Cathy Ann Taylor, our Himalaya trekking guide, saw a blue poppy on a trek there last spring …so to increase your chances of seeing a blue poppy too, go with her!


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