Friday, January 18, 2013

Getting Your Vacation in Nepal Off to a Great Start

Surviving the Tribhuban International/Kathmandu Airport Experience
This Post Will Save You Over $20 in Your First Two Hours in Nepal
This picture is from the entrance at the street. Why? Because I want you to get out of the airport quickly so you can to save money from the beginning of your stay in Nepal.

Sunday, January 13, 2013

How Can I Volunteer in Nepal and Not be Party to Exploitation?



How to get the most out of your volunteer efforts?

Of all the questions I hear asked, this is probably the most common. We Westerners love to help people in less developed countries. The Africans figured it out a long time ago that social work is a very lucrative profession. And now, the Nepalis are catching on. A Nepali social worker who came over for tea last year encouraged my younger Nepali friend to get into social work. “There’s a lot of money in it,” he counseled. And this is the major problem in Nepal.

This was a special medical camp that gave free eye exams. This is an example of a good local NGO.
First, ask yourself why you want to volunteer? How much time do you have to dedicate to volunteering? What are your personal talents that you would like to work with? Do not think it doesn’t matter. I met a couple of women from Amsterdam that were happy to help a young, Nepali man. They told me they had purchased a shoe shine kit for him and he was very grateful to have the tools he needed to support his family. The problem was that they were actually scammed. The shoe shine box cost them 200 euro and the chances of him returning it the next day for a split of the money with the shop keeper was 100%. I got initiated into this aspect of Nepali society myself when I bought a box of milk for someone's 'invisible' little brother. I had no idea that this group of street urchins were sniffing glue. So, don't just come to Kathmandu and pass out money, candy or even school books. They return such things at the same store you bought them from. If you do weaken and buy someone some food be sure to open it before you give it to them.

There is a big difference between the way con artists work here and in the West. In the West it’s about your greed that makes you the target, but in Nepal it’s about the size of your heart. But the fact remains that Nepal is full of wonderful people who are struggling with hunger, cold, health issues and education like westerners have never known. So, come and please leave a bit of kindness behind-just make it pay in a positive way. 

Don't worry about finding an opportunity for volunteering until you get here if you do not already have a good connection. Never pay for volunteering opportunities unless it will return you some monetary benefit like college credits. I saw one French woman on her knees as a volunteer washing laundry for a dozen 'so called' orphans, who have parents. It's a big money making business and it is not good for the children, the volunteers or for the people of Nepal. First of all, volunteers either here or in the west, should never take a paid job away from someone and there are a lot of Nepali women wanting wash work; the French woman paid for the privilege of being the didi. 

What to do instead? Check the bulletin boards at guest houses. The KTM Guest House is famous for its postings. Also, as much as I like to encourage the small agencies, I think volunteers should attach with larger agencies that are well established and with an international presence. Otherwise you are likely to only be a part of the exploitation of the children, or other demographic. It’s big business here in Nepal and the only one to benefit is the Nepali social worker. And the children are taken away from the family and are brought to KTM for education. It could be a good thing, but I have personally heard and seen enough to know it doesn’t help. Kids tied to the beds, 5 beds for 7 boys, etc. 



Many volunteers work at the public schools, which sounds odd for foreigners. But if you want to help children these are the most needy, but public school staff is by political appointment so there can be problems finding a school that will encourage volunteers. Teachers and other staff do not always show up. I have literally been scouting around for good, effective NGOs and have only been able to find a few that are responsible and effective. I blogged about one agency and was really impressed with it; they won the CNN Hero Award of 2012. You can read about it in the archives. 


The Lions Club has a nice presence here and does some good work in Nepal.
If you are a member of a lodge/fraternity like the Lions Club, check to see if they have an ongoing project in Nepal. If not, perhaps the other members will want to sponsor a used book drive or something. My only caution would be not to bring anything from the west that can be purchased here, so please do not bring pencils and paper. It's difficult to know what to bring. I found Rossetta Stone for English here for only 50 NRs., obviously pirated. Actually, I think virtually all CDs and DVDs are pirated here.
I had a couple of couch surfers staying with me and they wanted to do something for the people of Nepal, so we pooled our money to buy wool blankets for students at a thanka school. We wrote the students’ name on them with black marker pen so they can have their own, personal blanket. They are very cold at night, come from the remote villages and are sincerely poor and very grateful for their own blanket. Another way to help people is to look in the boxes in Thamel for 100 NRs. wool hats and gloves. You can leave one at any temple and people know they are welcome to have whatever is left there. If someone comes after me I tell them it’s from Ganesh or Bhirib. 

This is Mira, one of the thanka school students.

If you want to do volunteering long term my best advice is to check with your own embassy for agencies from your own country. Most of the European countries have a presence here in Nepal. I hate to admit it, but while the US AID sends GMO seeds from Monsanto, European nations are helping Nepal in many fields. I hope someone will comment to tell me how wrong I am; I'd love to be wrong about it.

Please do not let posts on blogs or forums keep you from coming here or doing something for Nepal while you are here. We tourists and expats may like to complain about the Nepali, but the truth is they are really lovely people who just got caught up with materialism from the West. 



Did you know I wrote an eBook filled with tips on getting the most out of your visit to Nepal?


Satisfaction Guaranteed: NO FINE PRINT. If you don't truly love Nepal: A Tourist’s Manual, please send for 100% money back. If you are not completely satisfied just send your purchase information along with a note to: FrugalTravelsNepal@gmail.com

Nepal: A Tourist’s Manual-For more information check out our website. If you enjoy this blog and the website you will enjoy the 299 page eBook. It is a well illustrated, easy read with over 1,000 tips to help you get the most out of Nepal.


Visit my website: Nepal: A Tourist's Manual

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

How Medically Dangerous is Nepal?



Travel Warnings and Concerns

One of the most discouraging things you will need to consider prior to taking a trip to Asia is the health issue. It’s downright scary. ‘Should I take vaccines?‘ ‘If so, which ones?’ My doctor wanted me to take just about everything, for any contingency. I highly doubted I would get into too much trouble and promptly ignored most of his advice, but everyone is different. Consider this topic well. This is not America or Europe. You will eat things that you have no idea where they’ve been. I was riding by Changu Narayan when I happened to see people preparing snacks to package and sell. They were sitting outside and the man was literally sitting on bags of rice he would place into the package. I just had to stop to capture it for you: 


Swine flu and bird flu come and go in Nepal from time to time. Additionally, there are malaria outbreaks in the lower regions such as Chitwan and along the Indian border in the lower elevations. How likely are you to contract either of these illnesses? It largely depends on what you will be doing. Will you be around sick people or children, perhaps while volunteering? Are you planning to work with animals? These activities place you in a much higher risk category.   




Westerners who should be most concerned and perhaps take more precaution would be those volunteering in the rural areas or in schools or hospitals. But unless you plan to be up close to sick people for some reason or have a weakened immune system, it shouldn’t be a concern. After ignoring my doctor’s advice on vaccinations for my trip abroad I found that I’d been in contact with a woman diagnosed with TB and wondered if I had erred a bit. There is a tuberculosis hospital here and literally everyone spits in the street. Tuberculosis is one of the main reasons spitting in public was outlawed in the U.S. Being aware is probably the best defense, as would be an early diagnosis. OK, so what if you were to contact TB? It isn’t as serious as it was a hundred years ago and is actually curable with a 30 day treatment. Could it be potentially lethal? Probably, but it really isn’t likely. Conversely, one tourist friend had all the shots her doctor advised and ended up with a compromised immune system by the time she got here. So, either way, life on this planet can be hazardous. But seriously, I had to laugh at my friend who even got a rabies shot. One thing I learned from her is to get this issue settled well before booking your flight; if there is a problem it’s best to have time to allow your body to adjust. And sometimes a 'pound of cure' is better than an ounce of prevention because that little ounce has big risks.

There are health care screenings at the airport sometimes in an attempt to prevent communicable diseases from coming into Nepal, but there are many entrance points on ground routes that are not monitored for communicable diseases. There are also medical NGOs that do free health screening for the local people from time to time.   



Although it is a common belief that the local people are immune to stomach bacteria, this is simply not all together true. For example, my friend in India was quite the miser. When he and his cook would have strong words, his ‘irritable bowel’ would coincidently act up. I seldom complain until after my meal has been served, which has kept me healthy.
This is my favorite scary restaurant. Two can eat for about a dollar. It's delicious but scary. I've eaten here more than a dozen times and haven't got sick from them even once. 


More about Delhi Belly:
Avoid green salads and lettuce leaves that come with your dish. Amoebas on the lettuce leaves cannot be completely removed even with a potassium permanganate wash. Additionally, think about the fingers that were used to arrange it on your dish. Just assume everything is cross contaminated. One time I found a chicken feather in my veg. pakoda. 

Giardia lambilia and other ameba can be found on these raw vegetables. They can cause some of the most common gastric infections for Western visitors. Some of these bugs will last a full week or more if not treated properly. They can even stay with you for many years with problems coming periodically. 

Note: Be very careful with the leafy green vegetables during monsoon. Even the local people do not eat it during this time of year. 

Getting rid of amoeba: 2000 mg Tinidazole in one dosage for organisms such as giardiasis. If you have diarrhea with fever and joint pain it could be salmonella and you will need antibiotics. Some people recommend keeping an antibiotic for this in your first aid kit. The dose of Ciprofloxacin 500 mg should be taken every 8 hours for 5-7 days with a lot of liquid and rest. Don’t worry about bringing it. You can find a good assortment of medications in Nepal. There is a section in the eBook, Nepal: A Tourist's Manual about how to assure yourself of high quality medications in Nepal. Not only can you have quality medications in Nepal, but also great values in medical care if you know where to go.

My best tip for avoiding stomach issues: It's simple. Wash your hands before touching food and avoid touching your hands to your mouth, nose or eyes unless your hands are clean. 

Avoid food poisoning by avoiding certain foods, such as scrambled eggs, mixed fried rice or noodles that have been prepared ahead of time. Ask for food that must be prepared fresh. Avoid buffets. 

This might be one exception. This buffet is in the Civil Mall and seems to be very clean and modern.

Do not eat at bus stops or from street vendors. Bring fresh fruit instead on long, overland bus trips. If I have to eat at such places I ask to use my own fingers to take the donuts or roasted corn. They always laugh with me as I reach for the item.



One of the best natural cures for these stomach bugs is apple cider vinegar and charcoal. You will need to bring them from home. Otherwise, you can pick up medication here for well under a dollar. Do not bother to bring something from home that you can buy here, so unless you want to use a natural remedy like charcoal don’t worry about it. If you want to pull a very frugal trick just ask the stewardess on the airplane for a pill, as if you are feeling a bit of stomach upset from the flight-Be sure she doesn't give you a motion sickness pill. That would get you by until you could find something on your own. This copper pot is another natural preventative. If you put water in this and wait four hours it will be free from bacteria. They are available in local shops for under $10.





Bonus Savings Tip: If you think you might have been exposed to a serious illness like HIV it would be prudent to get tested here. They do not even require an ID at the hospitals. This is the cheapest and most discreet way to get the test and then do what you need to do with your medical insurance issue. All sexually active tourists should probably take a day to deal with personal issues like this. You could get a host of tests for well under $20 and women can even get the three month birth control shot for free.

Take a look at my two other health care posts for more information. Please leave a comment, email me for more information at FrugalTravelsNepal@gmail.com, also, please check out our fan page on facebook (It needs a bit more interaction) at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nepal-A-Tourists-Manual-Our-new-Ebook/442344552442701 or check out our web site at http://UnconventionalTourist.com

Did you know I wrote an eBook filled with tips on getting the most out of your visit to Nepal?


Satisfaction Guaranteed: NO FINE PRINT. If you don't truly love Nepal: A Tourist’s Manual, please send for 100% money back. If you are not completely satisfied just send your purchase information along with a note to: FrugalTravelsNepal@gmail.com

Nepal: A Tourist’s Manual-For more information check out our website. If you enjoy this blog and the website you will enjoy the 299 page eBook. It is a well illustrated, easy read with over 1,000 tips to help you get the most out of Nepal.


Visit my website: Nepal: A Tourist's Manual