Kathmandu,Nepal: Arrival and exploration

We arrived in Kathmandu yesterday around dinner time after two shorter flights and a three hour layover in Doha, Qatar. Qatar airlines was very good, consumer friendly compared to Egypt air (this is for my business travel writer friend, Barb). The airport in Kathmandu is small; it looks more like a school than an airport. We took a little bus to the hotel. It was only 7 miles but on very narrow and crowded streets, it took a about 20 minutes. We had to walk the last bit because the mini-bus didn’t fit on the street of our hotel. The custom here is to drive on the left (like the UK).

Hotel Buddha is a very small hotel on a busy little street in the Thamel district. The rooms are small and bare with no pictures on the walls, a TV that doesn’t operate, and a shower that goes right onto the floor of the bathroom with no ridge to capture the water.

After getting money exchanged for the students, Laura, Eric and I headed out to get some dinner. We chose nice café, called Mandap, conveniently across the street. I had fish and rice in a nice curry sauce and naan (bread). It was delicious. Food is cheap here so our whole dinner was about $7 each.

The night was cold… very cold after coming from the warm desert, but it warmed up today when the sun came out. We had class this morning on the rooftop of our hotel. It was slightly cool but with the warm sun on our backs, we were quite comfortable.

During class we debriefed about what we learned in Dubai, then began discussing the history and assigned readings regarding Nepal and Kathmandu. Nepal is a very poor developing country (average yearly income of $200) but big changes appear to be afoot here. Nearly a decade of civil war recently resulted in the end of monarchy. The Maoists now have a majority in Parliament with an elected prime minister.

Students reviewing the readings and having class on the rooftop patio

Our readings tell us that the situation for people with disabilities is very difficult. Services are very limited and only available to some in the cities. Therefore, people with disabilities completely depend on their families for support.

Along with poverty there is little access to good medical care. The primary causes of intellectual disabilities here are due to infections, poor nutrition, lack of vaccinations, and inadequate pre- and postnatal care.

Several of our readings mention that religion and traditions also play a large part in attitudes toward people with disabilities. Hindu is the dominant religion with Buddhism coming in second among the four most prominent. Hindus believe in a cycle of life, death and rebirth with the aim being to achieve release (moksha) from this cycle. With each rebirth you can move closer to or from eventual moksha; the deciding factor is karma, which is literally a law of cause and effect. Bad actions during your life result in bad karma, which ends in a lower reincarnation. Conversely, if your deeds and actions have been good you will reincarnate on a higher level and be a step closer to eventual freedom from rebirth. Buddhism later adapted this concept. Hindus also have rules about the caste system. Many also believe in traditional healing methods.

These beliefs and traditions, of course, impact perception of people with disabilities. Some apparently still have the belief that supernatural powers are the cause of disabilities, or that you must have done something wrong (sinned) and therefore the disability is your fate. On the positive side, it appears that people believe they will have get rewarded with good karma if they treat vulnerable people well.

There is a law enacted in 1982, the Disabled Protection and Welfare Act, that mandates services for people with disabilities. However, like the disability rights law in Ghana, it has not been fully (or even nearly so) implemented.

In the afternoon, students were free to explore the area. I strolled down the street and poked into all the little shops. Thamel streets are filled with ricksaw drivers and motor bikes, so I had to be careful not to be run over! But the shopping is great. Lots of Chinese silk, bronze statues, hippy cotton clothes (I bought some), and hand embroidered T-shirts (two for my two boys!).

man embroidering alec and carter's shirts

Tonight Laura and I are meeting with Dr. Kafle, a friend of one of Laura’s Delaware students, who volunteered to be our guide to the several disability organizations we will be visiting beginning Monday. We will also be celebrating Erik’s (Laura’s husband who is travelling with us) birthday, which is today!

Happy Birthday Erik!