Street Peddlers, Nepal

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..... the street peddlers can get a little on the nerves after you have firmly, but politely said, no, for the hundreth time because you have already bought all the souvenirs you're planning to buy, and even if they drop their price another 100 rupees you're not going to change your mind.

Now, please do not get me wrong. I have a lot of empathy for them. They are just trying to earn a meagre earning from the tourists that obviously have a lot more than they do. And just as obviously, like the squeaky wheel that gets the grease, they need to be very persistent.

But you have to understand I actually feel bad when they are forced to drop their prices to ridiculously low levels where I have to wonder whether they can even afford to sell such items so cheaply or maybe they do not understand and have just been told by someone else, here, sell this, and get as much or as little as you can? I dunno, but at some price it must not be worth it for anyone?

Then I feel bad when I do buy something and then the next person offers me two for the same price or even two for half the price. Dang-it-all-anyways! I just have to justify it by saying to myself that it is their wage for the day and what is five bucks more or less? It might be their only sale all day. And in a country where wages can be as low as one or two dollars a day a few extra dollars makes a big difference for some.

I am sure they use children to tug at your heart strings as well. Who can resist? What I will not do though is give gypsy beggars money. Especially, those with small, dirty children in tow. I am not going to encourage that and there are many signs in Kathmandu to that effect. Also, when a porter only earns a dollar or three a day carrying heavy loads how can I justify giving a beggar that just for being in my face.

Fun Alternatives: However, it is not as bad as all that. Actually, the hawkers and peddlers are an integral part of Kathmandu's streets as well as the art of haggling for a discount, and the country would be, literally, poorer without these entrepreneurs. Just enjoy it, but learn to say, no thank you. Just don't change your mind then. You'll only encourage them to be more persistent! ; - )

Going down from Sarangkot to Pokara by the trail it is going to pop out from nowhere young boys saying you are going on the wrong way and that there is a short cut down...nosense...they want to serve you as a guide to show you "the only possible way "to go down...and then get some in payment.

Unique Suggestions: Unless you really want their company, just say thanks and go ahead...

In Kathmandu, and to some degree in Pokhara as well, visitors need to get acclimatised to locals selling a wonderful array of life's essentials in the street. It's hard to move without passing the opportunity to pick up Tiger Balm, Swiss Army Knife, flutes, an offer of a taxi, a guide for a trek... etc.

Unique Suggestions: First of all, don't get annoyed - these people have got far less than you have and work pretty hard for the little they have. I smile and say "no thank you this time".

If I'm put under serious pressure, the most polite solution I have found out of the situation is to say "I'm feeling very pressurised into buying this and I don't really want to today. This will be a bad sale" I was advised to do this by a very kind Nepali trader who works on the tourist market, and lo! it worked!

Fun Alternatives: The worst day is the first day, and my trusty Nepali trader told me that they spot new arrivals by their gleaming new shoes! Clearly the longer you stay the more you are able to handle them.

Hope this helps. I'm now off to organise my grand display of Tiger Balm tins and to polish my wonderful collection of Swiss army knives!

First of all, you can get Tiger Balm anywhere now AND, you might even get it for less in the U.S.A. But of course, then you won't be able to nonchalently inform others about how you bought it while you were HALFWAY AROUND THE WORLD, VISITING KATHMANDU.....!

Similar nuisances are the Indians coming up to you with marigolds or colored powders to rub on your forehead; at first blush, this appears to be a charming local custom - but after the millionth time of shaking off one of these characters, you just grow tired of the sport and it all becomes annoying. All they really want is coin, anyways. Why not just come out and say it.

Unique Suggestions: You're going to have "TOURIST" written all over your head anyways (but most especially if you allow one of those peddlers to rub that colored powder on your face), so go ahead and feel free to walk around with your Lonely Planet Travel book in hand. It's the best map you'll have.

One day, our guide could not meet us for our itinerary, due to some kind of Maoist strike activity (the Maoists are mainly out in the Western areas, but occasionally they pull some stunt where they organize a "strike" and when this happens, it's known in advance and many businesses including travel agencies, close down for the day so as to avoid provoking Maoist repercussions. Standard third world nonsense); we went about realizing our agenda for that day without him - and discovered that our Lonely Planet Travel Book was everything we needed!

Fake sadhus. My dictionary says that a sadhu is a 'Hindu mendicant ascetic.' Which means (in ordinary English) a holy man (about 90% of them are men) who depends upon charity to survive. In Nepal they usually wear orange robes and have hair and beards that have long remained uncut. Sadhus belong to many different sects or orders. When one joins a sect, he must undergo an initiation-rite. This is regarded as a symbolic death which is followed by rebirth. The polluted earthly life is left behind and the initiate is reborn into the divine life. (There is a wonderful introduction at http://utopia.knoware.nl/users/dolfhart/index.html to various sects.)

Unfortunately, because most Westerners know little or nothing about Hinduism, there are more than a few fakes, just as there are beggars throughout the world not in need of alms. Be careful! The genuine sadhus are truly holy men but poverty is so dire that more than a few that you meet who claim to be, are not. I wish I could offer an easy way to tell them apart but I guess your instinct must be your guide.

THE STREETS OF KATHMANDU ARE FILLED WITH PEOPLE TRYING TO SELL YOU SOMETHING OR OTHER. ON THE WHOLE THOUGH, I FOUND THAT THE THINGS OFFERED BY STREET MERCHANTS IN NEPAL TENDED TOWARD THE PRACTICAL, AND THE INTERESTING...

It's very easy to loose your temper when someone tries to jack you of again, but keep in mind that bargaining is a part of the Nepali culture and that you have a one-year Nepali salary in your backpack.

Somebody had mentioned the 'tiger balm and khukari guys' as a trap. There are many guys hawking stuff out on the street, especially in Thamel and Basentapur, but if you say to them, 'chine-dine-ahhh' they will repeat that and go away without a problem. It means, 'no, thanks, I don't want it'. I don't know WHY they always repeat that, but they do, and then go away. If you only learn a few Nepali words, make sure you get these down to save a lot of hastles when you don't want to buy whatever is being peddled.