“We are in the hills of foot here”: Terai region, Nepal, 14 September 2014

My very limited impression of rural Nepal (at least the eastern Terai region in the Himalayan foothills) is that it’s less developed than rural India*.  I’ve been told education levels are much lower here and, at least in part as a consequence, people are less ambitious – they’re looking for food security rather than lifestyle improvement.  There is a tendency for people to rely on remittances for major changes (such as motorbike or hand pump purchases).   Very few people are desperately poor, but no one is wealthy by any means.  The land is less intensively farmed – in part because irrigation rates are lower.

Grass around a pond – grown for thatching

Roads are in worse condition, and we’re travelling more slowly (averaging 40-50km/hr on the highways) than in India (averaging 70-80km/hr).  As well, there are fewer cars and motorbikes on the highways (and the vehicles are much older) or in Jaynagar, and more people are riding bicycles or walking. 

There are also more electricity outages – they’re usually brief and it’s interesting to see how we work round them in our meetings.  We have more tea breaks in the sessions when the projector goes out!

Bay leaves and chillies

The food is more peppery than India and there are both Indian and east-Asian influences.  The basic meal seems to be Nepali thali: a big tray (or thali) with rice, a bowl of dhal, two or three vegetable curries, and a chutney or pepper sauce. 

Nepali thali

Other things which have been very enjoyable are momo (dumplings with either veg or meat fillings), maize fritters, tandoori chicken, garlic naan, and a snack of fresh young peanuts tossed with finely chopped sweet raw onion and tomato.  A peanut-chilli sauce, which is delicious, is served with most small dishes.

Beats salted peanuts or cashews with a drink!

Maize cakes with peanut-pepper sauce

For breakfast we have pancakes, omelettes and chai, which here is made with buffalo milk which is much richer and creamier than cow’s milk.  We haven’t had any ice cream or kulfi (yet) but there is buffalo curd which is just as good.

Pancakes and guava juice

Buffalo chai...mmmm.....

The climate here is a bit cooler than in India, but more humid (we may just have hit a moist few days – I think there’s a weather system sitting down in Bihar now).  It gets pretty sticky by late afternoon!

Clouds building up over research station trials

*ETA: Over dinner last night I learned that the central Terai region (which is fairly east) where we are is one of the least developed regions of Nepal - I believe it was particularly badly affected by the recent conflict.  My conversationalist, who is from the middle hills region, recommended the middle hills region as a great place to visit.