Picking this story up from my last blog, My First Night in Kathmandu. We are continuing this with the story of my first day in the small historical and ancient village of Banepa!
I had just gotten picked up by my best friend Barsha and her father Gangaram from my hotel in Kathmandu. We were on our way to their hometown; The beautiful and ancient village of Banepa! This is where I would spend the majority of my time in Nepal since Barsha’s family stayed there and their home would be my base.
Banepa is located about 25 km or 16 miles East of the capital city, Kathmandu. It gets its name from the combination of 2 words. Bane means “Business” and “pa” means place, which directly translates into Business Place.
This makes a ton of sense since the village has an incredibly large market in the center of town and hundreds of densely packed retail shops line the streets. This historical village used to also be a core political area but now is mostly known for its 100’s of Hindu temples of varying sizes, including the Eight Gates of Ghanesh and the Chandeshwari Temple.
From Kathmandu, there is one major road to Banepa which if taken far enough will take you all the way to China! As we slowly inclined up the winding road and into the hills, we would come across the entrance into Banepa. Barsha told me to look out the window and give praise to Big Shiva, which was a giant bronze statue sitting near the top of what I considered a mountain.
The locals don’t consider anything mountains except for the Himalayas, and would correct me whenever I said mountains while not referring to the Himalayas. Which are humongous by the way. Like truly, I’ve never seen anything bigger and at such a distance. On a very clear day you can see the start of the Himalayas from Banepa. The first time I laid my eyes on the snow capped Himalayan mountains from afar, you’d think I’d never seen a mountain in my life. I was incredibly excited during this car ride as Barsha and her father were sharing information with me about Banepa and Nepal. Admittedly I was still in shock that only 3 days earlier I had purchased my tickets and decided to do this. My senses were overloaded and the culture shock was all over my face. Not to mention the biggest smile I hadn’t felt in my cheeks for months.
The sun beamed warmly on my face as I squinted my eyes trying to spot the Himalayas. The clouds were large and fluffy scattered across the valley. The temperature was a perfect 76 degrees Fahrenheit or 24 Celsius; the sun was warm but the air felt cool, much like the nicest of days in San Francisco. As we drove past Big Shiva, Barsha showed me how to honor the gods in passing. She said you place your hand palm side down on your heart and then raise it to your forehead touching your forehead with the top side and to do that 3 times. She said I can also put my hands together and say a quick prayer if I want instead.
Anytime you pass a Mandi or a Goomba (Hindu temple/Buddhist temple) or even cross the holy rivers of Nepal, it is very important to acknowledge that the gods live both in our hearts and our minds. Needless to say we did a lot of praying. Which is something I had not done much of before. This would become a daily practice that made me genuinely feel better inside. It felt as though my mind, body and soul was healing everytime I stopped to give thanks and gratitude for the life I’d been spared.
After passing Big Shiva, we had started to reach what Barsha called the countryside. Rolling hills covered in wheat and rice paddy fields were sprinkled in patches throughout the valley. Some huge 6 story houses could be spotted in the fields. We continued along the winding dirt road where the population density dropped significantly and now small village “resorts” and homes of varying size scattered the landscape. Villagers in traditional Nepali garments were trekking alongside with their goats and oxen. Some carried spices and dried goods in woven baskets on their heads. Brightly colored Fancy Chickens strutted along next to them. I watched and wondered what kind of lives they lived or what they did for fun. What did they eat that day? I pondered as my stomach began to mumble for some real Nepalese food. I had so many questions about what Nepali culture was like and what I was in store for. I kept most of these to myself since I had just fucked around and was about to find out. As they say, there’s no better way to learn than to experience!
After about 10 minutes from Big Shiva, we started to enter the central part of town and the village market. Population density had increased once again. The roads had become a plethora of cars, motorbikes, and buses. More organized chaos. Honestly it was kinda scary. I felt like at any moment there could be a huge accident or someone crossing would be hit. Without warning locals would attempt to cross at any opportune time they could safely cross, even stopping in the middle of lanes. It was reminiscent of the old Atari game, Frogger. Except crossing the street was no game here. You had to be extremely careful crossing the street on foot since there were no crosswalks or stop lights. We were on the large main road that could take you all the way to China. Which is also a major trade route with Tibet. So this road is typically always very busy, with many commuters traveling through and buses stopping in Banepa. Speaking of buses, the Banepa bus stop was located right across the street from the Karmacharya house. Gangaram pulled into a lot in front of several 6 story buildings and parked the car. We had arrived at what would be my home for the next few weeks at least. I had no idea how long I’d be staying since I purchased a one way ticket. Barsha called to let the family know we were pulling up and to get ready to introduce themselves. The first person waiting to meet us outside was her 19 year old brother Sugam. He greeted me with a very big smile and a long warm hug. We had spoken several times on video chat and Facebook nearly 6 years earlier but had never met in person and I noticed he had grown into a fine young man!
Our first stop was to go say hello and meet Barsha’s grandfather. Before we entered the house, she instructed me to say “Namaste Ram! Ram, Ram, Ram! kasto cha” with my hand pumping in a fist as I repeat Ram Ram Ram. kasto cha in Nepali means “how are you?” and sounds like kitah if I were to spell it.
I took off my shoes and entered through a thick ornately hand carved wood door on the ground floor of the family home. Upon entering I was greeted by a room full of Barsha’s family members. They all had huge smiles and beckoned me to sit on the bed and have some of the food they were eating. I introduced myself with a toothy smile, said “Namaste” with a small bow, washed my hands and took a seat next to one of her Aunts and Uncles. A small shared plate of food in a style I had never seen before was put in front of me and they motioned for me to use my hands and dig in! It was some kind of charred spiced meat in a savory curry like sauce, along with buffalo fat that had been dehydrated and then braised and softened in similar spices, runny fried eggs and something called rolled rice. Which looked like extra thin dry rolled oats and had a crisp light texture. A sensation of flavors danced around my tongue as the heat of the various spices began to settle. The meat was bursting with such a warm, savory, spicy familiarity. I knew I really liked Nepalese Food, since Barsha would invite me to family gatherings and would cook for me. Now I was in love with Nepalese Food and Mama made the best. My mouth could detect the distinctive and familiar flavors of ginger, garlic, shallot, turmeric, and cumin, but there were some other flavors in there I’d never used or tasted much of. I tried to pick them out but it was so new to me. Maybe it was clove or allspice? The food was so simple yet the flavors of each dish were so complex. I had never had rolled rice before and it would soon become a staple of my day to day diet.
Food tastes more delicious when you eat with your hands!
I was sharing a rather small plate with them (like the center picture above) and doing my best to not make a mess of myself or the bed we were sitting on. They encouraged me to eat more and not to worry as some of the rolled rice slipped through my fingers on its way to my already stuffed face. Everyone was so warm and welcoming. Their huge smiles felt incredibly genuine and they were so excited their daughter’s American friend had come all the way to Nepal to hang out! I had honestly never felt so welcome by people I had never met in my life. We talked about my flight, how I know Barsha, and what I thought about Nepal so far. They advised me to eat up, put my stuff away, and take a quick rest because we have more fun things to do and people to meet! It was nearly the end of the Dashain Festival and I arrived at a fun time.
The Beautiful Family Who Welcomed Me
We finished up our plates of food and were ready to check out my new home, The Karmacharya House! The building was about 5 stories with an open roof deck. The first 3 floors were businesses or storage the family rented out. There was a bank right below the first floor of the family home I would spend quite a bit of time at. We made our way to the house floor and entered through a metal security gate. Went up another flight of stairs and was now in the main living entrance, another flight up and you have the kitchen area, a couple bedrooms and the first part of the open air rooftop garden. Apparently many countries don’t make you pay taxes on unfinished houses. So if your house has no roof completely covering the top, it is considered “unfinished”
We set my stuff down in Sugam’s bedroom and introduced myself to Barsha’s younger sister Yurisha. She’s a bright eyed 27 year old woman with a beautiful smile, dark brown skin and long black hair. She was a bit shy so we didn’t speak much. Barsha told me we have a few minutes before we are gonna go sing and dance at her Uncle’s house next door and to get ready. WHAT?! We are singing and dancing?! I thought to myself with a bit of anxiety. I am not used to singing karaoke in front of strangers, let alone dance while doing it. I got a bit shy but decided I have to do this, let’s have some fun! We went next door which was the home above Grandpa Ram’s. I was introduced to even more family members who were all sitting in a large room with an oriental style rug and very large TV with karaoke set up. They were playing Barsha’s music videos and the younger children were dancing with Barsha. She sang the first song, beautifully of course, as she is a professional singer; then it was my turn. I was super nervous! I chose a song I felt like they might now and went with Mariah Carey’s Dreamlover. Everyone seemed to be entertained and I didn’t choke on my performance! Glad the song was finally over, I took a bow, thanked everyone and booked it outside to choke down some nicotine vape. As scary as that was, it was also a ton of fun! After my song they continued to pass the microphone and sing while everyone danced. Nepali traditional dance is very fluid and flowy and the music is very upbeat and jingly; with deep drums and twangy string sounds! I really enjoyed how different and new every single thing was to me. Nothing was familiar at all and I couldn’t be more excited to experience all of it.
After karaoke, we were instructed to go back home and get ready to eat more and I was to participate in a Dashain ceremony with the family. Barsha explained this is where they will welcome me in and give me offerings and Tika, as she motioned to her forehead. I was wondering what the thick red paste was on everyone’s forehead and the garland they were wearing around their neck. We went downstairs to the first floor of the family home and into a very large living room with a couch that could easily fit 10 people. The whole family was gathered inside. We took a seat on the floor next to her Uncle Ramses. We each received a plate of food with the same dishes we had when I first arrived and a small glass of local rice they called Roxie. This homemade spirit is made of fermented rice, banana peels, apples, bird’s eye chile peppers and other secret ingredients. It was like a slightly sweet Nigori with a fruity funk I quite enjoyed. We ate a little and then the ceremony began. We sat on the ground, facing each other, with our legs crossed and I was instructed to cup my hands like a bowl in front of my lap. In between us sat a wide mouthed golden pot used for the ceremony that contained Rupees, a grass called Jamara and next to that a large plate of very ripe bananas. Gangaram would take some of the thick red paste and press the Tika on my forehead. This paste is usually made with ash, sandalwood, turmeric, and coloring. He said some words in Nepalese, handed me a bundle of Jamara tied with cloth, a banana, some Rupees then wished me (in English) that he hopes I become a big rich man! Then he had me repeat something in Nepalese and bow with the gifts I was bestowed. Everyone laughed and clapped and I was instructed to eat the banana and keep the money to buy snacks later. My first few hours home was already rich in culture, full of joyous laughter and delicious home cooked food
After the ceremony Barsha decided to send her sister and I on a walk to the local snack shop where the ladies there prepared two dishes. Chat Pate and Pani Puri! The walk was a short 5 minutes behind the house. We went around the building, crossed the dirt road, turned the corner and ended up in front of a small shop. We went into the shop which consisted of two benches and a few extra chairs, and a small prep table. The shelves were stocked with processed snacks like potato chips, candies, and other treats I had never seen nor tried. There are usually 2 women running this shop; a very short woman in her 40’s named Nimu, and her “sister” Aisha, who was in her late 20’s. Yurisha and I took a seat at the table and she introduced me to the “Pani Puri Ladies”. Little did I know I’d be back to this shop nearly every day I spent in Banepa.
The Pani Puri Ladies of Banepa!
The small shop was full of young children and teenagers. They were all in formal school clothes and full of curiosity. I don’t think any of them had ever seen or met an American in their lives before tonight. The room was full of whispers, giggles, and curious stares. Understanding my position, I decided I would have to just play along and welcome their interests. I was pretty much all smiles and curiosity myself. Yurisha placed our order and we waited while I waved to the children and took a few hits of my vape. Apparently in Nepal you can smoke cigarettes (or in my case vape) in most establishments. The kids were fascinated with the smoke rings I’d blow while we waited. Yurisha made small talk with the ladies who were chopping shallots and chiles for our order. They handed us 2 plastic bags; one full of some round pastry and lots of them and a tightly closed bag of some watery orange liquid. Yurisha paid and headed back to the house.
“THIS IS PANI PURI!!”
It was time to feast once again! Admittedly I wasn’t even very hungry with all the eating we’d done since I landed 3 hours earlier. Barsha opens up the bag of pastries and empties the bag of liquid into a large mixing bowl. Everyone gathered around as she explained to me how we eat this dish. She didn’t tell me what was in it but from what I could see it was a crisp pastry shell like a ping pong ball cut in half. Inside was a thick potato salad spiced with turmeric, cumin, chile powder and coriander. I could see there were lentils and chickpeas in the mix too. Barsha took a potato filled pastry cup, quickly scooped up some of the orange liquid and skillfully shoved the entire thing in my mouth and laughed. Everything happened so quickly, I nearly choked. I wasn’t expecting or ready to have this tangy spicy liquid filled delight shoved into my face hole. As the liquid dribbled down my chin, I was met with an explosion of flavor and texture. My eyes widened as my tongue danced around and a huge smile spread across my face. I had never had anything quite like it! The delicate pastry shell was still crisp on the outside, but quickly disintegrated from the spicy vinegar like juice as soon as it entered my mouth. The potato mixture was full of texture and a robust spice profile. It was refreshing, bright, savory and light all at the same time. The whole process was chaos though. After learning how to eat the first one, a feeding frenzy began; everyone was grabbing, scooping, and trying to eat before it disintegrated all over the floor in a huge wet mess. Meanwhile in between trying to grab my own, Barsha would quickly prepare one for me and stuff it in my mouth by surprise.“This is Pani Puri!” she said laughing and asked me if I liked it. My face stuffed with food said it all and we laughed some more. This would be my all time favorite thing to eat in Nepal and something I’d have almost every day. Best part is it can be found everywhere. There are tons and tons of street food vendors offering this juicy delight and each vendor makes it slightly different; although The Pani Puri Ladies made it the best!
Within a couple short minutes the entire bag of Pani Puri was gone and there was nothing left but the best part; the vinegary juice to drink! We took turns pulling from the big bowl of juice, cleaned the kitchen, and headed back to the family room to wind down. Barsha’s extended family who came for Dashain and to welcome me explained they will be back for the end of the Festival in two weeks and to take care. They were all so incredibly kind and welcoming. Her aunts and uncles insisted I come see their homes in Kathmandu where they will feed me and we can sing and dance some more. I gladly accepted their warm invitations, gave them hugs and said goodbye. After they left, we hung out and talked about what the next few weeks would look like and our plans. Barsha explained we will go take a tour of Banepa tomorrow and go see some temples but tonight we must rest! I was shown to Yurisha’s room where I would be staying, got into pajamas and laid down for some much needed sleep.
This concludes my first 24 hour day in Nepal and my arrival into the historic town of Banepa. Thanks for reading and I hope you all are hungry for more! Please stay tuned for more stories on my travels through Asia and all the things that make me Hungry & Humble!
