Seat of Our Pants

We’re going to stay in Nepal for three months. For a stay that long, it definitely pays off to pay attention to not only the beautiful sights and treks around the country, but also to the local political situation. Not only do I find it interesting (I’m an international politics nerd) (Jaime: and big nerd in general), it can also keep us out of trouble.

This country has seen radical upheaval and many hardships during the last few years. As recently as 2001, the Crown Prince gunned down the whole royal family in a drunken rampage. Afterward, he shot himself, only to fall into a coma. As he was the next in line for the throne, he was declared king. He died some time later without ever regaining consciousness.

His uncle took the throne in 2001, and led the kingdom until 2006, when demonstrations and the Maoist insurgency made it impossible for him to rule any longer. The kingdom was abolished, and a republic was declared. During the later part of this period Nepal was considered a dangerous place, and the tourism scene was pretty much shut down.

Today, the country is led by a fragile, shifting coalition that seems to reshape itself ever other month. On top of this, the Maoists are busy calling strikes and demonstrations. They are nice enough to publish their activities in advance: we know that we should avoid downtown Kathmandu on Sunday, because that’s the day when they say they are going to romp around on the streets and make trouble.

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