Minerals in Nepal
Main minerals: quartz, small deposits of brown coal, copper, cobalt, iron ore. Mineral deposits are practically not developed. There are deposits of limestone, shale, lead, mica, magnesite, talc, and ocher.
Banks in Nepal
Banks in Nepal are open from Sunday to Thursday from 9.00 – 10.00 am to 14.00 – 14.30 pm. Friday is a shortened day when banks are open until 12.00 – 12.30. Saturday and public holidays are days off. The exchange rate is set by the state-owned Nepal Rastra Bank. Most common traveler’s checks and credit cards are accepted at major banks in Kathmandu and Pokhara. They can also be used to pay in large hotels and shops, but the price will either be higher or 2% commission will be included.
Currency exchange can be done right at the airport, at state and commercial banks, at exchange offices and just in the shops on the market. At the airport and at banks, the exchange rate may be lower, or a fee may be charged. When exchanging currency at the airport, a certificate is issued, according to which you can exchange back up to 15% of the original amount when leaving the country. It is not recommended to take old, wrinkled or torn currency with you. there may be problems with the exchange. When traveling through remote villages, it is good to have a supply of small change, because large banknotes simply cannot be exchanged. In some shops located in tourist places, and some companies and guides easily take American dollars as payment.
Money in Nepal
According to Toppharmacyschools, the Nepalese rupee (international designation – NPR, within the country – NRs) is the official currency of the country. One Nepalese rupee is equal to 100 paise. In Nepal, there are coins in denominations of 5, 10, 25 and 50 paise, as well as 1, 2, 5 and 10 rupees. However, coins are practically not used in everyday life. Without knowing the language, it will be quite difficult to determine the value of the coins or the year of their issue. Banknotes are made from special plastic with denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, 250, 500 and 1000 rupees. Recently, the Parliament of Nepal decided to replace the image of King Gyanendra on banknotes. On 500 and 1000 rupee banknotes, an image of a rhododendron flower will appear, and on 10 rupee banknotes – the highest mountain in the world – Everest.
Exchange rate: 1000 Nepalese Rupee (NPR) = 8.71 USD (28.05.2022)
Cuisine in Nepal
Nepalese cuisine is diverse, as are the numerous nationalities that inhabit the country. Neighboring India, China and Tibet had a great influence on the national cuisine. In major cities and tourist centers, you can also find dishes of Japanese, Korean and European cuisine. Portions, as is often the case in Asia, are large, so you should not order a lot at once.
One of the main Nepalese dishes are rice dishes. Various spices, vegetables, sauces, and sometimes oil or meat are added to rice. Hindus, and they are the majority in the country (up to 90%), should not eat beef, because. the cow is a sacred animal for them. However, peoples living in the highlands, such as the Sherpas, raise yaks and use their milk and meat for food. In addition, eggs, fish and even fruits can be served with rice. One of the most popular dishes is “dal wat tarkari”(“dhai bhat tarakari”), which is rice with vegetables, lentils or beans. The mamo
dish, which originally came from China, is also very popular, similar to Russian dumplings or Central Asian manti. Like manti, mamo are steamed and come in quite large sizes with various fillings: meat, chicken or vegetables. Dumplings are served with spicy sauce, which is better to try first. Nepalese practically do not make soups. Tukpa (thukpa) – a cross between a soup and a second course, is pasta with vegetables or meat, cooked in broth. Chowmein is lightly fried pasta. They are usually offered with vegetables, chicken, egg, or both.
Chopsuey is already well-fried pasta, usually with a spicy sauce. They are vegetarian – with vegetables, Chinese – with chicken, and American – with mild ketchup, vegetables, chicken and eggs.
In Nepalese cuisine, sour-milk products are also common, especially such as cottage cheese and curdled milk “dahi”, which are often mixed with crushed rice (“dahi-chiura”) or wheat. They make thin cakes from rice, corn or whole wheat flour. In mountainous areas, boiled and baked potatoes, wheat and millet porridge with yak or buffalo milk butter (“ghee”) are typical foods. Black tea is considered the national drink., in Nepal you can find the most diverse tea of good quality. In the mountains they drink sweet tea with milk or even butter. Strong alcohol is represented exclusively by local brands. Imported alcoholic drinks are very expensive in Nepal, and you can only find them in Kathmandu or other major tourist centers in expensive restaurants, hotels and shops. There are several local varieties of whiskey, gin, rum, vodka, wine, which are produced under license.
Various types of beer are sold in bottles of 0.65 liters, there are very good varieties, such as “San Miguel”. Chang is homemade “beer” made from rice, barley or millet. Tongpa drinkcan only be found in local restaurants. It is a large mug filled with fermenting millet grains, which is filled again and again with hot water, and then drunk from it through a thin straw from the bottom. Rakshi is the general name for all types of homemade vodka, mainly made from rice or millet, but also from other cereals and vegetables. It can be of various qualities, at Newar family celebrations its strength is above 50 degrees, but in village pubs it is diluted so much that it is drunk in glasses.
