Diwali and Dog's Day Celebrations In Nepal and India

Distinctive flag of Nepal

Problem
I was in Nepal and never saw the dog's day.

Answer
Never mind. The BBC has a story all about it. It's not just a doggy celebration. It's based on the idea that death is looking for you, dogs are the messengers, but if you are nice to them you won't die. The gates to hell are guarded by two dogs.

I can imagine some people are frowning and some are smiling. But the dog owners and dogs are all smiling. The dogs receive all kinds of favourite food, as well as garlands around their necks. Dogs, man's best friend, love being made a fuss of.

To some people from other cultures it may seem rather far-fetched. On the other hand, dogs can save lives. Dogs help the lonely and widowed.  They cheer up people in old folks' homes and patients in hospitals. Provide new interest for the family.

But get a rottweiler in a bad mood and things could turn out badly.

Meanwhile, for dog lovers it is all good news with treats for dogs and lots of great photos. Such characters.

If you are planning a trip to Nepal and you like dogs, consider adding next year's Diwali date to your diary.

What else to do in Nepal? Kathmandu with those wonderful temples with the all-seeing eyes.

Everest base camp. You can get to the base camp in either Nepal (on the south side) or Tibet, by vehicle. If you want to do the worlds' highest trek you must go to Tibet. My husband did that. I think I'll stick to Nepal and take pictures of dogs.

India also celebrates in the same way, with the crow features on the first day of Diwali, the dog on the second day, the cow on the third day.

Useful websites
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-46111525
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tihar_(festival)
www.welcomenepal.com
See Nepal in
wikitravel
wikivoyage
tripadvisor
Nepal is also on Facebook and Twitter.

India
www.incredibleindia.org

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.

Triangular Flag?

Problem

I saw the guide from Vietnam carrying a triangular flag. I thought it was the flag of Vietnam. It wasn't. Who has a triangular flag?

Answer
Nepal has a double triangle.

A country flag is handy to signal which country of language the guide represents.








Author
Angela Lansbury

Packing for the temperature at your destination, sun, ski and cancer

I just checked the temperature in Singapore. The site I tried allows you to toggle between agrees c and f and gives the humidity, which might not matter much in London but matters a lot in Singapore. In April 2016 the temperature in Singapore varies through this week from  29 on Monday to 33 C on Thursday, which is only 86 on Monday but in the nineties by Thursday. Humidity is 75%.

In the USA I used to look at the back page of USA today which gave the temperatures in every state. UK papers are the same.

We would also look at snowfall when planning a ski trip in Europe or the USA.

If going to the tropics, remember to take a large brimmed sunhat or hat with a visor. You can use this for swimming, over your swim cap, just adjust the clip at the back of most baseball hats.

A hat with a neck protector can be bought in outdoor shops, eg a trekking shop in Kathmandu, Nepal, but probably the same in most countries.

To protect your feet agains melanoma, especially if you have white skin which is more susceptible, you can buy swim socks. Most flip flops, apart from being slippery, expose both your toes and the top of your feet.

More Information on Temperature
https://www.google.com.sg/?client=safari#q=singapore+temperature&gfe_rd=cr
More on Melanoma
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/79115.php
Sunscreen Clothes and Swim Socks
http://www.coolibar.com/home.jsp?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=sunscreen%20clothes%20b&utm_campaign=Clothing&gclid=CIe7h-iTqswCFU4faAodYMkPsg
Sunscreen Swim Socks
http://sunprotectivedesignerclothing.com/-p-187.html

Angela Lansbury, B A Hons, travel writer and photographer, speaker and author.