Nepalese are patient people. They will endure anything, but at a certain point, they tend to snap and it is difficult to know what can turn Nepali innocence and friendliness into stupid brutality. As a Nepali myself, I know that at some point in time, we tend to snap.
An Aussie was beaten up at Tatopani, at the Western end of the famous Annapurna Circuit Trail, over, hold your breaths..... a liquor price brawl ? whaaaaatttt?
I can imagine what happened. In Nepal, there is a local price and a tourist price for everything, specially so in a tourist area. The fight probably started over a tourist price for the Aussie who came in with Nepali friends who would have paid a different price.
At some point in time, the local youth set in, snapped and brutally beat this tourist up. He is convalescing in Pokhara now. Read the article on the Himalayan Times
or on eTurboNews
TRAVEL ADVICE:
1. Do not drink alcohol on the trek. It is not recommended to drink alcohol on trek anyways. OK, Tatopani is not high altitude, so it is still OK, but cannot we stay out of this habit for a bit?
2. Do not get into brawls with locals. This is not smart at all.
3. Nepal has differential pricing for locals and tourists. The difference can be huge in relative terms but in dollar terms, Nepal is still one of the cheapest holiday destinations... Accept it! Fighting will not solve it.
4. Be smart and stay safe!
