Nepal went through some radical changes while we were there. A previously-terrorist Maoist group formed the government and de-throned the highly unpopular king. The 239-yr old Hindu monarchy was abolished, ending its history of political interference.Popular protest is common in Nepal: our bus was stopped for 3 hours in the searing heat while a group of school kids blocked the highway to protest a lack of books. Hundreds of vehicles filled with thousands of Nepalis were kept waiting by kids in pink school shirts. Just imagine trying to stop truckers in North America with a few rocks on the road. The worst sufferers were the stalled truckloads of water buffalo, cruelly tied together and held down with nostril rings, unable to move.
