Sunday, April 7, 2013

Travel in Nepal 9 : Tempo

I traveled to Nepal during the last Christmas holiday.
'Tempo' is one of the public transports in Nepal. It is an auto-rickshaw with three wheels. When I was in Nepal, I loved to use it. Taxis are OK for short trips, but I had to stay 30 days there, so I had to manage my expenses within a limited budget. The fee of the tempo is much cheaper than a taxi. So I used tempos almost everyday. 



There are no tempo stops on the street. When you find a tempo on the street, just raise your hand and make eye-contact with a driver, then they stop for you. You should say where you want to go to the driver, and if they say OK, you can get into it. There are several tempo routes, but it is difficult to understand for tourists so you should ask people that every time. Nepalese are kind, so they'll tell you if the tempo is the right one or not. Tempos are small, only 10 people can get into one tempo. Once, I found that the tempo was full, but I didn't want to wait for the next tempo. So I stood on the steps of the tempo and held the handrail. It was dangerous, and I was so thrilled but when the driver saw a police car ahead, he told me to enter inside. It is banned apparently. Most tempos are very old. They look about to break down but they work. After you get into a tempo, you might say your destination again to the driver and other passengers, and ask them to tell you when you arrive at that place. You should pay 15 rupees when you get off the tempo to the driver. ( 1USD = 80 rupees) My tempo experience made me feel as if I was also a local resident. I enjoyed it.

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