... is a very interesting country. We cycle toured there in the late 80s when it was a Hindu monarchy. The people are generally very poor and even the conditions in which the middle classes live would have seemed odd to Europeans or North Americans. Now it has a communist government (even though described in the article as a 'conservative' society) things are probably different. Many things change in 20 years.

I can understand why its called conservative but it has a much different meaning there than in the West. Gender roles seem very different. To my amusement and my wife's annoyance men would be seen playing cards whilst women were carrying bricks up ladders on construction sites.

We found the people in the towns and countryside unfailingly friendly. Children would beg for 'one rupee' but after receiving it would sit and talk asking us about our bikes and our country. Perhaps the most rewarding 3 weeks we ever spent on our bikes. Certainly sexual matters weren't particularly hidden (the carvings openly displayed on various temples have to be seen to be believed - a Kama Sutra for all!) I didn't see any signs of either gay or transgender behaviour but we spent most of our time outside Kathmandu in the county to the south and west.

Robi