Racer's Travel Journals

Racer

 
What are the ethnic foods that you eat on a normal basis?

Vietnamese and Mexican!

  • 30 years old
  • From Denver, United States
  • Currently in Denver, United States

Our Curious World

The world is a fascinating place! Working in 23 different countries, Experiential Learning International and our volunteers have seen some crazy stuff.

July 28, 2009

Nepal Nepal  |  Jul 28, 2009
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 The Birdman of Kathmandu 

Bureaucracy can be heavy.  In many countries there are so many stamps to get, papers to fill out, signatures to acquire... the most basic of permits and governmental communications can take months.  One man from a small village outside of Kathmandu, Nepal is learning this the hard way. 

Gautam Sapkota, the "birdman of Nepal" can imitate clearly the voice of 151 different species of birds.  His video clips are amazing, check it out on youtube.  After travelling throughout the country visiting schools and entertaining tourists and foreign dignitaries, he discovered that his gift could bring him even more renown.  The Guiness Book of World Records would put him easily in the top spot for most birds imitated... if he could get the money to go interview, or record, to prove his prowess that is.  The ironic thing, given the fact that Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the world, is that such money does in fact exist.  The government has many available grants and is willing to offer them for just such a circumstance.  All Gautam had to do was write a letter... and more importantly... get someone to read it.  The letter has sat on the desk of some unknown government official for months as the deadline for Guiness approached.  After countless phone calls and appeals for a response, or for at least a government signed letter to send to Guiness, no response has been forthcoming.

Gautam Sapkota has now announced that unless the government responds to his request in some way and in a timely manner, he will use his powers to call forth thousands of crows (the bird species he communicates best with), and as many as 175 other type of birds to flock to the airport in Kathmandu.  If his threats can be truly realized, the airport would have to be shut down as planes would not be able to land in among the throngs.  It is said that the Nepali government only responds to crises.  It is yet to be seen where this standoff will lead, but in this modern Hitchcockian drama, the decision of whether a young man can enter the record books is left entirely up to the birds.

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