THE BEST THINGS TO BRING HOME FROM YOUR VISIT OF NEPAL
 

A Tibetan Carpet: Hand-knotted wool carpets are thick, warm, and inexpensive, and though they are both bulky and heavy, you can easily get the standard 3-foot by 6-foot carpet into your checked luggage.

Thangkas: All over Kathmandu and Bhaktapur, you'll see artists creating these traditional Buddhist religious paintings. Often unbelievably detailed, these scroll paintings depict various Tibetan Buddhist deities, as well as the wheel of life and medical texts.

Your Own Personal God or Goddess: Should you find yourself desiring your own personal statue of Ganesh, Manjushri, Vishwarupa, Avalokiteshwara, or any other deity from the Buddhist or Hindu pantheons of Nepal, step into any store selling cast-metal figurines of the gods, and you are certain to find the one you seek.

Tea: Both Nepali and Indian teas are available in Kathmandu and are fresher and cheaper than at home. Pick up some tea masala (spice mix), and you'll be able to make your own fragrant and flavorful milk tea.

Saffron and Other Spices: Though it isn't grown in Nepal, saffron is readily avail-able in the spice markets of Kathmandu and is probably a lot cheaper than it is back home. Cardamon and masala mixes are also worth buying.

Embroidered T-shirts: Pick a design from the images on the walls (or bring your own), and in 24 hours, one of Kathmandu's embroidery shops can whip up a colorful machine-embroidered T-shirt. They're cheap and they make great compact gifts.

Incense: There's nothing like incense wafting through your house to take you immediately back to the streets and temples of Kathmandu. For less than $1 a box, you can conjure up the essence of Nepal whenever you need to.

A Healthy Intestinal Tract: Forget the souvenirs and handicrafts. The single most important thing to bring back from Nepal is your health. Watch what you eat and don't forget to wash those hands (your mother was right)!