Our young FTT (Finance Tout Terrain) reporters have succeeded in crossing Nepal, the first country on their round-the-world trip.

This little country, located in the heart of the Himalayas, is bordered by China to the North and by India everywhere else. When it opened up to tourism in the 1950s, Nepal revealed an impressive array of landscapes and persons (over 60 ethnic groups and castes). This diversity makes it a particularly rich country in terms of culture.

In the five days spent in Kathmandu, the political and religious capital of Nepal, the young reporters discovered a world that was completely new to them. They dedicated their time to microfinance discussions, meeting with five microfinance institutions and four micro-entrepreneurs, but managed to squeeze in visits to towns in the valley, such as Patan, an ancient centre of Buddhist teachings.

Despite two minor falls for Johan, our three reporters say they are glad to have started with Nepal, which is a difficult country for cycling!

It’s not an easy thing to brave the notorious “Nepali Flat” – a succession of steep climbs and descents.

Every change in altitude brings with it a complete change of scene; every new encounter with different groups of people brings a wealth of experiences and encouragement to continue the adventure.

The microfinance reporters are now ready to discover the variety that India has to offer!