This post features student writing.
Last night, after what seemed like years of being on a plane, we finally reached Kathmandu, Nepal. We could see a beautiful sunset from the plane, as well as the faded sparkling lights from the city. We took a small bus to our guest house and from there, everyone pretty much crashed. Throughout the night, we heard cats, barking dogs, and the occasional honk of a motorcycle. Today, everyone started off by getting up early due to the jetlag. We got to eat breakfast near the garden with the rest of the group, and after that, we met up for a series of workshops that improved our team building skills. John and Jada went over our itinerary for the next couple of days… I’m so excited! We also sat down for some ginger tea, which I thought was delicious. Definitely a good way to start off the day! For lunch, we went to the Himalayan Java Cafe, which is located right next to the Boudha Stupa. I saw many people praying and thousands of prayer flags in all different colors draped from it. It was so amazing and much larger than you’d think it is. On our way to dinner, we got to see artists painting thangkas, which requires such precise movements and skill. For dinner, we finished up with rice, naan, tikka masala, and of course, momos. It was all so delicious, I am looking forward to what comes in the next days!
— Julia G.
Today was an incredibly full and meaningful day. We really got to explore Kathmandu and settle into this astounding country. Our day had an early start. If we chose to we had the opportunity to rise at 5:45 AM and attend a puja ceremony in the monastery. I think we all found it incredibly powerful. After breakfast, we embarked on the adventures of the day. First, we visited the Swayambhunath temple. We not only enjoyed the beauty and history of the place, but the hundreds of monkeys that wandered through the stupa. We then visited some other major temples of Kathmandu. Our guide was very knowledgeable, which made the experience even more fascinating. Midday, we ventured through the streets until we arrived at lunch. We all sat on cushions and ate some delicious food. Once we were finished, we split into groups and were given time to simply explore the area we were in. We all had a lot of fun discovering the shops that lined the road! We then returned to our bus and drove to the Center for Awareness Promotion (CAP). I think that we could all agree that this was an incredibly moving and emotional experience. We had the chance to meet the girls currently living at CAP. Each one has a unique story, but all have experienced some form of sexual exploitation, assault, and/or human trafficking. We got to know each other through the exchange of songs, dances, yoga and games. The girls were kind, positive, and incredibly inspiring. We ended our busy day with a stunning rooftop dinner looking out on the Boudhanath Stupa. Overall, it was an awesome day!
— Emme J.
The jeeps are packed and we are ready to venture through the mountains! We will spend the day driving to our community service home located close to Salleri in the Solukhumbu Region. Everyone is excited for this next chapter in our program!
— Jada & John
