Hi Parents/Teachers/Friends!
Follow along with us as we explore Nepal. We will update with photos and stories as much as possible!
Build Up Day (Day 0)
Bag checks complete (some students are not 100% on what a knee length means!) and team roles assigned! We are nearly ready for Nepal. Our finance team are off collecting our money from a local ATM and we are prepping for a bit of time looking at Wellbeing and security in country. We are all very excited!
“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.”Saint Augustine
Day 1!
We have survived our first long flight, ably lead by Phoebe. We are all a bit sweaty, tired and hungry but excited to board our next and final flight to Kathmandu. Anna is in charge tomorrow (or now as we pass midnight) and ready to navigate us through visas and hotel transfers!
Day 2!
We left Doha airport and boarded the second plane where we recieved a curry along with yoghurt and bread. The flight was slightly delayed but we arrived after having a sleep on board. We swiftly made our way through Kathmandu Airport (Tribhuvan International Airport.)
Then we met the World Challenge Ground Team who took us to our hotel. We had a quick look round the area we were staying in before the monsoon showers poured down. We went to a lovely restaurant for dinner where we ate a variety of foods from pizza to dumplings.
Rosie (Comms Lead)
Day 3!
We woke up and had breakfast at the hotel, then got on the bus and headed up a small mountain to the monkey temple, where we were very grateful to not have to walk up all the steps, and as it says on the tin we saw lots of monkeys, (and nobody got rabies) we also learnt about the different religions of Nepal. We then got back on the bus and headed to Durbar Square where we were blessed by the Kumari, a living goddess who was appointed at 3 and will give up the role when she gets her period. We then did some shopping at the markets and got to practice bartering.
We had a tasty lunch at a terrace restaurant, and were then taken on a walking tour of other local temples in the very hot weather, but we luckily weren't caught in any rain. We then headed back to the hotel for a quick break before some of us headed out to the local area to do some more shopping before coming back for a nice meal. Some of us are now playing the emoji game with the teachers on the roof of the hotel which has stunning views, after a very long but tiring day.
Lydia (Comms Lead)
Teachers have asked us to remind you of the comments page, we read them out after dinner tonight, we'd love to hear from you!
Day 4!
Today we woke up bright and early ready for a busy day ahead of us. The breakfast consisted of a variety of foods from various continents - such as toast, pancakes and local fruit. Our foodie theme continued into the morning as we drove a short distance to the the Seven Women centre where we participated in a cooking workshop. There we cooked 6 different meals: sweet rice pudding (Kheer), a tomato pickle (Achar), a mixed vegetable curry (Tarkari), rice (Bhat), fried potatoes (Aludum) and lentil soup (Dal). We then went on to eat this delicious food for our lunch and purchased a few gifts made by the Seven Women themselves.
We then headed back to the bus where we travelled for around 15 minutes to Boudha Stupa, which is the largest stumpa in all of Nepal. There we learnt about the Buddish traditions and ran around a large prayer wheel which was located in a nearby monastery. After this we had some time to buy gifts in the shop which surrounded the Stumpa.
Then we hopped on our third bus ride of the day to the Shree Pashupatinath, which is possibly the most famous temple in Nepal and one that all Hindu's should visit at least once it there lifetime. At this sacred UNSECO world heritage site, we learnt about the traditions which are carried out by the family and friends of the deceased and the public cremation process.
In order to conclude our day we had a lovely meal in our hotel and are now beginning to pack up our bags. Although we are all tired, We are definitely excited for tomorrow as we are driving to the Eco Project where we will be will be staying for the coming days.
Millie (Comms Lead)
We may have no wifi for a few days, because we're off to the Eco Foundation, but we will update you on our adventures on our return to signal.
Day 5!
Surprise parents we actually have wifi!
Today was a great day, we started the morning by driving from the hotel to the Kevin Rohan memorial eco-foundation and during the drive we stopped off at the Chovar Bagmati Bridge and saw the lake that drained the water from Kathmandu making it liveable and mythologically got rid of all snakes from Kathmandu. We also were very lucky to be able to see many eagles and buffaloes at that stop.
When we got the the Eco-Foundation we were greeted by the founder (Krishna) who explained to us what they were doung here and how its named after his son named Kevin who sadly died. Then we were shown around the site and got to see how they are very self-sustained we also got to see some really cute kittens (don't worry we kept a safe distance away).
After we had lunch, we separeted into two groups, one doing jewellery making and the other doing farming. This was definitely one of the highlights of the day as the jewellery making was very therapeutic and the farming was, although muddy, very fun as they had wheelbarrow races.
We will try and update you on more tomorrow!
Grace (Comms Lead)
Day 6!
We woke up slightly later than normal (only just) and had breakfast at 8:30. After breakfast we split into two groups and half went up to paint, clean and organise the Library. Krishna told us about how it had been the 2nd project they had undertaken at the foundation but the earthquake in 2015 meant it needed to be rebuilt. We started by cleaning, scrubbing and priming doors, book shelves and window frames. Whilst others sorted a mountain of books into English and Nepalese. Krishna said the library is often used for children to do homework as many parents in the area are uneducated so cannot help.
The other group got their turn at bracelet making and have collected even more Nepalese souvenirs.
After lunch we swapped over, group 1 went to help dig and level out areas of the school playground, sweaty work. It was made slightly easier by local school boys entertaining us and helping us push the wheelbarrows of dirt.
Group 2 went into the library and continued to prime, paint and sort. Everyone was pretty dusty and dirty by 5pm.
We had a lovely team dinner, after gratefully recieved hot showers, and continued our routine of sending helpers up to the kitchen to wash up.
After this we had a team meeting and ended the day with some games. Mark's history in the police did not help us when it came to playing Mafia, our village was overrun with murderers and the mafia won. Although cow yoga demonstrations, merengue dancing and passionate defence speeches had us in stitches throughout.
Tomorrow we are finishing up Kevin's Library (named after Krishna's son) and hopefully Maty will lead us in another game of Mafia - we are keen to teach our lovely guide Sanju the rules!
Louisa (Comms Lead)
Day 7!
This morning, we enjoyed another lovely breakfast before preparing for another day of work at the eco foundation. Starting at 10am, all of us continued our work painting the inside of the library: we painted the doors and window frames with bright coral coloured paint and the walls with a thick brown paint, being careful to avoid the bottles, which were used in the walls as a cheaper alternative for bricks.
After a break, the hard work continued. We applied a second coat of paint to everything and scrubbed off the paint that did manage to get on the bottles. Before dinner, we were surprised by the local women as they let us try on Saris and Bindis and all of us attempted a series of dances, including the Macarena and the Just Dance routines to Rasputin and Waka Waka. After the dancing, I (Maty) gave Krishna the drawing I had done of his son, Kevin, after whom the library is named and whose life insurance was used to finance the building of the library after he passed away, and we enjoyed a delicious dinner.
At the end of the day, we opened and read all the surprise letters from our parents. Thank you so much for all the sweet messages.
Maty (Comms Lead)
Day 8!
This morning we had a slightly earlier breakfast as we had a very busy morning. We went to go see the Leprosy colony that Krishna's foundation has supported for years. Whilst all of the inhabitants are cured and not contagious, Nepali society has outcast those who have previously suffered, meaning they are shunned from living, working and simply existing in the same place as other Nepali people. Society is changing but slowly, foundations like Krishna's - who provide food and educational scholarships to those living in the colony, are vital for these people. It was really eye-opening to spend some time there.
After this we went up to the Guru Rinpoche Statue, which was quite a steep walk in very hot temperatures but the view and the monastry were worth it! On the way back down we stopped to look at a nunnery, which normally noone other that the nuns get to see inside of, but it was our lucky day! A nun decided to let us inside and it was beautiful: marble floors, golden statues, offerings to the gods, mandalas and tapestries adorned the prayer room. Krishna accompanied us and he was so happy to see inside as he had never seen it, despite living nearby for decades!
After this we headed back to the foundation to load our bags for the long drive and eat lunch. We said a happy and sad goodbye to the foundation, many of us (teachers included) are keen to return in the future. Especially to see Silky and Johnny (the dogs) and Fifi (the pregnant cat).
We began our 2 hour drive to Nagarkot and blasted music from Ms Lyons' speaker to keep our mood up as we headed for the hills. The roads were very windy, steep and precarious in places, not all of us enjoyed the drive (Ms Pearson in particular). However, once we got into our hotel it was all worth it, the views are incredible and we have all planned to wake up for sunrise in the morning, hopefully to see Everest.
We have all carb-loaded ahead of tomorrow's trek and are playing some card games in our hotel rooms.
Please cross your fingers and toes for good visibility!
Phoebe (Comms Lead)
Day 9!
This morning we awoke eagerly at 5am to watch the sunrise against the mountains (however this was ruined by the fog which covered our view of Everest). So, after going back to bed for some extra hours of (unnecessary but bonus) beauty sleep, we got up for our 10km trek with a 4km climb at the beginning and incredible views throughout.
After a short journey to Bhaktapur we were absolutely pelted by the rain as we ran for lunch. We then followed lunch with a tour of the municipality. Bhaktapur is the ancient capital of Nepal but sadly lots of it was damaged in the 1934 and 2015 earthquakes, meaning much of the ancient architecture was lost. However, Sanju still managed to show us wood and stone carvings, ancient ponds and plenty of holy buildings. During our tour Anna, Lydia, Bertie, Rosie, Phoebe, Sara and Alessia showed off their absolutely incredible football skills in a mini match with the local children which we lost 0-7. LOL. We then ended the night in a lovely upstairs restaurant to enjoy spending our entire dinner people watching.
Anna (Comms lead)
Side note: the sun shined brightly on the mountains today :)
Day 10!
This morning we were up slightly earlier as we were having breakfast out of the hotel in Bhaktapur. We had it on a lovely patio in the bright sunshine.
After breakfast we split into two groups for workshops, group 1 went with Ms Lyons to learn how to Thanka paint. A style of painting traditionally done by monks and even sometimes by the Dalai Lama. It is incredibly intricate and due to this it is also a method of meditation. Whilst some of us found the details frustrating it was incredibly relaxing and the results were very impressive.
The other group went with Ms Pearson to make pottery in the ancient pottery square. The instructor told us about how a city's pottery square often has life built around it. After learning some history we got stuck into punching, kicking and stomping the clay, our instructor gave us a variety of nicknames and we had a great time moulding bowls/vases/squiggly lumps on the pottery wheels.
After a lovely lunch in the Bhaktapur square the groups swapped.
We all left our clay covered handprints on the walls of the pottery place and took snaps of us with our Thanka masterpieces!
For dinner we went back to the same place so we could people watch over the balcony and take in the sounds of the nightly prayers of Bhaktapur. We read the messages from home and played cards before enjoying our lovely dinner.
After dinner some of us bought some chocolate (we've been missing it!) and strolled home through the bustling streets.
Tomorrow we get a slight lie in before our final morning in Bhaktapur, after which we head back to Kathmandu for our final few days!
Alessia (Comms Lead)
Day 11!
Today was our last hurrah in Bhaktapur, with our beloved Sanju showing us a beautiful array of historical and cultural sites, including a palace where hindu sacrificing is performed which, unless hindi yourself, you cannot enter and a fifty five window building with beautiful carvings and two temples. Theses two temples had to be built next to eachother, as after the first one was built , people would rather conspicuously die whenever they walked infront of it at specifically 12 am or pm, and, whence consulted, the gods said to build a second one to stop these deaths, which evidently worked (hooray). Given this day was our last full 24 hours in Bhaktapur, Kathmandu, Nepal and the last day we could rely on the calming, ever intelligent and auspicious presence of dear Sanju, our trip back to Kathmandu after our adventures in Bhaktapur was rather clouded with an air of eternal sorrow. Tired and teary, we pulled up at the beloved hotel Marshyangdi. The atmosphere did not last long, however! We were released into the streets of Thamel, obviously immediately uplifting us as a bit of retail therapy always does, the presence of our teachers and Mark keeping us domestic. We were shown a beautiful and wonderfully priced flea market-esque marketplace, courtesy of Mark. Being completely fairtrade and independant business owned, we shopped till our hearts content (or till we dropped, as it were) with clean, happy consciences. At dinner, many joyful hugs and cards were exchanged between students and Sanju, and Raj bought us a delicious cake which was much appreciated, being the first properly sweet dessert we had all had in what had been a fairly long time. There were a few feelings of betrayal as some of us got far bigger slices than their friends, who were only served a morcel, a few et tu bruté looks exchanged. However, all stayed light-hearted, no one yelled 'then fall, Ceasar', and mad props must be given to the chef for having the skill and willpower to cut the cake into 18 slices . Overall a 9/10 day, minus one point for the current absence of Sanju. PS PARENTS BRING PHONES AND SNACKS TO AIR PORT PLS
Daphne (Comms Lead)
Day 12!
The final day! Ending the trip where we started, Hotel Marshyangdi. We were treated to a "later" start for our final morning with breakfast at 9pm followed by everyone being allowed to go out on shopping trips on our own. Today's explorations stretched to the new areas we had visited the day prior and everyone enjoyed their time that was punctuated of exclamations of "I need to spend the last of my money!" that was eventually snapped away in exchange for jewellery, singing bowls, and lanterns. After our leisurely strolls we returned to the hotel to finalise the packing of out bags, the air now punctuated by numerous cries "I dont want to leave" and "How did I fit all this in my bag"
Lydia had scouted out a restaurant for lunch where we all proceeded to order obscene amounts of food without realising just how large the portions may be. Our royal feast was followed with a visit to the Garden of Dreams, one of the only green spaces in Kathmandu. Here we enjoyed an amble around the greenery and ponds, particularly enjoying our celebrity sighting of Alvin and The Chipmunks scurrying around the trees.
Our walk home consisted of a last-ditch attempt to spend all our money where we stocked up on aeroplane snacks, still haunted by the food from our first flight. Once back to the hotel we finished packing for good and enjoyed a few more card games before dinner where we gave cards and gifts to the teachers and Mark as a thank you for all they had done over the past 12 days. More games were played as we approached 9pm, our meeting time to leave.
As I write this we are waiting in the hotel lobby, exchanging food the hotel gave us for our inflight breakfast and having one last laugh together before the long flight home. We would like to thank everyone who made this trip possible as it has genuinley been the experience of a lifetime and could not be more greatful.
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts,
Brighton Girls World Challenge 2023
Ruby (Comms Lead)