Nagarkot Trip

On April 5^th, a group of class 10 students were given the opportunity to have a well deserved holiday for 2 days in Nagarkot, a mountainous village about 2 hours from Kathmandu. These students had just completed their School Leaving Certificate (SLC) exams and were itching for a break away and jumped at the opportunity to go, making it more special is that most had never been to this area before.

So, early that Monday morning 25 people packed into a microbus and away we went on the rocky road to Nagarkot. This lively bunch consisted of Harry Coogan (Head of Umbrella Ireland), Doc (our lovely Irish-Nepali past volunteer and tour-guide of Nagarkot), one volunteer, two house tutors and the SLC students.

Upon reaching Nagarkot, some boys quickly dispersed to explore the area, climbing up and down hills, picking the (really tasty) wild berries from the trees and visiting the local bizarre whilst others remained in the area of our guest house taking in the spectacular views, catching up on some shut eye or relaxing on the roof playing some carrom board. After a delicious Dhal Bat, a variety of activities took place once again. As it was a holiday everyone was free to spend it how they wished, so while some walked to discover the temple among the trees, others went for some Momo’s in the local tea shop! 

In the evening, a fire was made and energetic singing and dancing and guitar playing followed and carried on into the night.

The following day we rose early to watch the famous Nagarkot sunrise (although it wasn’t clear enough to see the Himalayas it was still a beautiful sight). Many went to the view tower which is about a one hour walk away where the amazing landscape can be better appreciated. That evening the girls decided to treat the group by cooking us all a fantastic curry!!

The next day it was another early start as unfortunately our time in Nagarkot had come to an end. An amazing time was had amongst amazing people in the most beautiful of places. It was truly a great way to unwind after the stresses of exams and the Kathmandu hustle and bustle. A huge thanks must go to Harry and Doc as well as Durbah and the rest of the guys in Nagarkot for making us all feel so welcome, happy and well fed! An experience which I think will not be forgotten for a long time!