Dan is a professor at Bath Spa University in the UK. He and four of his students joined the team from the University of Vic for an unforgettable teaching experience at Himanchal Higher Education School in Nangi this past spring. Read what Dan had to say about the teaching experience and his own opportunity for adventure.
“I visited Nangi from 27 March to 6 April with a group of four undergraduate education studies students from Bath Spa University in the UK. We were there to find out about the Nepal education system and particularly the role of examinations and evaluation in the system. We interviewed a number of the teachers about their experiences of preparing students for School Leaving Certificate and other examinations, and also spoke to groups of students in Grade 8 and 11. We helped out with invigilating the exams and my students taught English speaking skills. Afterwards I experienced a couple of days of the community trek. With my guide Takumar from Nangi we walked up to Mohare lodge on the first day, through rhododendron (laligras) forests that gradually changed from red to pink as we gained height. It was a beautiful clear day with views of Dhaulagiri between the trees. Reaching Mohare (3300m) around 1pm we met a group of workmen building a fence and generally developing the site into a great trekking lodge. The cloud enveloped us in the afternoon, but after dark it cleared again and we could see, far below us, the strip of lights by the lakeside at Pokhara. The following morning we woke at 5.30am to watch a spectacular sunrise over the Himalaya; rising just to the South of Machapuchare and illuminating the summits of Annapurna South, Annapurna I and Dhaulagiri with a golden blaze. We then trekked along the ridge to Pun Hill, where we joined the main tourist trekking route down to Ghorepani and all the way down the valley to the road at Nayapul. There our paths parted, with Takumar taking the bus back to Beni to return to Nangi, whilst I made my way back to Pokhara to continue my research in Kathmandu the following day. A truly unforgettable experience and one which has wetted my appetite to come and do the whole 9 day community trek next year!”
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