MY IA PRACTICE JOURNEY: A PATH TO GROWTH AND IMPROVEMENT

The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award is a program for young people aged 14-24, which teaches them skills and experiences that they cannot gain from their books, that inevitably help them shape their careers and future for the better. This award program helps teenagers and youngsters like ourselves develop skills that we may require in building our careers. The award program has three progressive levels: Bronze, Silver, and Gold. The students of Grade 9 are participating in the bronze award. The participants engage in challenges or activities across four areas: Skill Development, Volunteering, Physical Recreation, and an Adventurous Journey. The Adventurous Journey comprises mainly two journeys: A Practice Journey and A Final Journey. Our trip to Chitlang on the 24th of August was for the completion of the first phase of our Adventurous Journey.

As mentioned above, our IA Practice Journey trip was initiated on the 24th of August, Sunday, and ended on the 25th of August, Monday. It was centered in the gorgeous and simply beautiful village of Chitlang. All the students of Grade 9 who had been granted permission by their parents to pursue this journey were readily and enthusiastically involved. Although this trip was rather short(2 days and 1 night), it was definitely a memorable, fun, and exciting experience, which I personally think taught us more than any textbook could ever do. I was just extremely grateful for getting to spend time with my friends whilst also getting to taste and bond with the harsh yet pleasing terrain of the journey and the unspoken elegance of Chitlang. Four teachers were accompanying us: Rupak Sir ( our Award leader), Ram Hari Sir, Rukumani Ma'am, and Sujita Ma'am. I really do think that these teachers who made time and sacrificed their relaxing weekends and vacation for us to get to go on our trip played a huge part in the completion of our journey.

The Trek to Chitlang: On the first day of the trip, Sunday, we were all picked up from our respective bus stops. There was a total of two buses, and the seating arrangement had been planned beforehand. I was picked up at the Balkhu bus stop, as it was the closest one to my house. It was around 7:45 by the time I got onto the bus. We drove a few kilometers up the Chandragiri hills from where we would start our trek up to the top. Fortunately for us, we didn't have to carry our rather large backpacks since the since the buses would do that for us. Also, the trail we had to walk on wasn't tough; in fact, it was all roads up to the very destination. The only minor problem was the inclination, which was, with no doubt, a killer. However, since we didn't have heavy backpacks to weigh us down and since the sun was showing us mercy by not shining too bright, our journey was moderately calm and not as painstaking as I had anticipated.

We had walked uphill for about 2 hours or so (we had started at around 9), when we got to a plain area where we stopped for refreshments and to eat some of the food that we had brought along. Even though this particular part of the trip seemed short and not quite significant, I found that the simple act of just sitting together and sharing food was a thought worth remembering. After having replenished our energy and relieved ourselves, we continued walking, but this time we were going downhill. Personally, I preferred walking uphill rather than down. Although it is brutally tiring and truly a agony for the legs, I felt that whilst going downhill, a lot of strain had been put onto the lower half of my legs and feet (which is probably why they started trembling uncontrollably once we got to the bottom.

Getting to the resort: After walking a bit more downhill, we got to a village through which we walked for around 10 minutes before finally getting to our destination or the resort that we would be staying in. Our resort's name was Chitlang Organic Village Resort, and despite having been built in a slightly remote and rural area, the design and decor of the resort were top-notch and definitely exceeded our expectations. After we retrieved our bags from the bus, we were shown to our rooms. I stayed in a room with 5 of my closest friends, but the others were also close by. We relaxed a bit in our rooms, unpacked, got refreshed, and met again at a common point in the resort -the dining hall, and had some snacks. Then we were asked to grab some things we might need to take notes, since we were going on a short tour of the village

A tour of the village: We started exploring the village with the famous Goat Cheese Factory- the first one in Nepal. It was what Chitlang was famous for and what made Chitlang a tourist attraction in the first place. The factory was owned and run by an enthusiastic and spirited man named Ashok Kumar Singh Thakuri and his family. He established the factory in 2060 B.S (2003-2004 A.D) after returning from France, Paris. According to him, he had gone there to pursue a job opportunity, but after learning the art of cheese-making, particularly goat cheese, he chose to return, leaving behind a well-paying job abroad, which is a dream for many Nepali youths today. He said that he did this so that he could be of help to his country and to aid its financial stability. Then, he gave us a speech about how we should do the same, and listening to the genuineness in his voice, I honestly felt that this man had nothing but pure love in his heart for his country. He also told us some more information about goat cheese, its specialty, how it is made, how much it costs, and other such information we would later require in making our presentation.. The cheese factory was originally built for economic growth, but unknowingly, it also served the purpose of a tourist attraction and helped contribute massively to the tourism industry of Nepal.

After a few of us bought and ordered (for the next day) some goat cheese to try and take back to our families, we continued our tour with a short visit to the goat farm nearby. We then went to a school named Shree Swochchhandra Bhairav Secondary School. Our guide, who also happened to go to the same school, told us about how it originated during the reign of Chandra Shamsher Rana. He also briefed us about many different facts of Chitlang and the Thaha Municipality, which I hadn't been able to find when I had looked into the village the night before on the Internet. After that, we visited Sat Dhara (Seven Springs), which is a serene attraction and a religious site for Hindus and Buddhists alike. It was located a few kilometers away from the main village. I thought that this particular site was really relaxing and had a tranquil air about it.

A Short Introduction to Chitlang: Chitlang is located within the Makwanpur District of Bagmati Province. It is a small village situated within the Thaha municipality, tucked away in the southwest part of the Kathmandu Valley. Being located in the Mahabharat Range, Chitlang has an abundance of mesmerizing hills, most of which are now inhabited almost all the way up to the top. Its approximate altitude is said to be 1600m above sea level. Its terrain is basically composed of hills, terraced farmlands, dense forests, and enchanting settlements.

Evening activities and Learning Experiences: After having explored the village a bit and learned more deeply about its heritage, we got back to our resort and got a chance to stay in our rooms and relax for a bit. Then, we gathered again to make the group presentation and cook dinner. In our group, there were 10 girls, so 5 of them started cooking, whereas the remaining 5 got started on making the presentation. After an hour or so, we gathered together to present what we'd prepared and share some of our notes from the tour. The presentation session went by pretty quickly since each of us was only given 5-7 minutes to share everything we had. Then we proceeded to have dinner that our friends had cooked themselves, which was surprisingly decent. After dinner, we had a campfire and a bit of barbecue. We sat around the fire, its warmth touching all of our hearts, and played a singing game which was an experience definitely worth remembering. It was around 11 when we gave our phones to the teachers and went to our respective rooms. I was glad they let us bring our phones with us since I had to keep calling my parents at regular intervals to make sure they didn't fret. We obviously didn't sleep as soon as we got to our rooms; we played a few card games, ate a few midnight snacks, and made some trouble before finally getting tired and retiring to bed.

The next morning, I got up at 6:15, went out to get a warm glass of water, and enjoyed the morning view of Chitlang, which was just great. I'm sure it would've been even prettier if the fog had cleared out, but that early, it was close to impossible for the weather to be sunny or for the sun to even come out. After I got my drink, we took turns getting ready for the day and packed our belongings. We had breakfast at around 7:15 and checked out with all of our things. We got into the bus and left for the waterfall (Mohini Jharna in Kulekhani) at around 8. The bus would only take us up to a certain point from which we would have to walk. I didn't realize the amount of time it would take for us to get there and the amount of walking we would have to do, and I must say it was a lot. It was as if all the walking we had been excused from the day before was being given back to us.

We walked through a village, across a really long bridge, some forests with broken trails, a whole hill, yet another long bridge, and finally a huge set of stairs uphill before finally getting to our destination. I don't know if it was because of all that walking we had to do or simply because it was my first time experiencing something like that, but the view of such a huge waterfall just left me astounded and truly lost for words. As soon as I set my eyes on the landscape, I could definitely tell why it was a major scenic attraction; I couldn't help but just stand and stare in awe. The scene, even from afar, was simply breathtaking. Luck was definitely on our side in this trip since the waterfall, which we expected to be full of tourists and travelers, was empty (so much the better for us). We got to play around in the water, take some photos for memories, and just enjoy the simple beauty of the water, falling from god-knows-where? Then, after having our fill of fun, we had to sadly return by the same route. Then we got back to where our bus was and went back to the resort where we ate lunch, got some cheese to take back home, and got back into the bus to get home. After an hour or so, I got off at the same bus stop and returned home. After finally getting back into the comfort of my own home, I forced my mother to massage my aching feet while I told her all the details of my exhilarating experience of adventure and my time in the terrain.

The trip was, with no doubt, a success, and I felt that this trip had gone better than I had thought it would. To be absolutely honest, I was a bit skeptical about this trip mainly because of the fact that it was only for 2 days. But after having experienced it first-hand for myself, I realized the amount of learning, socializing, and connecting that we did and the exposure that we were provided was more than what any textbook, article, or lecture could ever teach us. I had heard of people saying how travelling and trying new things could teach you things beyond the classic learning tools, but I hadn't really believed them until I got to experience it myself. All of us came with different thoughts and views as to what our purpose in this trip would be. Some of us wanted to learn survival skills and how to work with limited resources, some of us wanted to learn more about the culture and heritage of Chitlang, whereas some of us were just there to have fun and get the pleasure of travel. The actual and straightforward purpose of the trip was obviously to complete our IA Practice, but regardless, I don't think that was on anyone's mind. Personally, I came for the trip to be able to learn something real, but felt that the heritage, the glamour, and greenery that that village held was what made me truly enjoy and take pleasure in the trip. I thought that the design of the houses, especially the ones that were old and isolated, held plain and sheer beauty that was just meant to be observed. Those houses attracted my attention so much that my storage space is now full of pictures of them. I felt as though they weren't meant to be lived in but admired from afar, and to be preserved with care. In conclusion, this trip taught me things beyond my expectations, whilst also allowing me to have fun and spend time with the ones I adore.