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During
Nepal's monsoon, the air is damp, the light has
an unnatural clarity, and the land grows green
and lush with astonishing quickness. Yet in Mustang,
an ethnically Tibetan region positioned in the
shadow of the great Himalaya, the air is dry and
summer skies glow brilliantly against this wild
landscape. Because of Nepal's astounding geography,
the monsoon is lighter the further west you go,
as it breaks on the barrier of the mountains.
During our six-week sojourn we will experience
the full breadth of this season, travelling from
valleys awash with rain through luxuriant forests
to the high dry rain shadow realm of lower Mustang.
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During the orientation in and around the Kathmandu valley,
students will be introduced to Nepali and Tibetan culture
and informal classes on survival language skills. Workshops
and lectures are arranged providing students with the
opportunity to explore traditional crafts and learn
something about the diverse history, cultures, and traditions
of Nepal.
We will then trek north into Lower Mustang. This trek
provides students with exposure to the ecological and
ethnic diversity of Nepal. While walking through this
area, we will ascend from tropical jungle through lush
terraced villages and riverside hot springs, and on
through coniferous forests, passing the deepest gorge
in the world.
While in Lower Mustang, we will live with families and
spend the days exploring the area--a region of high
snow peaks, ochre and cadmium cliffs, splashes of bright
green irrigated fields and flat-roofed adobe houses
that comprise towns out of the medieval past, filled
with dark alleys, imposing shrines and ancient Buddhist
monasteries. The students will receive instruction on
the issues of rural development, ecology, village politics,
social structure, religious practices, musical and healing
traditions, and the rich folk beliefs, myths, and stories
that compose the ethnically Tibetan but decidedly Mustang
world view.
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A
five-day hike will involve camping in and exploring
high remote country. We will spend our farewell
day enjoying cultural dance and song before flying
back to Pokhara to spend a day relaxing by Phewa
Lake. During our last week in the Kathmandu valley
we will tour Lalitpur, the city of arts and crafts,
and some revered Hindu and Buddhist shrines. This
week will include a day of rafting. |
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