TRIP TO INDIA AND SRI LANKA
Trying to write
postcards from India was proving difficult! ‘After ‘incredible’
‘fantastic’ ‘amazing’ ‘unbelievable’ what other words can I use?’ This
was the cry of more than one of the 9 adults and 16 Sixth Form students
attempting to write home during their trip to
India
over the October half term break!
The trip to our partner
school, Green Valley in Chennai and then to tour southern
India
and Sri Lanka, had been planned for over a year. For months the group
had been fundraising to support the project and our partner school,
Green Valley. Now, thanks to the incredible hard work of Annie Dart and
the help of teachers and project workers at Green Valley, we were
actually there!
We arrived late in the
afternoon of Sunday 17 October. The 13 hour flight had taken us via
the Maldives and Sri Lanka where we changed planes for the short flight
to Chennai. Leaving the airport we were immediately ‘hit’ by the steamy
heat of the tropics! Two buses were waiting to take us to our
accommodation. Our first experience of Indian roads and drivers was one
we shall not forget! Tearing along at considerable speed, with his hand
more or less permanently on the hooter, our driver splashed through the
recent monsoon downpour, narrowly missing the hundreds of cars,
rickshaws, mopeds and pedestrians with whom we shared the road. We were
immediately captivated by the ‘differentness’ of it all; the numerous
roadside stalls, selling everything from textiles to fast food, the
wandering cows and dogs, and the hundreds of people, all going
‘somewhere’. Our first week was spent at
Green
Valley
School.
We are given a wonderful welcome by the staff and students and treated
like celebrities! The school caters for children from the age of 3 to
18 and we attracted great curiosity. This was especially from the
younger students who even chased us for autographs! Time was given
over to teaching, discussion groups, watching ‘cultural shows’ and
playing games in the sandy school yard – when it wasn’t flooded by heavy
rain! ‘Reflection time’ gave us the chance to find out, through small
group discussion with some of the older students, what is like to be a
young person in
India.
We were invited to the homes of staff and students, met their families,
were well fed and treated with great kindness and hospitality. Gifts
were exchanged and promises to keep in touch made. It was with some
sadness that we left the school at the end of the first week, many
students vowing to return in two year’s time
After a day shopping
and touring the sights of Chennai, we caught the overnight train to
Trivandrum in Kerala. Kerala is a long thin state in the southwest
corner of India.
It is becoming a popular holiday destination and we soon realised why.
First stop was Coachin, and here we had our first glimpse of the
‘backwaters‘ of Kerala. Tidal, and often to be found covered with water
hyacinths, these waterways are home to many fisher-folk as well as
numerous water birds
After Coachin, it was
off to Thekoddy in the hill country. The five-hour drive took us
through rubber plantations, forests of coconut palms, paddy fields, and
exotic trees and shrubs. As we climbed higher we reached tea
plantations. Bustling towns with their open fronted shops and colourful
contents beckoned, but time prevented us from stopping to explore too
long. After checking into our hotel at Thekoddy we were whisked away to
a spice garden to see the origins of all those spices I’ve only ever
seen in a packet! After a night at our hotel it was a 5.30am wake up
call to go boating on Periyar Lake, part of the Periyar Wild Life
Sanctuary. Evidently, early morning is supposed to be the best time to
see the animals that come down to the lakeside to drink. After a very
wet start, (when I think all the animals must have been sheltering), the
weather cleared and we managed to see samba deer, bison, wild dogs and
even, when practically back at the landing stage, a family of elephants!
Returning down to sea
level we headed for Alleppey. There, cruising the ‘backwaters’ we saw
traditional fishing methods using Chinese fishing nets, and long canoes
being used to transport everything from bricks to bananas. On one trip
we were seated in long canoes and paddled down narrow canals between the
homes of people making coir twine and other coconut related products. It
was common to see villagers washing their clothes and pots and pans in
the river, and in one case, giving their cow a good scrub!
Our next base was
Kollam, a resort which we reached by boat after almost a day on the
water. The welcome at the hotel was extraordinary! Alighting from the
boat on to the jetty, we were greeted by drums, scented water, thrown
petals, and a sandalwood mark on our foreheads and then led into the
restaurant for a welcome drink. Surrounded by palm trees and clear
water the scene was straight out of a travel brochure! The following
morning we were treated to a breakfast cruise in one of the house boats
normally rented out to tourists. Later we continued our travels to
Kovalam. Here, half a day was spent relaxing on one of the three
popular beaches of the area and swimming in the Arabian Sea. In the
afternoon it was off to Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala for
some cultural sightseeing and souvenir shopping. Hindu and Buddhist
temples and Christian churches can all be seen, each with their own
particular impressive features.
The third and final
week of our trip was spent in
Sri Lanka
and again the week was spent experiencing the scenic and cultural
delights of this beautiful country. Kandy was just one place where
evidence of past British rule could be clearly seen in the architecture,
the golf course and the cricket club! We travelled through tea
plantations and saw how tea was produced, visited wood-carving and batik
workshops, learned how the precious gems of Sri Lanka were obtained and
watched over a hundred elephants enjoying their bath in the river at the
elephant orphanage. There were also visits to Hindu and Buddhist
temples and shrines dating back over a thousand years. We climbed the
Sigiria rock fortress, known as ‘Lion Rock’, which is famous for its
frescoes and also hailed by some as the eighth wonder of the world! The
last afternoon was spent touring the capital Colombo. The city is one
of stark contrasts with remnants of the Raj, primitive dwellings of
fisher people, and ultra modern skyscrapers that wouldn’t seem out of
place in any ‘downtown’ area of the western world.
Returning to
England, many felt it
had been a trip of a lifetime. I feel it will only be over the coming
months that we shall actually recall all the wonderful things that we
did and come to realise the impact that the experience has had on us
all. The next trip to
India
is now being planned for 2006 and will be open to students in the Sixth
Form.
Mrs J Crichton-Smith
