India - October to December 2010

Image courtesy of Polly Baldwin & Raleigh International.


Image courtesy of Polly Baldwin & Raleigh International.






















Raleigh India 10K

Going to India with Raleigh after finishing university was an amazing experience, the best decision I could of made. I trekked 200km in the western state of Kerala, walking up the second highest peak in southern India on our first day of trek! I saw the world's highest tea plantation and had delicious chai there, I saw hundreds of temples, dingy cafe's with tasty egg curry and parotta's, i got attacked by leeches and encountered endless spectacular scenery.
I dug elephant proof trenching for a tiny village in Karnataka, digging for 6 hours a day before the heat of the day made it impossible. We had an amazing time, chilling out and chatting with the rest of our day after digging, and chatting with the locals. We slept in Basha's which were bamboo frames with a stretcher and a tarpaulin, the comfiest nights sleep on Raleigh!
The final phase was building eco-sanitation units for some families in a rural village of about 800 people, which had only 12 toilets. We built 24 in the time we were there, and educated the children in the importance of sanitation and also the importance of hygiene and washing your hands. It was fantastic working with the children, I devised lesson plans and with the childrens help designed and painted a mural on hygiene for their toilets. Staying with the village and being part of the community was one of the most rewarding experiences on Raleigh.
I arrived back in England after 10 weeks in India just before Christmas. It seemed rather cold and dull after the heat, colour and vibrant energy of India.