Ramblings on the Rann

As the academic year draws to a close and hectic school life starts to unwind, the occasion is marked by the annual Sri Rajni trip away to the Rann.

The Little Rann of Kutch is a vast expanse of desert, home to an abundance of wildlife (notably, it is the only place in the world where the Indian Wild Ass is found) and supporting the livelihoods of the many saltworkers who reside here (and produce 30 percent of India's salt). During the monsoon (June to September), the sea rushes in and the entire area is submerged in around 4 feet of water.

As is Srirajni custom, around fifty students and staff piled into two open-topped tempo trucks and headed out into the Rann. I was placed in charge of the younger ones; we whiled away the journey singing songs ('If You're Happy and You Know It', 'Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes'...), playing 'I Spy' and having 'Thumb Wars', as
well as sharing snacks and looking out across the barren landscape. A chorus of "Ma'am, look!" resounded at every sighting of a sheep or bird, and I even managed to acquire a temporary 'Kung Fu Panda' tattoo which one of the students had brought with them.

Stopping off enroute at salt farms and notable viewpoints, the short walks were a good opportunity to
stretch legs, mess around and collect interesting rocks. Boats littered the landscape, left behind in the dry season by fishermen, which we all clambered into, and running races were organised.

After a long day, we admired the beautiful desert sunset and headed back to camp; we would be spending the night in koobas (traditional mud huts) at an Eco Tour Camp. Away from the streetlights of town, the stars stretched across the sky like a planetarium, as we pointed out the major constellations, such as 'Orion's Belt', and spotted the planet Venus, as well as gazing at the astounding red-yellow colour of the Moon.

Fooled by the misconception that the children would all be tired out, the anticipated early night did not happen, with whispered conversations continuing until the early hours; I can now empathise with the irriation my teachers must have felt on residential trips away as we refused sleep and stayed up long into the night!

Up early and after a quick chai, it was time to hit the road again and head back to school. Arriving back exhausted but in high spirits, I'm sure the trip will be the hot topic of conversation on Monday morning.

Winter Holiday (PART TWO)

Having reached Kanyakumari, we sleeper-bused our way through Tamil Nadu to Pondicherry. India's only ex-French colony, the cultural Franco-Indian blend makes it a unique destination. Situated on the east coast, we whiled our days away munching on croissants, walking along the beach promenade and cycling along leafy avenues.

With an au revoir to Pondicherry, next stop was the ruinous kingdom of Hampi, Karnataka. A dynamic landscape of boulders, rice paddies and leafy banana palms acts as a backdrop to the multitude of ruins which dominate the area.
Once a Hindu capital, the city fell into disarray after it was besieged by Muslim forces over 500 years ago. As such, many of the ruins are of a religious nature, with temples dotted along the river and upon the surrounding hills. My particular favourite was the Hanuman temple (dedicated to the Monkey God); perched atop a rocky hilltop, the 570-step climb is truly worth it for the spectacular view of the landscape spread out below, particularly at sunset, as multitudes of monkeys mill all around. Running through the heart of the heritage site is the Tungabhadra River; with the only bridges located at an inconvenient distance away, the most popular way to cross the river, from the Virupaksha temple to the main guesthouse area and other ruins, is by ferry or woven-raft.Staying in Hampi feels as though you have stepped out of the modern period for a brief spell and into another world.

 Although sad to leave Hampi, our time in Mumbai (the last stop on our Grand Tour) was far from dull. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, we had been warned to expect chaotic bustle, excessive pollution and dirt. Whilst Mumbai may live up to this reputation at rushhour, with gridlock traffic and overflowing commuter trains, for the most part it is relatively negotiable. Spending five days there, we mastered the local trains, familiarising ourselves with the gothic surroundings of CST (this iconic architectural facade is one of the busiest stations in the world), venturing out to the Dhobi Ghats and Haji Ali Mosque at Mahalaxmi and over to Chowpatty Beach on Marine Drive. To complete our full Mumbaiker experience, we even managed to worm our way on to a Bollywood film set, working as foreign extras for the day.

As the final stop, Mumbai marked the end of our trip. The Gujarat Mail train brought us back into Ahmedabad, ready for the term ahead and the next stage of our India adventure.

Chowpatty Beach

Winter Holiday (PART ONE)

Following the end of a hectic term - adapting to life as a teacher at Srirajni and learning the ropes, topped off with the marking of endless terminal exams - we well and truly felt in need of the winter break awaiting us. Our five-week holiday saw us embark on an adventure around the southern tip of the Indian subcontinent.

Passing through Mumbai on our way south, we took a 16-hour train cross-country to Hyderabad to stay with our Project Trust Rep, Bharavi, and his family, enroute to Christmas in Ongole.  A small town in Andhra Pradesh, Ongole did not what had hit it when 14 volunteers, from various corners of the country, descended upon it to celebrate the festive holiday together.

Arambol, Goa

Doubling back on ourselves, a group of us headed back to the west coast to enjoy the delights of Goa over New Year. Beautiful beaches, lazy days and all-night parties, Goa was just what we needed; it offered a brief break from the daily intensities of life in India. We welcomed in 2016 on Anjuna beach, releasing a Chinese Lantern over the Indian Ocean.

The Chinese Fishing Nets, Fort Kochi

Waving the others goodbye, Katie and I continued our journey down the coast, heading towards Kanyakumari, the southern most tip of India (the point at which the Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal meet). We passed through Kerala, ambling around the peninsula at Fort Kochi before heading on to Alleppey. Situated on the Keralan backwaters, we took a canoe out on to this elaborate network of canals and waterways, lakes and lagoons, lined with rice paddies and remote villages, and frequented by a constant stream of water vessels.

The Keralan Backwaters

Having arrived as far south as it is possible to go on the Indian subcontinent, we slowly started to make our way back North from Kanyakumari, working towards Pondicherry, the ancient kingdom of Hampi and onwards to Mumbai.

Mattancherry, Cochin