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.