From Delhi to Leh

Hi all -- Greetings from 11,000 feet!

The past three days have been an absolute whirlwind! The group got in safe and sound (and even early!) on the night of the 5th. I picked them up at the airport with no problem at all and we made our way to our hotel in South Delhi. Although the weather was actually a few degrees cooler than it has been, it was still about 95 degrees! Nonetheless, the kids were in great spirits, excited as could be, and so we commenced with some introductions and information that night.

The next day -- our only full day in Delhi until the end of the trip -- was packed. After a successful orientation, we changed some money and headed to a reputable South Indian restaurant for some lunch. Though the menu items were slightly less than intelligible, we ordered an astounding amount of food, which included, to be sure, a Dosa (flatbread) that clocked in at a whopping 4 feet in length. The fierce determination of hungry students was no match for our lunch and we managed to put away a record-setting amount of food.

Next, we made our way the outskirts of Delhi to visit Qutab Minar, a Muslim complex consisting of (predominantly) an 850 year old Tower (the Minar) and other tombs, towers and pillars erected to honor the most successful Muslim rulers of Delhi over the past millenium. After a much-needed and deserved water break, we headed to Fabindia, a wonderful store that sells all vintage textiles and handcrafts made in rural villages.

The students spent a modest amount of time (and money!) compiling some outfits for the next few weeks. They all looked most smashing -- so much so that they needed little encouragement to don their digs to dinner that evening. We once again ate like kings before the powerful forces of jetlag caught up with us. After a short walk back to the hotel and another water stop, we hit the hay.

The next morning was comprised of both an insanely early wake-up call (3:30!) and the most amazing flight. Flying into Leh is about as scenic as it can get: peering down at snow-capped Himalayan peaks for as far as the eye can see is not a bad way to start the day. The students were almost as excited as I was, which puts them somewhere in between elation and sheer ecstasy. A short and bumpy bus ride brought us to our home base, the SECMOL campus, where we got an introduction and tour. We then took the better part of the afternoon off, before a conversation class with the local Ladakhi students.

I have never seen students from such diverse cultures open up to each other so effortlessly on the first day. Both the students and the leaders found the experience entertaining, didactic and, indeed, powerful. Based on our students' interests, we have scheduled many more conversation classes and we can already sense that our day of departure will be a sad one.

The evening featured dinner (shared by all 60 residents and staff) and one of what is sure to be many dance parties. Our students did more than hold their own and several members of our team even led a dance or two! The kids had an absolute blast then headed to bed for some rest

Today's schedule began with work projects -- our members helping the local students with irrigation, cleaning, solar panel repair and even some out-house maintenance! They all worked hard and had a blast; even those that finished early joined the other groups to provide some additional help. We then headed into Leh for our first visit to a non-governmental organization (NGO) called Ledeg and learned about the various projects this organization does, mostly regarding issues of sustainable energy production in rural Ladakh. The students asked great questions and got a lot out of it.

Here we are at the internet and will soon be back to the SECMOL campus. It seems hard to believe that we have only been here (and together) for little more than 2 days. It's been busy but great!

Until soon,
-Andrew and Joanna