Oh we do like to be beside the seaside...

Helen and I have just got back from visiting Echo 4 at their idyllic beach front campsite. We left on Sunday and flew to Mumbai and then jumped in a taxi. Seven hours later we arrived at the sea-side town of Velas, in Maharashtra state.

The group took a different route to us and had a long two and an half days of travelling to get to Velas. They got a bus for eight hours from Fieldbase, and then picked up a overnight train, before jumping onto another bus for the remainder of the journey. Train travel is India is like nothing you will have of experienced anywhere else. The train lines connect the whole of India and, according to the Lonely Planet, a staggering 18 million people travel by train everyday – so what better way for Echo 4 to see the real India!

The group spent their first couple of nights staying with local families in the village. They were cooked some delicious meals, which apparently were very different to the curries they had been eating further South. Everyone loved staying with the families and getting to know the village they would be staying in for a couple of weeks.

On Sunday they moved into their campsite, and what a campsite it is! Echo 4 had made their camp right on the beach front where they will be working. They had strung up their bashas from the trees at the side of the beach, and already started to settle into their new home. We arrived just as the sun set over the beach and, I have to say, it was truly breath taking.

Sun set

Echo 4's beach-side campsite 

As Helen and I were this Phase’s loop, Echo 4 were keen to impress and cooked us an amazing vegetable and rice stew for supper and…wait for it…banana and nutella pancakes! Yes, in the case of the loop competition, bribery will get you everywhere…and when nutella is involved it’s sure to be a winner!

After supper they gave us a run-down of what they’d been up to since they had got to Velas. The local villagers had visited their campsite and officially welcomed them to the village with flowers; they had met with the project partners and agreed the work for the phase. They’re going to be building a hatchery, so they can move the turtle eggs to a safe place to hatch, doing a litter pick to clean up the beach, repairing some steps to the beach to help access and, of course, doing their nightly patrol for turtles!

The night patrols are split into five shifts; 10pm to 11pm, 11pm to 12pm, 1am to 2am, 2am to 3am and 4am to 5am. The group will do each shift in pairs and patrol up and down the 2km of beach. If they spot a turtle laying its eggs, they will wait until the turtle has gone back into the sea and then, very carefully, move the eggs to the hatchery. This will keep the eggs safe from being washed away by high tides and also protect them from any poachers and dogs. Another very important part of the project is to raise awareness of turtle conservation within the village. By showing how turtle conservation is done, the aim is for the villagers to follow suit.

The next day we were up early to start work on the hatchery. Despite the intense sun everyone got down to business and worked hard to make a safe place for the turtles’ eggs. To make the hatchery, they had to clear a large, square of sand and take away the top layer of dirty sand to reveal the fresh sand that the turtles like to lay their eggs in. The hatchery should take them about four days and then it will be straight on to working on the steps for the rest of their phase.

First job, clear the vegetation on the top layer of the hatchery

 Digging out some tricky roots

 A work site with a view!

After a hard day’s work it was time for a treat and a dip in Echo 4’s beautiful swimming lake. It felt a bit like a hair commercial as we all washed our hair in the pool while trying to avoid the jumping fish! All in all, it was a lovely way to end a great day. As ever, Echo 4 came up trumps with supper, cooking us a Raleigh style spaghetti Bolognese, and then it was another early night for all ready for a hard day’s digging and, of course, the turtle night patrols!

The washing lake 

Helen and I left early the next day so waved a fond goodbye to Echo 4 and jumped in the car ready for our long journey back to Mumbai. We arrived in Mumbai late afternoon and were lucky enough to be able to have look around; we visited the famous Gateway of India and even managed to squeeze in some shopping! Another early flight back the following day and before we knew it we were back at Fieldbase.

The Gateway of India in Mumbai

Hannah, Lou and Maz left yesterday afternoon on the second part of the loop. They’ll be visiting Charlie 2 and Echo 3 and will be updating the blog with their news early next week. So far however, all the reports from the groups have been good and, as ever, everyone seems to be having a fantastic time – which is just what we like to hear at Fieldbase (and I’m sure what you all like to hear as well!).

And here are a couple of blog messages from Echo 4 for you:

From Albertine Potter Van Loon:

Hee Mams en paps,

Een brief is onderweg! Kyk uit naac de volgende blogberichten; houdt me op de hoogle wil verder (nog) niets verlerlappen vanwege de brief!

Laat Eric ook eens bloggen! Liefs!!

From Emma Christopher:

Hello Miss Michaela!

I was given your blog message today (the 5^th Nov) from the girls at Fieldbase who have come to visit the project site, thank you! It cheered me up and was really needed after a hard morning digging sand. I hope you are ok; I can’t wait to see you at Christmas. Lots of love, xxx