It's 4:30am and me, Anita and Jo descend on Bangalore airport eagerly anticipating the arrival of the venturers. Securing space to wave our Raleigh placards and encouraged by our excellent driver, Preeshanth, we zone in on young people with rucksacks (a genius move). But in spite of this and the diligent waving of our placards, we remain venturer-less. It then dawns on me to take the daring step of walking right up to the glass partition with my placard and there I spy a group of venturers inside. They wave back and the excitement begins to bubble as they make their way through arrivals. Introductions are made and the bantering begins.
Morning all!
After a four hour coach journey - with many of the venturers managing to stay awake - the PMs and field base team run to meet us looking resplendent in Raleigh T-shirts. Barely have the venturers' feet touched the ground, before being whisked away to take part in an icebreaker followed by a whistle-stop tour of field base, a curry, essential admin and much, much more.
Jenny breaks the news about induction
Our new arrivals have certainly enlivened field base and they've also brought the monsoon rain with them, the scamps.Tomorrow they'll head out on trek training and thus begins a full-throttle week before phase 1 zooms into view.
Stay close for the latest on the venturers' voyage of induction...
This is Julie Cabral from Bermuda and my son Daniel is a part of your group in India. It was nice to see you all made it safely there and that this new journey begins for you all. I wish Daniel and the group all the best and hope you get the best of out of this experience. Daniel I am very proud of you!!! ENJOY!! Lots of love MOM AND DAD AND FAMILY XOXOX
ReplyDeleteHAVE A GREAT TRIP AND ENJOY THE EXPERIENCE
ReplyDeleteDear Jools and Caz:
ReplyDeleteFrom the dark wilderness of central Australia, I send to you my secret family recipe for damper bread cooked over a campfire.
Ingredients:
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
Half tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
2 tbs butter
a "good" half cup milk (as in, start with half a cup, add more if you need)
Mix the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar together.
Cut in 1 tablespoons of butter and rub until it looks like breadcrumbs. Make a well in the centre of the dough, and add the milk and mix lightly with a knife until the dough leaves the sides of the bowl.
Then comes the fun part - knead on a lightly-floured surface and shape into a round. Brush the top of the dough with milk, and cut a couple of slits in the top to resemble a cross.
Cover it with two layers of aluminium foil, then put it on the edge of the campfire.
From 09C, I seem to remember it took about 15 minutes to cook on a campfire... about 7 mins on either side.
Get creative with your recipes as well - adding honey, cinnamon and sultanas will make sweet bread (good for a hot-cross-bun substitute at easter).
You can multiply the receipe to make bigger loaves... the proportions will work fine if you double it.
Eat immediately with more butter and preferably vegemite. (don't go near that marmite crap. Ergh.)
Love,
PBR
Hello everyone, my name is Wendy Dilloway and my daughter Natalie is travelling with your group. We would just like to say how proud we are of her and we hope she has a fantastic experience over the coming weeks. Good luck to all of you and lots of love to Natalie from Mum and Dad. x x x x
ReplyDeletehey gemma,
ReplyDeletehope you have an amazing time, glad you got there okay! Miss you already! Siobhan and Scouse xxx
Hi everyone
ReplyDeleteI am Helen Norris and my daughter Louise is with you. So pleased to see you all made it out there safely! Hope the ice-breaking has been successful and that the trek training is well underway. Any blisters yet? You are all doing a wonderful job, and I hope you have a fantastic experience along the way. I've just been showing the photos to Grandma and we both send best wishes to you all, and lots of love to Louise from Mum and Grandma xxxx
Hi everyone, Shona Bradford, my daughter, is another member of the group and it was really good to see that they had all arrived safely for the start of what I am sure will be a wonderful experience and adventure for them. My thoughts are with you and again I am so proud of you, lots of love Shona from Mum and Donald. x x
ReplyDeleteHave a good trip little lamb. love treehugger xox
ReplyDeleteHi Anna, glad to see you made it safely. It is warm over here but nothing in comparison to where you are. Have a great time and keep safe. Love Dad, Mum, Matt, Bill and Mike.
ReplyDeleteShout out from Bermuda to Daniel, Kiana, Sacha, Reuna, and Ta-tayls!!!!
ReplyDeleteSo proud of you guys... make the most of it (and take TONS of pictures!!!)
Kristin
Raleigh Bermuda
Dang, I made a mistake!
ReplyDeleteJools and Caz, I found the original damper recipe we used for 09C! I even put a link on the blog to it... it is embedded in the January 09 edition of this blog.
However, to save time so you don't have to go through the archives (although I did have fun re-living some memories) here's the link:
http://www.globalgourmet.com/food/egg/egg0597/damper.html
This is a better recipe than the one I put above. Apologies, I couldn't remember the exact proportions... I tend to just make it up (well... it's Australian, where the rule "near enough is good enough" reigns.)
have a wonderful time gang,
xxx PBR
Hello all! My name is Pat Jennings and my daughter Mary is taking part in the India project.It was good to hear the group arrived safely at Bangalore.I hope you all have a wonderful time over the next 10 weeks!I am very proud of Mary and wish her and the whole group the very best of luck.
ReplyDeleteLoads of love to Mary xx
I am James Aitken. I am Stuart Aitkens twin brother. Yes, there as in exact double of him back in England. OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. He is a serial murderer on the run from the police, don't give him any knives. THIS IS NOT A JOKE.
ReplyDeleteIt is really. And it's our birthday tomorrow. Yaaaaaaaaaay.
A huge hello and lots of love to Anna Lavelle from her aunt Helen and cousins Rachel and Melissa back here in Brisbane, Australia. Can't wait to hear your stories and adventures. Work hard and enjoy. xo p.s. Keep up your sunscreen applications on that beautiful, fair English complexion.
ReplyDeleteHi Anna, Hello from everyone in nottingham. the sun is shinning, the skies are blue. It is hot but humidity low compared to where you all are at the moment. We are all very well, missing you but also jealous of you when we see the pictures on the net. Have fun but dont forget those mozzies. Love Dad, Mum, Matt, Bill and Mike.
ReplyDeleteHope you have an amazing time and love the time your out their. Get loads of pictures to make us all jealous. Miss you bug!!
ReplyDeleteXx
HI REUNA, WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU, ALL THE BEST ON YOUR EXPEDITION, ENOY WE LOVE AND MISS YOU
ReplyDeleteHey Helen! I hope you are having a great time. I wonder if my letter will get to you before you come home! Missing you already, Jim x
ReplyDeleteHi Lucas
ReplyDeleteGood to see you got there in one piece after last minute packing! Make the most of your adventure and keep creamed up!
Judy, Fred and co.
Happy Birthday Stuart! Hope your having a great time
ReplyDeletelove kirsten
XxXx
Annette
ReplyDeleteBehave- well try to anyway!
Julian
Hello,
ReplyDeleteI'm Lucas Pyke's mum,Sarah in Brighton,England.
I'm so proud of you Lucas. Good luck and respect
to all of you for taking up this challenge and
thanks to the RaleighIndia Team for making such a fabulous opportunity happen. Thinking of you loads. Lovexxxxx
Happy birthday Stuart, hope you're having a great time out there, I'll be thinking of you whilst having a beer the neet at the Mucky Duck. Mum, Granny, Cameron and Robbie send their wishes too :)
ReplyDeleteDad
Scott omg a snake on your head rather you han me , you seem to be having a good time already , take care .
ReplyDeletelove Mum, Davie & lisha
Hi Anna I'm at the marriot with Helen and Rachel, at her farewell from Brisbane afternoon. It's chilly here and no humidity. Hope all's well with you. Love Kate
ReplyDeletehai vijay how are you?
ReplyDeleteHi Luke,
ReplyDeleteu ok? Hope everythings going well. we have a heatwave here and the grass is dead.
:) lizzie xx
Hi Luke,
ReplyDeleteThings busy just before we break up. Doing lots of swimming at the school. After 8 years we have finally painted our bedroom! Hope all going well & your feet are ok. Lisa & Neil
Nanny Eve sends her love & says she is thinking of you.xxx
to luke
ReplyDeletehello i hope ur well hows it over there in india?
its hot here nothing really to do but i bet theres loads there !!!!
lots of luv aly x
HELLO TOM
ReplyDeleteHOPE YOU ARE HAVING A GREAT TIME. LOTS OF LOVE AUNT MARG AND UNCLE DAI
Hi Luke
ReplyDeleteFollowing your activities with interest. Have a great time.
Steve and Andrea