Digging, teaching and swimming with Echo 3

Tuesday was time to head over to Huskurhaddi to pop into Echo 3’s camp which was already something of a work of art after only a few days. This group have the tough task of digging some very deep elephant trenches and putting up elephant proof solar fences under the heat of the Indian sun. As it’s too hot to work after eleven o'clock, they have to get up in the dark and start working at half five in the morning after the all important porridge and coffee intake. They've made brilliant progress and have dug further than expected after the first week. Luckily the camp is on the banks of the reservoir so they can cool off whenever they get a chance.

View of the camp from the water.

The camp on the banks of the reservoir.

Georgia shows us round the kitchen complete with shelves.

Chris is his basha

Georgie writing her blog messages.

Echo 3's cricket pitch outside the kitchen.
L-R Philip, Sachin, James, Alex.

In the trenches.
L-R Karla, Phil, Dave, James, Sachin, Emily, Louisa, Katy and Ellie

Heading for a dip.

Echo 3!
L-R - Cat, Alex, Philip, Karla, Chris, Catherine, Louisa, Ellie, Katy, Anne-Romee, Georgia, Emily, Sachin, James and Dave

Here are some shots taken by Katy Star of the team building the camp.

Building the kitchen.

Getting started on the long drop toilet.

Digging out the slops pit.

Adding some privacy to the loo.

Woodwork of all sorts.

Mess tin madness.

Building the all-important tap for hand washing outside the toilet.

The afternoons so far have been spent building and now decorating the camp with some lovely additions.

The sun dial built to show when to start and stop work.

Beautiful.

The sun dial also tells them the time to put on their long clothes to keep those pesky mosquitoes at bay.

A lovely tea and coffee holder.

We arrived on Anne-Romee's 19th birthday who was having a brilliant day in the sunshine despite all the digging.

Reading birthday messages.
Photo by Katy.

Opening her present from the group.
Photo by Katy.

Showing us both her amazing bamboo bracelet from the group and her new henna tattoo. What more could a girl want!

They’ve also been up to the local village, a ten minute walk through the fields, for a welcome meeting with the villagers and to a housewarming party for the local headmaster, not bad eh! They’ll also be teaching at the school twice a week and we went up with a few of them to see the first lesson in action...

Dave kicks off the lesson with some cockney rhyming slang.

James, Becca and Karla recite the alphabet with the kids.

A round of applause after everyone completes the song.

Alex hangin' tough with the teenagers at the school.

Here are more photos from their cameras of what they've been up to in the last week...

Chris, Emily, Louisa, Anne-Romee, Catherine and Georgia at the Golden temple.
Photo by Georgia

Dave looking thoughtful at the Golden temple.
Photo by Karla

At the Golden temple
Back row L- R - Anne-Romee, Karla, Catherine, Emily, Philip, Chris, Louisa, Alex
Front row L - R - Sachin and Georgia
Photo by Karla

Beautifying the Raleigh way.
Photo by Katy

Cat sharing photos with people in the village.
Photo by Katy

About to start work as the sun rises.
Photo by Katy.

Ellie working away.
Photo by Katy

The Golden temple and some jumpers.
Photo by Katy.

Sachin discovers a new friend on his hat.
Photo by Katy

Sitting down for dinner with 200 others at the headmasters housewarming party.
L-R Georgia, Chris, Anne-Romee, Louisa, Phil
Photo by Katy.

So it looks and sounds like they're absolutely loving live out there and we can see why. They're making the most of their afternoons by working at the school and we've now heard of raft building and a treasure hunt around the reservoir.

Here are their messages to friends and family...

From – Emily Howell

To – Mum, Dad, Charlie, and anyone who’s reading!

5 days in Huskurhaddi and its absolutely beautiful – digging elephant trenches and living on the edge of a gorgeous lake, infested with small crocodiles apparently but we still swim every day! Have already been to the Golden Temple and a house warming party for the nearby school’s headmaster which was amazing! Still getting used to being stopped in the street every few meters to have photos taken with the locals. Hope all is well in Winch, missing you all but I’m glad I’m nowhere near you guys because I absolutely stink 95%  of the time. Showers don’t really exist.
Love you all!
Emily x

From - Georgia Zervudachi
To – Mum and Dad
Thanks for your letter – it’s just arrived and just in time! I’m having an amazing time – digging lots of trench with only pointy sticks and other Indian tools! Luckily we’re close to a small village and a reservoir, so when it’s too hot to work there is lots to do. We also had a day trip to the Golden Temple it was incredible. You should get a letter (soon?) at some point. But so much happens every day it’s already very out of date!
Lots of love
Georgia xxx

From - Georgia Zervudachi
To – Jamie Neale
All the crisps here are spicy...

From Anne- Romee
Lieve Allemaal. Heel veel dank voor de verjaardags berichten. Hier allers super en prachtig! Verjoardag raar maar leub met echte cadeau armband van groep en land zal ze leven met. X

From Anne-Romee
To – Papa, mama, J, E en de rest
 Dank jullie wel voor de lieve b-day berichten. Heb een piepklein traantje weg ge pinkt! Hier alles super! Warm, warm, warm en hard werken, maar op prachtige locatie, lieve locale bevolking en leuke groep. Verjaardag was super complete met cadeaus, tart en een kaart, spekketjes avond rond liet vuur en een tripje naar de ‘stad’. Een grote super ervoring, ik geniet! Goed te lezen dat alles goed met jullie gaat (behalve wisk, kom op E!). Mis jullie wel, maar zou voor geen goud naar huis willen, al is de wc nog steeds een gat in de grond, het is te gaaf allemaal! Meer verhalen volgen hopetyk, maar weet niet wanneer...

Hoop dat dit bericht goed overkomt, want wordf door brit overtgetypt!

Love you, veel liefs
Anne-Romee x x x

From – Louisa!
To – Aunty Geraldine, Robby and Alex
Thank you for your lovely messages and the luck for my first project. I’m living in a basha (basically a hammock) by a beautiful lake where I can watch the sun set every night! There is a school very local to us and we were lucky enough to be invited to the headmasters hose warming party where were served delicious food on a big banana leaf and I also got a henna tattoo! Hop you all are keeping well and Alex is enjoying school! x x x

From – Katy Star
To – Dommer
Hiya boy! Thanks for the messages, glad to hear the kittoons have made it outside. They sent me a message saying please feed them more chicken! Hope work is good and you’re cooking loadsa yum this eg, not rice! Love you loads x x x

From – Katy Star
To – Old bloke

Thanks for the post – will open it after my nutricious lunch of cheesy crackers and peanut butter! No elephants yet L but you’ll be please to hear it’s cold at night time – three bottoms and six top layers!
Lots of love
Mouse x x x
PS – Tell Jeebs she smells

From – Katy Star
To – Mothership
Thanks for the card, been keeping head nice and sun creamed! Send a budders nens if the de-balding is in it!
Lots of love
Mouse x x x

From – James Bell
To – Mom and Dad
Hi!!! I’m having such a good time out here with Echo 3 and everyone else. We have done so much since getting here at Phase 1m including teaching at the local school, going to a huge house warming party/lunch at the headmaster of the school kindly invited us to, a day trip to the Golden Temple and of course some trench digging in the heat! How is home? I saw Newcastle came back from losing 4-0 to 4-4! Also some people have said Carroll has left us a swell, can you confirm? Thanks you for messages they mean so much to me.
Lots of love
James x x x

From - James Bell
To – Rachel
Hey beautiful! I can’t keep any promises about the sun tan because it’s so hot out here I am beginning to get brown already! The blog will probably be updated now so you can see all us Echo 3 having fun and hard at work of course. Where we are it’s so beautiful! How is Reading? Can’t wait for your post! I miss you more and more each day! Keep me updated.
Lots of love
James x x x x

From – Alex Vostanis
Hello Vostanis family, Emily, George, Julie, Anne-Louise and everyone else!

I’m having an AWESOME time, hope everything is good at home. Hopefully will be able to speak soon. We are staying in a beautiful village with a river next to us for bathing which is lovely because the trench digging is tiring. Will tell you more soon, Alex x

PS – I heard about Arsenal drawing with Newcastle.