Be my guest...

For two days, Fieldbase has been empty like Keralan riverbeds in dry season: Our PMs headed out to their project sites to conduct their project planning visits; time for the Fieldbase staff to fight loneliness with Comms (“Hello darling, this is zero. Over.”), get their cooking skills back up, and enjoy the actually sufficient number of chairs in the front porch office. Bored much? I thought so. And that’s why I pressured our PMs “out there” into a session of lovely guest blogging. Here we go:

Charlie 1 (written by Stephen)
Gandenahalli is a village two hours north of Mysore in an area of intensive paddy rice, sugarcane and banana growing, set behind trees as you approach it from the main road. It is a poor village and a handful of motor cycles are the only motorised transport. Ox carts are the preferred means of conveyance.  We feel ever so slightly out of place as we bounce over the dusty rutted tracks that pass for streets in our gleaming, white 4X4.
Children descend upon us before we have stepped out of the car at the junior school, every one of them wanting to say “Hello” and ask us our names, testing their English before being swatted away by teachers. They are soon back, grinning, shaking our hands and following our every move.
We meet the village leader, the Grampanchayet President, a taciturn man who is happy that we are here to build 45 eco toilets in his village but shows no real enthusiasm to talk to us and seems a little bemused that we have turned up at his front door.
As we walk around the village we pass a house where the body of an 80-year-old man is laid out on a wooden cot under an awning in the middle of the road and are encouraged to approach the body. His widow wraps him in her arms while keeping up a constant keening in front of neighbours gathered about on chairs. We think we’re intruding but the widow stops her wailing long enough to nod her head as if to approve our presence. We convey our condolences to the two sons.
This village of 7,000 poor but hard working people will be our home for three weeks.

Charlie 2 (written by Izzy)
We had our first treat on the journey, spotting Ellies, baby monkeys, deer and wild pigs.  Meeting the project partners at CTRD was inspiring. Since 1988 they have been working with tribal and rural communities to identify and meet their needs in a sustainable way, without damaging their cultural identity.  The Paniya tribe who we will be helping to build 9 toilets and 85m of road greeted us warmly and within seconds we each had a child holding our hands.  It struck us how lucky we are that the community are welcoming us into the hearts of their lives despite the disruption, games, noise and intrigue we will bring. So let it begin and the toilet humour flow!

Echo 3 (written by Olive Ridley, the turtle)
I’ve been watching the Echo 3 PM’s preparing to come and help my turtle family and friends with our nesting in Velas: and quite frankly I’m rather nervous...
The bashers were slightly wobbly, menus rather sketchy and music choices dubious.
However... my fears have turned to excitement as the bashers held up, the sausage mash and onion gravy looked inspired and first class entertainment was provided by one of the PM’s busting out all the moves to Craig David... We will have fun!!!
PS: Please don’t flash me when I’m nesting, I’ll get disorientated and may not lay my eggs.

Echo 4 (written by Jenna)
Following a spectacularly eye opening bus journey complete with wild elephants and peacocks, we arrived at the CTRD headquarters to be greeted by our project partner co-ordinator and all round expert Vijay. After a lowdown on their background and all the incredible work they do in the area, we got stuck in learning all about the bio gas project we would be undertaking in the village of Cheriyery.
Surrounded by vast tea plantations and the jungle of Tamil Nadu, Cheriyery couldn’t be in a more perfect setting. We were given the opportunity to meet the seven female beneficiaries we would be working alongside and after being greeted with such warmth and enthusiasm (and endless cups of Chai and biscuits!) it was hard not to fall in love there and then. At a past expedition village we also got to see the bio gas units working in their full glory. It was such a humbling experience knowing that with some elbow grease and bit of determination we are going to be able to make a change to some exceptional people’s lives. Bring on the venturers! 

Tango 5 and Tango 6 (written by Amanda)
Adventure trek leaders, Barney and Matt, were joined by fellow Project Managers, Janet and Amanda, to recce the MuddyBoots Trek in stunning Kerala state, four hours drive from Fieldbase. With a leisurely 8 am start, our aim was to meet the MuddyBoots staff and ask all the necessary questions we needed to know as PMs to make the trek a safe, challenging, and well-organised expedition. After a rare elephant sighting and some much-needed meaty curry (so far it’s been veggies galore) we drove up through the villages and past curious faces to start our mini hike up to the first campsite along some top-class off-road tracks. The next day, a 12km walk lay ahead of us and the four of us practised with our laden packs, convinced we would be smug in knowing that we carried everything we needed – from bulging medical kits to Chana Masala spices to meet the flavouring taste buds we all seem to have developed already. Following a much needed swim in Asia’s second largest dam (of course we’d already put up our tents!), we hunkered down for the evening with a roaring fire, reviewing the day’s highs and lows. We know that we will all find the trek a huge challenge at different times and all felt the experience of walking in the heat (and knowing how essential it is to leave camp early for the cooler part of the day) was great in understanding a bit of team banter and motivation to allow every single person to complete the challenging trek in a remote and gorgeous part of the world.

P.S.: My must-have items for staying cool and looking hot during trek: your Dad’s wide-brimmed sunhat; factor 50; if you are a contact lens wearer usually, get involved with some prescription sunnies; walking boots with great ankle support; light scarves are perfect for turbans and covering your head, as well as glamming your trekking outfit (clearly essential).