The Loop "Trilogy" Part IV - Indiana Echo and the Fourth Kingdom of the Vertical Pole

Just like in the real world, there is a late addition to our Indiana Jones Loop franchise. The fourth part of the trilogy (thank you Douglas Adams, for shifting the paradigm of this word; it makes my work so much easier!) describes the events outfolding in Cheriyery. Curtain up for Echo 4 as seen through the camera of guest bloggers Sam Flood, Aashna Jain, and Katherine Arnot:

A fresh-faced Echo 4 set off on a typically stylish Indian bus, blasting out bhangra delights as we meandered through beautiful Indian villages and forestry.

Upon reaching a very merry Cheriyery, we were welcomed by CTRD representative, Vijay, who happily embraced our drowsy faces and introduced us to the Biogas project and our consequent home for the next three weeks.  Villagers adorned us with garlands of flowers and (of course) lovingly bombarded us with cake and chai. These sugary delights adequately fuelled us for the arduous task of hauling food, tools and equipment from the bus – down slopes, up grassy banks and across rickety bamboo bridges.

Talking of bamboo, which became a bit of a sore point (not least for Katherine – who received a hearty ‘donk!’ on the head in the process), bashas were the first thing on Echo 4’s agenda:  The venturers constructed their campsite from scratch, lashing poles together with coconut rope into innovative bed-like structures amongst leafy, towering palm trees... Sadly after 13 wonderful bashas, we were scraping the barrel for the final 3, which led to creatively using trees along with some of the more vertically challenged bamboo... The next few days paved the way for even more imaginative use of resources – including what can only be described as a ‘Gucci shower’ – expansive, efficient and quite frankly fabulous. Leftover wood and bamboo has been maximized and fashioned into a bench, a table and even a toilet seat to compliment the longdrop, which has been met with some controversy from the group.  Our well-built campsite has withstood torrential downpours, local children playing ball and the lightest venturer in our group (Aashna) breaking everything she sits on.

Soon to be his bed...

... including THIS view.

From campsite to worksite, the team spirit and energy emulated. Mud, sweat and chais (in equal measure) were core features of the work ethic. We masterfully took to sinking mamptees into the soil to hacking desperately at stubborn roots. Though building two six-foot deep holes and two cow sheds can be demanding and tedious, we still find time to fit in fun during our work day. Every day we have breakfast with the families and momentum is maintained via pulling shapes with local village children, and coining musical gems such as ‘Everyday I’m shovelling’, with resounding demands of ‘No rest, only work!’ and ‘No stand, only bend!’ along with further, more dynamic and sadly less publishable, slogans. 

Get diggin'!

We are trying to get the work done as quickly as possible, but there have been a few minor incidents: One involved the local cow, who tried to escape and was chased down the road by half of the group. Another includes a certain member of the group (Will) provoking a romantically frustrated goat and paying the consequences. It was also quite distracting to behold Chrissy as she discovered new uses for the Indian Harris pole, and everyone delighted in seeing her passionately pole dance in one of the holes – nobody else quite matched her vivacity and charm with the mighty rod of steel, though of course they tried.

Good, but still nothing compared to what Chrissy can do with a Harris pole.

One of the highlights for me (and for those who attended) was a trip to the local Church for the Sunday morning service. As a non-religious person, I wasn’t sure whether it’d be as tedious as two and a half hours in a confined space sounds – but I was pleasantly surprised:  Being unable to decipher a word of what the Indian sermons were preaching, and listening to unidentifiable, mystical hymns was genuinely blissful. The hum of collective prayers and spiritual chants presented the perfect backdrop for individual self-reflection – although perhaps not the central purpose of the occasion, it was a moving experience and we were all very grateful to be there, stood next to our Cheriyery family.

When the Loop visited, they were treated to a rather tasteful curry-risotto concoction, and a good old-fashioned juvenile game of Pass the Parcel – our photographer, Bob, was the lucky winner of the main prize; a delightful toy chicken complete with flapping wings and mini wheels for ultimate mobility. Of course the accompanying forfeit suggested he present his best chicken impersonation – and he didn’t disappoint!

Two weeks since arriving and having little understanding of what Biogas was, Echo 4 are now not only more aware of the process, but are also thoroughly enjoying each stage in building the units for the lovely people in the welcoming community of Cheriyery.

Below the latest motion picture release of the franchise, starring Echo 4:

Echo 4 greetings to family and friends

And now: Messages written within the vast abyss of a 6 foot deep chasm in the earth:

From Aashna

From Beatrice

From Will