Turtles echo back to Zero

It's Changeover and everyone from Charlie 1 to Tango 6 has paid a short visit to Fieldbase just to drop their rucksacks and head straight off to Mysore for swimming pools and train tickets. In the morning, I found an email from the incredibly efficient Echo 3 in my inbox, who took some time during their stop in Mangalore to report back on their Phase 2 experience. Teenage Ninja Turtle Helen Smith has the following to say:

Author and birthday girl Helen

Echo 3 Explorers Monument

Echo 3 are currently winging their way back to Fieldbase with a lot of sombre looks and wistful expressions after a fantastic phase on Velas beach. We're all heartbroken to leave but had the best possible send-off on our last morning by seeing 60 turtle hatchlings make their slow, unsteady way down the sand to the beach when we woke up. 

No, wait... Not a turtle...

Here we go... Hatchlings released...

Our work has fairly consistently involved levelling, carrying and more carrying - we've been improving the path to the beach from the road so it's easier for tourists to walk down, and we're pretty happy with the chunk we've completed, cementing our names in the step on the bridge being a massive highight. 

They also taught the local kids some English, beach and turtle-related, of course.

By far a better highlight though came one unsuspecting evening just before sunset when Thejas came sprinting into camp yelling "COME, COME, 400kgs" and led us onto the sand to see a huge, full size turtle laying its eggs. A couple of the guys from SNM were there already but otherwise it was just Echo 3, the turtle and the setting sun (this Hollywood worthy scene only slightly marred by Tom and Flora convincing Martha the turtle was actually a fake for demonstration purposes and had 'Made in China' written on its back...) 

Other than this, our days have been spent building ever more elaborate bamboo stuctures for camp, exploring the caves and sink holes on the south side of the beach, and warding off the herds of cows that frequently held our camp under siege trying to sneak in and eat the slops. Overall, I'd say the experience was even better than our last pudding of pancakes, Nutella and condensed milk - and that's saying something. 

Las Velas Camp

Las Velas Jester

Synchronising diaries

Fishing for dinner

This has been Helen Smith for Echo 3, over and out.

No no no, dear reader! As you may know, Zero ALWAYS ends communications and it's not over until WE listen out. Which we will definitely not do until this little comedy jewel and winner of the Changeover Skits Oscars has been presented to a larger audience:

Raleigh India 12C | Phase 2 Echo 3 | Raleigh Health and Safety Tutorial

Rules matter! This is Zero, and only Zero, listening out :o)