Imagine Echo 3

Numerous people of Echo 3 and I have spent days to get this blog post from Raleigh India's remotest project to Fieldbase. But not even "bad comms" (Raleigh for "no signal on mobile") could stop guest blogger Natalia Robinson from getting the word across. Getting the picture across, however, is a rather complicated undertaking and will have to wait until the group's return to Fieldbase in a couple of days. In the meantime, let your imagination go wild and check back at Wash-up (Raleigh for "the Changeover, where nothing changes over"), if the film really lives up to the book.

It's not every day that you get to spend Easter Sunday on a beautiful beach in southern India, but for Echo 3 Phase 3 that’s a pleasure we have the chance to experience. 

We are all having a well deserved break after finishing building and levelling 320 meters worth of path in just seven days! And what an incredible time we had – the highlights are innumerable.

The overnight train journey felt like a scene out of a film - until all of us squeezed into a carriage with another 20 local Indians sleeping on three-layered bunks. After countless card games, songs, and people-watching, being able to stare out of the window and watch the change in scenery and see the mileage covered was a definite once-in-a-lifetime-experience for many of us. 

When we arrived at Velas village after 30 hours of travelling, groups of us were paired with a local family who we lived with for 2 nights whilst setting up our camp near the beach. One of the best opportunities that Raleigh offers is the ability to see parts of India that have hardly been touched by Western tourism, which only intensifies the experience and certainly makes it more memorable. Living with the various families gave us a real insight into how many rural Indian live – their customs, dress, food, and general mannerism – which are generous and sharing. 

The aim of SNM and many villagers of the Maharashtra coast is to promote eco-tourism by inviting tourists to locations where the organisation helps protect and encourage breeding Olive Ridley Turtles, which our project is focused on, as well as White-bellied Sea Eagles, White-rumped Vultures and some bird species of the Konkan. Since being here, we have been very lucky and seen 52 turtle hatchlings being released from the hatchery and making their journey to the ocean.

It’s quite strange how after being here for only 9 days, our camp, tucked away amongst the trees, already feels like home and certainly looks very well lived in. I think, our camp is living proof that one can never use enough coconut rope (the ratio of rope and basha is about 15 to 1) and makes walking at night between the bashas a bit of a death trap. Forget snakes and scorpions being dangerous around camp; for us the long drop has proven to be a lot more fateful with at least three members being perilously close to falling in...

We will have to be very careful regarding this potential health hazard for another two days: then the time to say good-bye to Las Velas will have come. However, we won't call it a day yet, as several adventures - the moving back to homestays, the end of phase celebrations with project partners and villagers, and of course our long train journey back to Fieldbase -  remain. So stay tuned for an update from yours truly Turtle Crew; next time with pictures will make you very jealous.

And now: Messages written whilst being on the ropes... In the most positive way imaginable.

• Alex: Hello everyone! I’ve been spending the last two weeks lying on a beach and saving turtles... Life is tough. Lots of love, Alex
• Mandisa: Carmen Warner: Hey Mommy, just having so much fun in Velas beach. I’m missing you and everyone so much. Can’t wait to see you and everyone in almost less than week. Tell everyone I said hello and I love them so much. Also, miss them as well – of course. See you soon, lots of love, Mandisa. KissHug KissHug KissHug KissHug KissHug
• Sammy B.: Hi mom, I’m in India. Hahaha