...In which everyone arrives

They’re finally here! After three weeks of us waiting, ten hours of them flying and an eye opening four hour bus journey from Bangalore Airport, our thirty one venturers have at last arrived at Field Base. Here, they join our contingent of host country venturers for four and a half days of induction training so that they’re ready to head off onto the projects next Thursday. There were smiles and hugs all round as they disembarked to get a first look at their home for the next few days and, behind bleary eyes, a sense of excitement about the coming five weeks was clearly evident.

Being picked up from the airport

The build up before the epic bus ride

If you’d like to leave your loved one or friend a message on the blog, simply type it in the box below and press “Publish”; then I’ll print it off for you and give it to them within hours. It’s a good idea to do this since it helps to demonstrate to our venturers what the blog can do and encourages them to write messages in return which I can then put up for you to see, so post post away.

All aboard! (They were asleep two seconds later)

Our fabulous HCVs - they are also dance geniuses.

Right, well the administrative leviathan has stirred here at Field Base so I’m off to help out with all the form filling. The sooner it’s done, the sooner our venturers can rest after what has admittedly been a rather long day. More photos soon!

...In Which the Raleigh India 12I Blog Bursts into Life

Good day, guten tag, namaskaara and a very warm welcome to this, the inaugural post of the Raleigh India 12I expedition blog. Please take a seat, make yourself a cup of tea, perhaps even avail yourself right now of those macaroons you’ve been resisting so admirably, and prepare yourself for reports from the frontline of high adventure and great deeds over the coming months.

My name’s Mitch, I’m the expedition’s Communications Officer and, as such, it’s my great privilege to be the one who updates you on all the happenings both here at Field Base and out on the project sites. Expect thrills, expect laughs, expect curry, dancing and possibly infrequent showering (particularly on the adventure phase), but mostly expect fun by the bucket load, and all conveniently situated here for your viewing pleasure.

But, of course, the blog serves other purposes besides giving me a licence to talk. As well as being a source of information on all the latest expedition news, it is also a brilliant and easy to use communication tool. You can leave messages of encouragement and solidarity or playful but profound jealousy to your loved ones as you witness them having the summer of their lives.

To send a message, simply type it in the box below including the full name of the person you’re sending it to and their group name as appropriate, and click ‘Publish’. We’ll then print it off and deliver it for you to the farthest flung corners of Karnataka and beyond. Just a few points of caution though – any messages that you post will be displayed publicly on this blog for all to see, so:

·         In the interests of taste, please keep your messages respectable, or we’ll have no choice but to rub our long, bushy moustaches in disapproval, tut loudly, murmur something about how “standards are slipping” and take them down;

·         Please bear in mind that this would be a badly judged moment to discuss delicate private issues with your little darlings, since we’d all be able to see it.

Otherwise, send send send away! And if you'd prefer to use the good old fashioned snail mail route, you can find our address in the side bar. Letters typically take around 3 weeks to get here.

Next time on the Raleigh India 12I Blog: New Arrivals - Our First Day in India and Photos of Field Base!

Wanna be starting something...

They’re here!

The alarm went off at three o’clock this morning which could only have meant one thing, either I’ve forgotten again how to use this new watch or it’s time to go get the venturers! Luckily it was the latter of these options and it was great to finally meet all the people from all over the world that are going to make this expedition flippin' brilliant.

After some long flights and a five hour journey back from the airport, everyone is now here, safe and well and being fattened up on some lovely Iocal food. After a quick tour of field base, it was time for Mark to welcome the venturers from all over the globe and then for Julia to introduce them to the staff team. The full expedition team is now complete hurray!

As the temperature rose into the thirties this afternoon, the venturers got a chance to change into shorts and flip flops, meet their new home for the next 96 days, as well as lots and lots of new friends.

Their beds are almost set up, the sun has set and there are just a few more things to work through tonight before they pack their bags again and head out at first light tomorrow morning for three days training starting with a 25km trek to the camp site. It’s going to be a full on few days for them and we’ll be updating you on all their adventures along the way.

But for now, it’s time to get packing for us all and then a few hours sleep. Nighty night.

The VMs arrive

Excitement was in the air today at Fieldbase with the arrival of the full Volunteer Manager team. This morning was a floury of activity tidying and preparing as we waited to greet them off their five hour coach ride from the airport.

  

Josse and Olly receive their Bindi's



Their arrival was marked with a traditional Indian welcome ceremony led by Manglama, who's family lives the Fieldbase site and Prashanth, one of Raleigh's team of drivers.

 

Prashanth gives Hannah her garlands




Garland Girls - Eira, Caroline and Rachel

 To avoid jet lag, the team were straight into training and have been kept awake learning the basics of life on Raleigh including 'three bowls', group contracts and cultural awareness. With a couple of energizers thrown in for good measure to help them power through.



L-R Doug, Susan, Christina, Olly, Laura, Luke, Phil & Sterling



L-R Del, Caroline, Liam, Bethan, Charlotte, Lynne, Doug & Susan 



Understandly they're all a little shattered now, so it's early to bed tonight as we have an intensive itinery of training ahead of us over the next few days.

And so it begins...

Greetings from India and welcome to the 10k expedition blog!

The expedition has begun with the arrival of the advanced team of Volunteer Managers (VMs) on Tuesday. The advanced team of VMs are made up on John and Doug in Logistics, Laura & Charlotte, part of our medic team and me (Polly) in Comms. Who have come out here to join Del, the Deputy Progamme Manager who arrived last Wednesday and the Raleigh permanent staff team; Mark (Country Director), Anna (Country Programme Manager), Deepak (Facilities Manager), Vijay (Host Country Venturer Co-ordinator) plus the Raleigh drivers Manju, Sixty and Prashanth.

Bleary eyed from the overnight flight they were picked up from Banglaore airport by Prashanth and taken on the four hour journey to Field Base in Mysore. The permanent staff were waiting to welcome us to Field Base and our home for the next three months.

Over the next week the advanced team will get to know their project areas and get started on the preparations ahead of the rest of the Volunteer managers arrival next Monday before the big influx of Ventueers two weeks after that.

  

Jet lag gets the better of Charlotte





John and Doug welcome you to their new home - the Logs Store



For now we’ll carry on starting to settle in but check back soon for the next blog entry when I'll introduce you properly to the Advanced team of VMs.

Polly x

10H: The Kids Are Alright

The airport's emotionally charged arrivals area beckoned once again, as me, Pete and Jo stumbled out of bed at 3:30am to welcome the venturers on the five week 10H expedition. Dutifully wearing their Raleigh T-shirts, available in a range of colours, they appeared bright-eyed and bushy tailed.

On board the coach our new heroes and heroines knocked back bottles of water and munched their way through nice nutritious biccies. Our four hour journey was off to a flying start but halfway to field base our coach was beset by mechanical difficulties. We were assured by the menfolk that all would be well and indeed it was...after two hours. Two hours that were put to good use with icebreakers, name games and tomfoolery.

Clambering back onto the coach, some of us caught up on sleep, whilst others gazed at the scenery zipping past. Finally our tired eyes caught sight of field base's cheery signpost. An amped up field base team formed a chain of honour to greet the new arrivals, before they were whisked away for the official welcoming ceremony and an afternoon of admin, punctuated by a fair amount of fun.

There'll be no lie-ins tomorrow as the venturers take a Sunday stroll in the form of trek training.  Field base will be keeping tabs on their progress and will keep you posted!