Friday July 20th, 2018
The camping trip has finally arrived! At 0900 when we arrived to the orphanage, you could feel the excitement in the air. The children were laughing, skipping, and jumping in anticipation of the weekend which lay ahead.
As the contributions from our generous donors back home well exceeded our initial goal, we were able to expand upon the trip we had originally planned! We hired private transportation, purchased all of the boys a new raincoat and water bottle, and planned additional activities throughout the weekend. Sourcing the raincoats was not a simple task as it required Becca and I to make a 12 hour bus journey to and from Delhi to purchase them, however it was well worth the trip. The coats we were able to buy are made by a reputable outdoor brand, and with how harsh and unpredictable the weather of the region can be, the boys will make good use of them over the next few years on their long walks to and from school.
I want to take a moment to thank all those who donated to the Gofundme page which was setup to finance this trip. It is not without the generosity of our donors that this weekend was possible. So again, Thank You!
Once the vehicles arrived, we loaded up the gear and started filing the boys onto the bus. After receiving a phone call from Ankit notifying us that gathering the final supplies was taking longer than anticipated and he would be another 20 minutes, we attempted to unload the bus. Regardless of the heat inside the stationary bus full of children, the boys were not budging! They were too excited just to be aboard their own vehicle headed away for the weekend, so we elected to let them stay put. They sang songs and bounced up and down for 30 minutes straight.
The ride to the Great Himalayan National Park was approximately two hours, taking us through incredible scenery as we drove higher and higher into the Tirthan Valley.
We arrived at the park Welcome Center where we would spend our first night. Quickly we unpacked the vehicles, and set up the boys in the dormitories there. Once settled, we got right into the weekends activities. First up was a short hike up to a scenic waterfall. The 45 minute hike was a straight climb to reach the waterfall, and although a few of the children were becoming exhausted by the end of it, as soon as we reached the waterfall they were once again full of energy. Jumping, shouting, laughing, and dancing ensued as the boys wasted no time cooling off in the refreshing water of the huge waterfall. Their laughter is truly infectious.
Once everyone had had their fill, we proceeded to hike down from the waterfall back to the main road. It is nearly full on monsoon season and therefore we were bound to get rained on at some point during the day. Our walk back was wet, and the raincoats we had brought soon proved useful. We trekked our way to Ankit’s home which was about 2 km down the road from the welcome center. There Ankit and his wife Deepti had generously prepared a delicious hot meal for everyone. Upon request of the boys, Justin Bieber and Despacito could be heard playing from the speakers of the kitchen as they filled their bellies with food; which was as they would say, “too tasty!” Of course with this group, no meal takes place without a group prayer first.
Satiated, we left Ankit’s house and ventured back down towards the welcome center where nearby ropes and harnesses were setup up for the boys to have their first experience repelling. Upon seeing the rock face they were to bounce themselves down, they were excited and terrified. Aman, a 12 year old in the group, had me hold my hand to his chest so I could feel his heart thump in preparation for his descent. A few declined to take part, however those that braved the challenge were rewarded with cheers, hoots, and hollers from the entire group. You could see in their eyes how thrilled they were to be taking part in an activity which would surely bring about a jealous nod of approval from their classmates.
Day one ended with a tour through the Park’s Welcome Center Interpretation Hall, where the children learned about the flora, fauna, and geography of the Great Himalayan National Park from none better than Ankit Sood. They love to learn, and were fascinated hear about all that resides in the beautiful National Park. Once finished with the tour, the children climbed into their beds exhausted from an eventful day. With so much more to come over the next two days, we only hoped the boys would not be to exhilarated to sleep.
TO BE CONTINUED…
Comments