Day 11
A day of temples

 Sunday we had a break from the various Bala Vikasa programs due to the Hindu festival Sankranti. Sankranti is a celebration of the harvest and colour. We took the Bala Vikasa bus to the first temple which was located in Warangal. It was built in the twelfth century by the kakatiyas (King) of Chalukya dynasty. It is called the Thousand Pillars Temple and is made primarily of black marble. Here we got to take part in a Hindu ceremony which was very special seeing as this temple is usually only a tourist destination, however because of the festival there were special ceremonies taking place. After that we traveled approximately an hour to another temple built by the same kakatiyas. It was truly fascinating to see the ancient craftsmanship and the intricate carving in the temple walls. After this we had a curry lunch picnic and took a relaxing boat ride around a large man made lake built by ancient kings for crop irrigation. Bala Vikasa is currently working to restore these lakes found throughout the state by removing the silt that has built up over time and is reducing the effectiveness of the lake.  The silt is then used for crop fertilizer, thus positively benefiting people's health, the environment and economics.
All in all it was a very interesting day spent learning about various historical aspects of the area.
Adios,
Miranda, Natalya, Phoebe

Day 9

A day of visiting schools.

In the morning we went to visit our first school of the day.  In contrast to yesterday's school this was a private school.  We were cordially welcomed into the school by the students.  The school 's principal addressed Angle, the staff of Bala Vikasa who were with us, Ms Scarlett, Nick and all the students.  The students of the class had prepared a formal sharing session.  They presented subjects such as the culture of India, their hopes for the future and what they consider to be world issues at this time.  Following each presentation they asked us to respond and give our input and opinion.  We were rather unprepared for the formality of the session and the amount of preparation and research the students put in.  However we did our best to answer their questions. The students also performed songs for us.  Following this we were able to talk to students from the class one on one and got to know them better.  

In the afternoon we went to another private school.  It was quite interesting to see the difference between the two schools.  This meeting had a much more relaxed atmosphere and we were able to easily interact with class.  We asked each other questions about the different school systems, what we wanted to do with our lives and cultural differences.  The students were quite surprised to find out that we would be leaving our family homes before we got married.  After this we were given a tour of the entire school and were able to meet students from different grades.  

It was a incredible day in all where we were able to see different kinds of schools of India and experiences the students and staffs generosity, excitement and kindness.  

Auf Wiedersehen

Phoebe, Natalya and Miranda

Day 8

A day of travelling from Hyderabad to Warangal and arriving at Bala Vikasa.

The day began with a quick breakfast at the hotel, after which we boarded the Bala Vikasa bus. We met Inad, our bus driver. Stopping for a quick chai break along the way, we arrived after about 2 hours. We immediately felt welcomed and the conference center was a peaceful change from busy sounds of the larger cities we've been staying in. After unpacking and having tea we set off to visit our first school, a government public school to which Bayridge has donated a classroom set of desks and chairs. Upon our arrival we were overwhelmed as rows of students clapped and welcomed us.  Next we went to a school assembly where the students and staff expressed their gratitude for Bayridge's generosity. We then got to see the classroom which was given the tables and chairs.  Because of low funding for public schools the majority of classrooms do not have desks.  We gave all the children pennies which they were very excited about. On our way out all the children wanted to see us and waved and shook our hands.  it was wonderful to experience the children's joy and excitement   This was a fun and successful first day at Bala Vikasa.
Au revoir,
Phoebe, Natalya and Miranda 

January 9 Hyderabad

 awkward family photo at the fort

Hindu temple with George, Bailey and Hyebin

Goodbye Beany! 

Woke up early to start a long day of touring. We started off by walking barefoot through a Hindu temple. It was very beautiful, with a view of the city. We then drove to the Golconda fort. This is a captivating site as it is built on a large hill and interesting architectural features such as noise traveling archways to notify those at the top. This was very pretty however very hot and climbing all the stairs really tired us out. After drinking from coconuts we went shopping in an authentic market. It was sad ending the day on a sad note as Binod had to leave us. His hilarious laugh and jokes will be missed. 

Thank you Blazers!

It is the generosity of the Bayridge students, staff and community that have made such a huge difference to many communities in India!  We are thrilled and privileged to report the many development projects throughout the years.  Five water wells thus far, one classroom furnished and two orphan children supported for one year - all supported by you - the Bayridge community.  The focus program initiated this year's project - a sixth water well.  It is inspiring to see how these projects have made such a difference to so many in India.  We truly are witnessing how helping people help themselves is producing vibrant and prosperous communities.  It is a wonderful opportunity for the students to represent the school and it all in action.  The appreciation from the school (for the desks) and the village (for the well of 2008-2009) were unbelievable!

The visit to the water well on Saturday was incredible to say the least.   The majority of the village greeted us on arrival.  We made our way to the water well and the entire group was led by drumming and clapping.  It was a celebration of which we were proud to attend.  Many pictures were taken!  Angel and I spoke to the village.   I explained how the money was raised for the well - only $850 was needed for one well and thanked all the students and Bayridge community for their support.  Following this, the entire group was invited to a meeting with the village.  It was held at a house and the entire village brought their chairs from their homes so we could sit down.  We sat in the shade and were given sweets and 7up.  This was a generous gesture as we knew that the village had to pool together enough funds just to offer us this hospitality.  We then met the village and heard their stories.  Afterwards I spoke of my own family to share some personal stories from Canada.

Claire bringing water to the home we visited in the village.

Speaking to the community

Thank you to all those who have helped provide clean water to communities in India.

Day 5

Lauren's Perspective:

On this day we stayed in Jaipur. After waking up, we went to the Amber Fort. The Amber Fort doubled both as a defense system and a residence for the Kachawa rulers. There were ramps everywhere because in the past sick, pregnant and old women could not bear the weight of their Sarees. The alternative was wheel chairs, and we were fortunate enough to see one from when the fort was in use.

After this fort, we had a very tasty curry lunch. After lunch we went to the Jantar Mantar - an old astronomical observatory. We were able to see many different instruments used thousands of years ago to read horoscopes, tell time, observe stars and understand seasons. While it was very complicated and difficult to understand, the old instruments were amazingly detailed and accurate to see. After spending some time looking at them, we headed to a museum by the observatory, where there were old vases, containers, clothing and weapons. First we saw the textiles portion of the museum. This contained old Sarees, cloaks and shoes worn thousands of years ago. One wall contained the clothing of (according to our guide) a man who was 7 feet tall and 4 feet wide, weighing in at about 500lbs. I originally thought his pajama pants were pants for camels--that's how big they were. We saw some massive pots that was to used to store various food items before entering the weapons section of the museum. This contained old guns, swords, knifes, armor and gun powder flasks. It also displayed a model cannon and war horses. We called it a night and headed back to the hotel for the night, eating dinner at the hotel we were staying in. 

Jan 6- Agra to Jaipur

Birla Temple at night

Today we departed for Jaipur. As we where driving into Jaipur, it seemed more developed with pink sandstone buildings and various large markets. After a long  day of travel we checked into the  hotel. It was very fancy and we were greeted with flower necklaces. We then finally got to ride tuck tucks (small, three wheeled cabs with no doors) to a nearby Birla temple. It was fun driving through the city at night and experiencing India's crazy traffic. After our excursion we had a roof top dinner followed by a puppet show. The food as always was amazing including dal, butter paneer masala and naan.

Jan 8- Hyderabad

Amar

Romeo

Goodbye Amar and Romeo! It as a sad moment for everyone to see them leave as we all grew to be good friends. Then we departed for our 3 flight 6 hour journey to Hyderabad. The flights were full of dance parties, naps and eating paneer (Indian cheese) hotdogs which where surprisingly tasty. After our long day of travel, we arrived to our hotel which was very nice with a buffet and luxurious rooms. We were really tired from travel so we called it an early night.

pictures!!

Gandhi memorial

streets of delhi

in the Bazaar (Delhi)

in the bazaar (Delhi)

transport truck 

Taj Mahal

Nick cold at the Taj Mahal

Ms Scarlett in the airport

At the runes 

Our first plane in Toronto 

Day 2 Delhi

We started the day off by meeting our awesome tour guide and went to Qutub Minar, a stone temple/fort.

In the fort part of the Qutub Minar there was a stone tower, the most popular part of the site. This tower reached 80 meters and when looked at from the base, it appeared to be falling on you, due to the architectural design.

After many photo ops with strangers and Sanjeev’s interesting facts we carried on to the Lotus Temple. (Look it up on the Google) We didn’t go inside due to the crazy line but the sight of the building was just breath taking.

We had an interesting lunch of curry; who would have guessed and went to a carpet making/tourist trap. This was again rather uncomfortable but we were prepared for it and laughed it off no problem. Then we took an hour bus ride across town and went to the Akshardham Temple a beautifully crafted modern temple with the stories of life surrounding the base (pictures were not permitted). This was, for some, a highlight to the trip so far. After reflecting on our day we retired to our hotel and debriefed at the hotel restaurant.

-from the perspective of michael

Day 1

Perspective of Lauren:

This is the first full day that we spent travelling in India after arriving - the 3rd of January. We met our tour guide – Sanjeev and continued on to Gandhi memorial. This is a large courtyard that contains a thick granite slab on which Gandhi’s body was cremated.

We next went to the Red Fort. It is a wall made of red sandstone that seemed to be endless.

We walked down the Moonlit Street – given this name because it used to be a water canal that reflected the silver moonlight. On this same street there were many temples and churches, all of which represented a few of the 9 major religions in Delhi. After a very tasty Indian lunch we witnessed a snake charmer; Natalya and Lauren got to play with his snake.

For the next hour and a half we trekked our way through a local bazaar, dodging tuck tucks, bikes and rickshaw (look it up on the google). After the bazaar, we went to a step well (in which you walk down to the water rather than bring the water up).

At this step well were some very adorable kids playing in a box.

We were able to see a Sikh Temple (this is one of the 9 religions). In this temple we were able to see people praying, and wash our hands in the holy water. We then went to a massive kitchen in which they provide meals free of charge. There was also a building in which people could stay the night free of charge. In the kitchen, we were able to partake in the cooking and preparation—stirring curry, flipping chapatti and rolling out the dough. For many of us, this was a highlight of the trip so far.

After this action packed day we returned to the hotel for dinner and Chai before calling it a night.

Day 3 Agra

Today we left Delhi for Agra. On the way, we stopped at the Tomb of Emperor Akbar in Sikandra. It was really foggy and quite cold but still very interesting and historical. After a really long bus ride, we arrived in Agra. Right before sunset, we visited the famous Taj Mahal seeing the true beauty and detail of the monument. It was an unbelievable moment, just being there and seeing it in person. Most of us were overwhelmed with the amount of people asking for and taking photos with us. Luckily we had Amar, a local tour planner who helped guide us through crowds and acted as a caring protector. We were then shown how to inlay marble as in the Taj Mahal and where enticed to buy their products. After leaving as soon as possible, we went back to the hotel for dinner and had a disco dance party with Romeo and Amar and Robyn.

Bala Vikasa

We arrived in Warangal on Thursday and have been staying at Bala Vikasa Training Centre.  Nick and I are overwhelmed by the generosity.   Each day is filled with visits to the various development projects, villages and schools.  The conference site has been a welcome retreat for the group.

Here is a picture from the school that received the desks and benches from Bayridge geography classes last year.  I presented the classroom with a world map and globe (thanks to Anne Smith and OAGEE).  

Students sit in the desks together with the class who uses them every day!

On Friday, we visited two schools.  This is a picture from one of the visits.
Thank you to Bala Vikasa for making all this possible and especially Angel!!

Sorry about the wait!

Hey everyone-

As we're sure you've noticed our posts have not been as detailed and frequent as we had hoped. We have all been fairly safe and healthy on this trip and we are all thoroughly enjoying ourselves. Internet and time has been scarce, but hopefully we will be able to successfully update you all.

Jaipur - the pink city

We have been in Jaipur since Sunday and we leave for Hyderabad Tuesday.  Very busy days filled with unbelievable activities and sites.  Binod, Amar and Romeo have guided us well while Robyn is an awesome tour leader.   We will miss Amar and Romeo as they return to Delhi as the group continues on to Hyderabad.   Namaste -

Just a quick update...

Delhi tours were fantastic and we are in Agra now.  Just some pics from Nick and I.

Thank goodness for a generator!

Our first tour day was amazing - you will read about it shortly as students will be sharing some highlights.  At the moment, we have experienced our first power outage and the generators are working in fine form.  All is well and the group is loving every moment.
Here are a few pictures Nick took today- Gandhi Memorial and Red Fort

We made it

We have great photos from airport with our flatpeople- will upload them tomorrow

Thank you to all the parents who have supported this wonderful opportunity!  A huge thanks to Andrew and Kara for driving us all to the airport.  Flights were fine and all went well.

We better get to bed - a full day awaits tomorrow!
It is 1am in Delhi and we are having a chai tea together -