May 30th: Visiting Jaisamand Lake

Today we went to Jaisamand Lake, leaving at 8:30 am from the city. We drove through the countryside past fruit stands and motorcycles everywhere. The lake was so beautiful! It is the second largest man made lake in Asia. There were cobblestone steps that led down to the lake shore where we hopped on a boat for a half-hour ride.

On the lake we noticed boats the same size of ours, full of 30 or 40 Indian tourists, and we had our boat to the three of us!

We headed back to Udaipur for lunch and up to sunset point in the evening - riding a cable car to the top of a mountain. We ate rose ice cream and watched the sun set in pink and orange streaks of colour over the lake and the blue mountain layers. The perfect end to the perfect day.

Vita Sackville-Hii
DWC U30 Team Leader
Udaipur, India: May 2014

May 29th: Dinner out wearing saris!

The highlight of today was buying saris and going out for one final dinner with Kailash and Om, two directors at Jatan Sansthan. It was a struggle, but we managed to tie the saris ourselves, and they didn't fall apart!

Vita Sackville-Hii
DWC U30 Team Leader
Udaipur, India: May 2014

May 28th: Saying goodbye to our host family & Vikas

We packed our bags last night and said goodbye to our host family early this morning. They have been so hospitable and accommodating during our entire stay and we were so glad to stay with them and experience village life! We are going to miss waking up to a cup of chai brought to our bedside, made with spices and fresh milk from our family's cows. We are going to miss the rooftop with the most incredible view of the stars on a clear night. We are going to miss the food and our new Indian little brother who always wanted to play games on our phones. Most of all, I think we will miss the warmth of family that we got to watch and also be a part of for a short while.

Our final dinner with our host family!

When we got back to Udaipur we went for a tuk tuk ride in search of a restaurant to eat lunch at. We found one, and fittingly, it was the same one that we had our very first lunch of the trip, one month ago! We came back to the hotel and finished a Bollywood movie on Vikas' laptop that we started last week. 

 In the afternoon, Vikas' cousin came to pick him up as he continues his travels in India to visit family. Our little group became even little-er, with just Vita, Mariana and Ana left. Eunice, Vienna, Chirag and Vikas - we miss you! Wherever you are right now... 

Vita, Ana and Mariana
DWC U30 Team Leader and Volunteer Participants
Railmagra, India: May 2014

May 27th: Last day of construction on the women's washroom project

We woke up early today and were treated to a breakfast of rice flakes made my our house mother, Saneha. Then we drove straight to the worksite, a few small villages away for our last day of construction. The masons and kids waved at our car as soon as it turned off the main road and down the short bumpy path to the location of the almost-finished bathroom. Man, are we ever going to miss this place!

We hopped out of the car and went straight to work, comfortable with the routine now. We mix "masala" (aka cement) with shovels and water from the nearby water trough that the cows drink out of. We carry the cement in "tagaris" (aka small metal bowls about the size of ones people use to bake cakes and cookies) on our heads and up steps made out of bricks up to the foundation of the new bathroom. We spread the cement on top of brick layers with metal tools resembling spatulas and we lay the bricks, lining them up with strings.

The day went by quickly and we had so much fun with the kids today. We stacked bricks around a small boy named Rahul who stood still and giggled as he began to be trapped in a rectangular brick box. We played Stella Stella Ola and drank chai our of small plastic cups and when it finally came to say goodbye for the final time we gave hugs all around and waved goodbye through the car window with tears in our eyes.

This is a photo of Shankar and Shanta, two of the villagers working with us and their two sons, during a chai break.

Though the bathroom is not complete, it is almost finished, with just a roof and some more stalls to build. We can't wait to see the finished product via photos or maybe even in person if we ever return to India!

Vita Sackvill-Hii
DWC U30 Team Leader
Banediya, India: May 2014

May 26th: A farewell party for the remaining volunteers

After a fun-packed weekend, we started the day off early since we had to head back to Banediya to continue on the construction work. Sadly, we had to say our final goodbyes to Chirag before leaving since he was leaving later that day to his trip to Mauritius! We all promised that it would not be a goodbye forever though, just a see you later. Vita, Vikas, Ana, Mariana, and Azad then rode all the way back quiet, absorbed into our own thoughts with sad-movie music playing in the background. The car felt empty with Eunice, Vienna and Chirag missing.

We finished two rounds of construction, one before lunch and one after lunch. We are finally making visible progress and we get to start laying bricks which is much less technical than fitting stones and cement together like a puzzle to build a foundation (which is what we had been doing for the past week and a half).

Standing in front of the brick wall with some local children.

In the late afternoon, Jatan threw us a farewell party where all the staff, construction workers and representatives were invited. It was nice to formally talk about our experiences and share some funny and inspiring stories over a cup of chai and some handmade sweets. We were given a traditional Rajasthani farewell by receiving scarves and tikis (small red dots between the eye brows or the position of the "third eye"). To our surprise, our group was also interviewed on camera for the local news.

The remaining team members with Jatan's Kailash (far left) and Om (far right).

Although we held a farewell party, we decided that we want our work tomorrow since we have one more day in Banediya before heading back to Udaipur.

Vita Sackville-Hii and Mariana
DWC U30 Team Leader and Volunteer Participant
Banediya, India: May 2014

May 25th: More farewells and "American" treats

In the morning, Vienna and Vita went back to Railmagra with Chirag to pick up Vienna's bags from our host family. Vienna had to change her flights last minute and she will be leaving us tonight. While Chirag was gone, Mariana, Vikas and Ana put together a scrapbook of pictures and quotes to give to him as a farewell gift and a thank you for being the best translator. He will also be leaving us tomorrow morning. Our group just keeps shrinking!

On their way back from the village, Vita, Vienna and Chirag stopped by a mall in the city to have lunch and they ordered pizza from Pizza Hut for the rest of the team. The cheesy paneer pizza was delicious!

On the way to drop off Vienna to the airport for her evening flight, we had milkshakes at an "American" diner. And gave Chirag his present during dinner. It is amazing to see the contrast of lifestyles in India - how we can be in a rural village and a fancy mall in the same day. India is a new world that continues to inspire, shock and surprise us. One final farewell to Vienna at the airport and just like that she was gone. Fittingly, it began to rain for the first time in weeks.

Tomorrow we head back to the village for a couple more days of construction. It will not be the same without the rest of our team and our translator! We will try to make the most of every moment we spend in this beautiful place.

Vita Sackville-Hii
DWC U30 Team Leader
Railmagra, India: May 2014

May 24th: Camel and boat rides in Udaipur

Today was the first day of a wonderful weekend spent in Udaipur to relax, recharge, and enjoy each other's company. We began the day with some much needed sleep! At noon, we left the hotel to find a quaint rooftop restaurant where we had lunch and enjoyed a view of Pichola Lake. The hike up 7 flights of narrow winding stairs was so worth it.

After lunch we decided to go to Fateh Sagar Lake for a camel ride and boat ride! The camel rides were bumpier than expected which made the ride even more fun as we laughed atop these massive mammals.

After that we zoomed around on a speedboat while the late afternoon sun glittered on top of the lake, pinkish orange.

To end off the day, we went out for a fancy dinner at a 5 star hotel in Udaipur. Poor Vikas must have been exhausted because he fell asleep at the dinner table. All of us enjoyed paneer butter masala, naan, and other assorted curries and gravies - topping it off with rose ice cream. Yummmm!

Vita Sackville-Hii
DWC U30 Team Leader
Udaipur, India: May 2014

May 23rd: The first of many goodbyes

Today was the first, of many, goodbyes of the trip. But before that, we all enjoyed Eunice's last day in India, trying to keep a positive attitude despite being sad about her leaving. We didn't really do much the first part of the day, as we had to wait for machines to fill in the wall we had made with dirt. The wall we built is only the base where the floor will be!

After that, Chankar Ji rolled up his pants, grabbed a water hose, and jumped in. At first, we all thought he was crazy, but soon enough Chirag joined him. After that, there was no stopping us! We all joined in the craziness, jumping around in the mud and trying not to fall into the deep ends of the (very dirty) "pool." Even Nerayan, Pooja, and other kids from the village joined in, helping us eventually succeed in tackling Eunice and Chirag into the mud!

After that, we all gathered around Eunice, as she was given the honor of placing the FIRST brick. While she was posing for a picture with the brick, Berulaal grabbed it and placed it himself. Though anticlimactic, it was a memorable moment of the construction.

After saying goodbye to Eunice, we all teared up in the car on the way to Kumbhalgarh Fort while reading the nice notes she had given to each of us. We got there and it was breathtakingly beautiful! The views of the city on one side, the rolling mountains on the other side, and the wall that lined them was amazing!

The fort itself was also incredible, with the towering buildings and the magnificent carving on the walls. We all stayed there, awe-struck, for a good while before attending the famous "Light and Sound Show" of the fort; this consisted of a narration of the Fort's history (in Hindi of course) and different parts of the enormous fort lighting up with it.

We had a delicious dinner and stayed up talking with Chirag and Azad, reminiscing about all the good memories we have created on this trip and crying of laughter at funny moments, which have been many!

Ana Gargollo
DWC Volunteer Participant
Railmagra, India: May 2014

May 23rd: Week #3 in photos

Here we are hanging out in front of Jatan's office in Railmagra. We are sitting with Jatan staff member, Om (far left), our driver, Azad (second from right) and our translator, Chirag (far right).

On Tuesday night, we watched a Bollywood movie with a group of school kids that attend programs run by Jatan.

 The foundation of the women's washroom is coming along quickly!

Time for a chai break!

The construction crew in front of our complete wall on Wednesday.

 Mango break!

 Hanging around at the work site and enjoying the shade.

We were interviewed for the local paper!

Vienna poses with a giant bag of Parle G cookies, our new favourite to eat while drinkin chai.

 Visiting a temple.

Vita Sackville-Hii

DWC U30 Team Leader
Railmagra, India: May 2014

May 20th: A recap of the team's work

As for our project work, we have finally almost completed the base of a building that any will be a women's bathroom. Our small team of six has been working so hard and it is really incredible to see the progress we have made with thee help of some masons and an engineer from the village. With about 1 week to go of work days, our goal is to start the brick walls and finish the building foundation so women can begin to use the structure as a private bathing, washing and toilet area - which is something in this village that they don't even get in their own home.

A group of girls came to visit the team at the project site!

A mother who is working on the project shows us her beautiful henna designs.

Our daily visits have been very eye-opening as well. We do not have a visit every day, but some days we go to women empowerment meetings, police stations, health centres, temples, or people's homes. We are always greeted with a small cup of chai and a place to sit and talk. Yesterday our "chai count" reached a new record of 8 cups of chai as the daily total per person!

Vita Sackville-Hii
DWC U30 Team Leader
Railmagra, India: May 2014