A student's report about the Round Square International Service Project in
Ladakh/India in the Himalaya
Have you ever landed uphill, in 3.500 meters, amidst the mountains of the Himalaya? At the beginning of July, this was the view that revealed itself to us, after we got on the plane in Delhi at 5:40 a.m. and flew one hour until we left our flying height over the 7.000 meters high mountains of the Himalaya. In Leh, the capital of the province Ladakh, we were greeted warmly with the typical Kataks - ordinary, white scarves. The region is impressive and unforgettable with its desert like mountainous landscape. But something else is even more memorable: the openness and the warmth of the people that greet you.
After three days of acclimatising and after visiting various convents that are more than 1000 years old, we went to Thiksay where we would be living and working for the next 2 ½ weeks. At the foot of a convent our camp, with tents and water boilers was ready for us. Our task was to build a dormitory for children from the most remote parts of Ladakh in order to make it possible for them to go to school. During the first week we had to make a line to transport the stones to the building lot and mix mud for the construction with the typical local techniques. While some were able to see their muscles grow others had to live with sore muscles first. Within a few days more than 10.000 stones were brought to the base and even the locals were surprised of how fast every one was working.
The few days-off gave us the chance to visit, among others, the world known “Hemis- Festival” and the Pangong Lake, which lies 4.500 meters high. On the way there we crossed the Shangri Laa Pass with a height of 4.500 meters (third highest road in the world).
In the second week the work had progressed so well that we were able to start working on the roof. At the last day of work even this was finished completely. Not only our group but also the local people whose contribution to the work was at least as big as ours, were proud of the result of the sweaty work during the past two weeks.
The final “Ladakh Experience” was the following five day tracking tour through the Himalaya and the crossing of two 5000 meter high mountain passes. We watched amazing natural spectacles and scenarios during these five days and the physically and psychically very stressful tour brought us even closer together as a group.
The camps where we spent the nights often lay 4.500 meters high. The nature in this unique landscape will stay preserved forever. It seemed to me that our strong community grew parallel to the growing challenges.
Our final “Post-Work-Trip” brought us back to Delhi and from there to Agra to the Taj Mahal and to the “Pink City” Jaipur. The Taj Mahal was definitely a breathtaking experience for everyone that, at the same time, illustrated the extreme contrasts in India. In Jaipur, the capital of the region Rajasthan, we rode on elephants to the king’s palace to enjoy the view over one of the most beautiful cities in India. The name “Pink City” came up in the 19th century, when in honour of Prince Edward, all the houses were painted pink. The “Post-Work-Trip” definitely gave all of us an even better insight into India.
With all these experiences we travelled back to Germany. The goodbye at the airport in Delhi was very hard for most of us. My résumé of this journey is very positive, even though there were, of cause, some not so great times. Looking back I presume that I cherish this trip more than I did while being on this journey. I can only be thankful for this great experience and hope to be able to return to the Himalaya soon - back to Ladakh where it all started.
Nick Deimel, Class 13, Abitur Year 2009
