Saturday, June 4, 2016

Rural hospitality

We spent the day with village families before leaving for Samhua.
We all woke up from a hard night of sleep in the village schools and continued the activities from the day before—starting with some breakfast with a village family. Each group was in a different village, but I am sure we all had the similar experience of having multiple chai teas with welcoming families. Groups planted Neem trees (picture), played with children, and finished thatching a roof.




One group even had their hair done and beautiful bindis placed on their foreheads.We said goodbye and thank you to the villagers. The village provided us with a a brief emersion into rural Indian life. Although aspects of the visits were difficult, it gave us a better perspective on rural life in India and we were all appreciated the generosity of the villagers.

We headed back to Samhua to pack up, have lunch, and debrief before our car ride to Hampi, a city built in the 15th century and now a world heritage site! The ride to Hampi was a little over 4 hours and was very scenic. Some of us took these hours to power nap and reflect. Once we reached the hotel safely, we took much needed showers and had a tasty North Inidan Feast. Chicken manchurian, an Indian Chinese dish, was a favorite, as well as, momos and naan.