Cath's attempt at a World Tour.

One of the best days in India and possibly my life today. Early morning start with breakfast and got bus down the road. Got off at a random spot and walked in the direction of a mountain we have been able to see and vowed to defeat since we arrived in Alangayam. On the way through people's field some of the farm owners called us to show us "Big Naga", we followed and found a gigantic python snoozing amongst the leaves in a field.  Continued on towards the mountain but more cautious now for obvious reasons. Climbed the side of the mountain, very steep and rocky with a few random ladders to continue upwards. Sat on the top where there is a cow shed, alter and 2 more ladders to get on top of the biggest rock. View was fantastic and well worth the hard climb. There was also a second python we saw on the way up but gave it a wide berth as had worked too hard by then. Took pictures, panorama pictures and videos to attempt to remember this forever. Could see all the local tow...

Dental event this morning at Alangayam PHC (primary health centre) on best steps for brushing and possible diseases. We created 160 leaflets and supplied with 20 booklets which were all distributed so we reached at least 180 people. Did a pin the tail on the donkey game outside with kids but substituted donkey for man and tail for a clean smile. We were also asked to do an unexpected talk about health and livelihoods to some adults in the waiting room as we couldn't really say no to the head honcho. Good thing I remember my disease information well and can deliver it when needed. In the afternoon we went to Vaniyambadi for dinner and a movie, tickets cost 80p! We found the cinema by asking various locals and watched a Tamil musical movie which was relatively easy to follow considering there was no English subtitles. The audience get really involved (as did we) with wolf whistles and cheering unlike UK cinemas. Was a really good movie and am going to look for it with subtitles ba...

Got an invite dropped off the other day for a wedding reception from someone who I don't think we have ever met before but may have said hi to while walking around Alangayam. Drop-in session on sanitation and getting more names for our ballot box/toilet art pieces in the afternoon. Our neighbours from across the road were invited too so escorted us. Most Indian celebrations seem to involve welcomes, being stuffed with excessive amounts of food and then taking pictures of us. Flying back 2 weeks tomorrow. Have got a dental event planned for tomorrow and a huge event in a local school on 01/12/14 for World AIDS day. Existing kitchen garden in local school The road to matrimony Dining hall Pictures with the bride and groom to be Billboard outside with function with a brief family tree 

Invited to one of our national's houses for lunch. Got the bus and walked to Indumati's house who lives with her family in a little village 5 minutes off the main road. It was her little sister 14th birthday/coming of age ceremony so we got the usual banana leaf thali which was really good and then had lost of pictures of us taken. Walked to the local temple and met Satish who invited us to visit his home which is about a 15 minute trek through the countryside between produce fields. Was a humbling experience how such a smart man could come from so little.  Throne for the guest of honour Countryside view  Satish's living room and he is stood on his bed Doorway Food storage, no fridges here Team Alangayam and Satish's family. 

Enjoyed a morning warm shower, for some reason they were only hot in the morning. Walked around the market near to the hotel as that is the day it is the biggest. Compared to MG road, this was more familiar as usual stalls of religious items, flowers, stationary, sweets etc. It was also accompanied by the usual being stared at because of our strange appearance and taking sneaky pictures of us. Went to the section on the market set up in a big warehouse with a maze like basement of hundreds of stalls. After this we went back to MG road to do some more shopping and went to a fancy restaurant on the 13th floor of a complex to complete the whole westernised weekend experience. I had alloo ghobi with naan which was very spicy but tasty. We could see right across the city from our table on the balcony, eagles and kites flew by as these are common in the area and soft jazz played in the background. This was an upper class restaurant but my food only came to £3.40 but went up to £5.60 as t...

Internet is back up and running, hallelujah! After planting seeds in kitchen garden on Friday we got 2 buses, 5 hours up the road to Bangalore in the next province to Tamil Nadu so all of my learning of Tamil was useless. Most of the people spoke good English so managed fine. Arrived at 10pm in Hotel Janpath which was a fantastic taste of civilisation with its hot showers available but only in the morning (yes you had to hold the button down to keep it as a shower and not a tap but small complaint), soft pillows/mattresses, tv and wi-fi in lobby. Sight seeing in the morning to local temples, Tippu Sultan's Palace and Lalbagh botanical gardens all of which were beautiful. Bangalore has a poorer area where you see the locals in their usual saree/lunghi with normal market stalls. In the central area such as MG road (Mahatma Ghandi), there are lots of western shops like Converse, Puma and Levi. We went to that area in the afternoon and had KFC for lunch with Starbucks for after...

Working through a backlog of posts so have done 2 today as don't know when I will have internet again for my Bangalore and kitchen garden pictures. The 19/11 marks the second international World Toilet Day which centres around the construction of new toilets and prevention of defecating outside. Early start of 6am and there is nothing more unpleasant than throwing cold buckets of water at yourself at 6am, even in India it isn’t hot enough to overcome that! Met some local council members with our banners and trusty ballot box squat toilet. Went for a walk around Pedur to hand out leaflets giving information about how to register for a toilet government scheme and the health problem associated with not using them. In the afternoon we went to Nimmiyamputtur school where the local doctor and mobile doctor had agreed to speak to a selection of students about the issues surrounding poor sanitation. After the talk the doctors, 120 students, some teachers and the restless develop...

As the internet has been off I working through a backlog of a collection of a pictures. Over the last few weeks we have been making creative resources to aid in non formal education. Below are some examples of our creations. Livelihoods had their first big event on Monday, a Career’s fair which had a high turn out despite being held at lunch time. Diabetes and hypertension poster How to make a kitchen garden Career's fair Giant toothbrush Squat toilet ballot box