Trip to Manali, by Ramzan

As we departed on Monday evening by bus, the excitement was palpable. Despite being a 23 hour trip, I enjoyed the ride due to the amazing scenery and constant impression that the bus might fall from the road at any minute. After 23 hours, little sleep and multiple minor dramas, we finally reached the camp.

 

 

We all needed a good rest after the trip but for some of us, me included, the urge to explore the surrounding area was greater than the desire to sleep. However, after dinner we did eventually go to sleep, but, to our surprise, not in bedrooms but tents! Spending the night in a tent amongst the mountains was truly a great experience.

The next day's activities involved climbing the hills surrounding Manali. We all enjoyed the exploration and learning about the local hydro-electricity project. Rather than going straight to sleep after dinner, this time we made a huge fire around which both the children and the staff sat, sang and danced until late into the night.

On our fourth day we travelled to a river crossing and went swimming in the water. While enjoyable, the water temperature was so low that many of us found it rather difficult! Next, we took a ropeway to the top of a mountain. From the top of the mountain the view was fantastic, and we stayed there for far too long, without realising it was about to get dark! Having reached the campsite, we repeated the previous night's fire, complete with singing and dancing, of course!

Sadly this was our last day, and we were all rather regretful to head back to the daily life of Delhi. We had all loved the trip, and had such great experiences that I know we will never forget it.

I also want to say that I'm very thankful to the staff and Aman Biradari for giving us the chance to have such a wonderful time. I can hardly wait until the next year's trip!