Overseas School of Colombo - Day Two!

Day two of the Grade 11 International Baccalaureate adventure started at 7am, after breakfast and preparation, with all the students, teachers and staff loading into two buses to get to the historic Belilena Cave.

The students piled out after the 40-minute drive, eager to hike up to the cave! Their eagerness was not diminished when they stepped up to the task of carrying snacks, water and equipment up to the cave. What followed was a 1.5 kilometer hike full of singing and sprinting ahead, which culminated in a two-and-a-half hour Theory of Knowledge session to prepare students for the upcoming two years and dig deeper into understanding the basis of knowledge.

After completing their Theory of Knowledge session the students then hiked up to the Water House with more singing, where a quick break for lunch and collecting gear prepared them for an afternoon of abseiling. The students also quickly found the leeches, and bonded, to student and leech, through the experience of leech removal and support to continue hiking up the rocky climb to the top of the waterfall. A storm began brewing as we hiked up, eventually drenching us to the bone in freezing water. The students took everything in stride!

The abseiling was a challenge to many students and while screaming, hysterical laughing and wide-eyed skepticism happened, no student cried. Those who had abseiled before explained and assured to those who hadn’t, resulting in all students eventually getting down the waterfall. The storm was still present which meant those who weren’t braving the waterfall where huddling close to the rest of the group to stay warm.

The adventures concluded with a hike back down through the forest and tea plantations, with the students and teachers alike braving the leeches again, and another 40-minute bus ride which was spent telling stories and jokes in exhausted but thrilled camaraderie.

The students just relaxed in the long house in the evening, even going to bed at the actual set time in order to get a good nights sleep before the final half-day of adventure tomorrow!