By Rachel Chiu and Amar Bhardwaj
Day 1:
The HKIS group decided to eat healthy at the airport in
preparation for such a physically strenuous trip. The obvious pre-flight meal
choice was the one and only Popeye’s fried chicken. The group boarded the plane
with high hopes and satisfied appetites.
After a five hour flight of watching Whiplash and other
Oscar winning movies, the group arrived in Colombo as 21 awkward and sleep
deprived individuals. Nirmal and Margaret greeted the group at the airport and
took them to a hotel nearby. The group settled in for a short night’s sleep
before truly embarking on their journey the next day.
Day 2:
The group stuffed themselves for breakfast before piling
into a bus with conveniently pre-reclined seats. After the usual listening to
music, card games, and gossip, the group fell into comfortable silence as they caught
up on some much needed rest.
After about three and a half hours, they arrived at the
Borderlands camp but did not settle in, for there was much excitement afoot.
The group trekked to a eat lunch under a bridge and engage in the first of many
team building exercises. The “Magic Stick” was a deceptively difficult exercise
that required all members of the team to lower a long stick to the ground by
resting it on their fingers. It was a lot harder than expected but the group
eventually pulled through and worked together to achieve their goal. Which
begged the question: “What makes a good team?” Through subsequent discussion,
guided by Nirmal, the group learned the importance of communication, trust,
leadership, and strategy.
After some simple sandwiches, and encounters with the local
dogs (that the group named after famous historical figures), it was time to
head to the canyon to be blessed by the river god. Carrying all their gear, and
the blessing of the river, the group settled at the top of the canyon. The atmosphere
was one of excitement and anticipation as canyoning was a foreign concept to
most of the students. After a safety briefing, they took the plunge and started
jumping through the pools of water. It was incredibly fun and freeing and the
group enjoyed themselves while sliding, jumping, and diving through the canyon.
Bonds were made over pulling off leeches, flipping off of ledges, and huddling
together in the cold pool for warmth. The 21 individuals were coming together
to become one team.
The group then proceeded to a larger river and, in groups of
four, started to float peacefully downstream to the Borderlands camp. Laughter
echoed down the river as the groups encouraged each other. Lying on the river
was a relaxing and serene experience.
Later that night, the group bonded over amazing food, river
baths, camp fire discussions, and from just hanging out and enjoying each other’s
company. They retired to their tents tired but excited for the adventures
ahead.
Day 3:
The group rose bright and early and met at 7 for a morning
stretch and jog in the surrounding area. After a delicious French toast
breakfast, all 21 of them packed into the back of two incredibly spacious,
shock absorbing, non-suffocating, and comfortable jeeps. So comfortable in fact
that one group had to wear helmets in the vehicle so as not to be concussed
(Editor’s Note: It was completely safe to go without a helmet, wearing a helmet
was the easiest way to carry it). Nonetheless, the group bonded over the bumpy
ride and took the discomfort in stride. It’s all part of the experience.
Next, everyone had to pitch in and carry equipment up a
steep and rocky hike to reach the top of a breathtaking waterfall. Heart rates
started to raise as some saw how steep and high up the waterfall was. After a
safety briefing, a brave few volunteered to be the first to abseil down the
rock face. This constituted being harnessed to a rope tied to a tree (Editor’s
Note: There are multiple anchor points for each abseil) on the top of the
waterfall, and “walking” down the virtually vertical cliff at a 90 degree
angle. As this was a new experience for many of the group, nerves were running
high. One by one, they slowly descended amidst encouragement from their
teammates and instructors. Although it was undoubtedly frightening and somewhat
challenging to do, they were all able to successfully abseil the 160 foot
waterfall with the support of their team. They left the experience feeling
uplifted and exhilarated.
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