Day 2 in Kodai

 

Happy Birthday, Shanta!!

It seems that we have a sunrise watching group.   This morning the kitchen person brought us some filter coffee.  The pre-sunrise is pretty but when the sun is actually coming up it is glorious. 

Marmalade bush 

Homemade granola bars and yogurt for breakfast.

After breakfast we decided to walk around Coaker's Walk.  It was a a walk built by Lieutenant Coaker in 1872.  It overlooks the Pambar Valley.  On a clear day you can see Madurai.  It is 1 km or 0.621 miles long and now the entry fee is  ₹ 10 (INR or rupees). I think that Don paid for all 11 of us.  The entrance is right by the entrance to our hotel.

Ros, Carolyn, George, Vivian

Carla, Don, Paul Z, Paul H

 

A lot of different colored geraniums

    

At 10 am we walked back to the school so that we could get a ride over to the Ganga campus.  This is the campus for the lower grades.  We helped to plant trees.  

Paul Z was first

I took a turn.  I planted a mulberry.

"My" tree.

Vivian

Cheryl

The invasive species that they want to get rid of: Acacia, camphor tree, eucy, wattle, pine, and cypress. 

We toured some of the Ganga campus.  It used to be the Lutheran campus.  We had lunch at the school cafeteria.

They still have see saws and merry-go-rounds

We rode the school bus there and back.

We gathered at 1 pm to have a tour of the Van Allen hospital.  Ros' mom worked there as the matron superintendent from 1954 to 1970. 

Emanuel, in the middle, showed us around.   There were a lot of memories for Ros. 

Jewel checked out the dentist because her husband is a dentist.

My interest was PT

We met up with the latest batch of nursing students who were just graduating.

Emanuel, Ros, and Carolyn.

It was a very meaningful time for Ros.  It felt good to be a part of that.

Rebecca had hired 2 taxis for our next activity.

We went to the Bethania Computer Literacy Program for the empowerment of women.

They had a variety of songs, prayers, thoughts, skits to do for us. These 4 sang "You Raise Me Up".  They did a skit about social media.  They are learning English as well as computers.

Then we went to the Bethania kids

They were all chanting "Welcome".

They had quite the performance prepared.   

Afterward we were given tea and treats.

The staff are all very dedicated people.  The kids seemed very happy.  They sure enjoyed performing and did it with such enthusiasm.  The Bethania program also does an after school program for older kids.

We had a nice view of the lake.  We stopped on our way back to take a picture.  We went straight to the Carlton to meet up with Bob Granner.

Bob and Vivian

It was very pleasant sitting outside.  We just ordered beverages

Sunset

For dinner we went to the Hilltop Veg restaurant.  The Hilltop has a Veg and and Non-Veg in 2 different buildings right next to each other.  

Most everyone ordered dosas.

Shanta wouldn't let us sing happy birthday to her!  I think that she had a nice relaxing day.  I hope that it was a good one.

Masala chai served in a metal glass with tea spilled over into a second metal glass. I remember having it that way before.  You could pour it back and forth to cool it down. 

Jon ended out having a hiking day.  He went to Kukal Lake.

He also saw a bison.  I guess that they are real pests around here.