#raineyasha blog – day 3
We started off today with a scrumptious breakfast of crepes and cereal. This was just what we needed as we were going to have a busy day ahead of us!
Our first stop was to the Lotus Temple, which is a Bahá’í House of Worship. This is a beautiful temple, fittingly named due to its lotus flower shape and surroundings of nine ponds. We arrived and firstly had the chance to walk through the tranquil gardens, while also having some photos taken of us by onlookers it was certainly a strange experience. Then we made our way to the temple itself, we were able allowed to observe inside the temple, though sadly we couldn’t take any photos out of respect as the building is sacred. It was a really peaceful and relaxing experience compared to the chaotic streets of Delhi.
After our visit to the temple we headed over to ASHA HQ, where they have the facilities to treat around 60-90 patients daily, hold important meetings and have their main offices. Here we had the opportunity to meet Ayesha and Fancie, two of the ASHA staff who introduced us to the work of ASHA. As today was a very special day for one of our team members, Sarah Paul’s 18th birthday, we had some cake, sang happy birthday for her and a staff member carried out a special tradition of theirs for her!
The slums were our next stop. We were a felt mixture of excitement and anxiety of what lay ahead. We’d seen photos and watched videos of what we would experience there, but nothing could prepare us for the first had sights and smells of the slums. We were greeted with smiling faces and a shower of magnolia flower petals. Despite the extreme poverty and harsh conditions the people were living in, their joy and zest for life was inconceivable. They sang a welcome song for us, introduced themselves to us and we introduced ourselves to them. We gave out some sweets and Diwali cards, made by our first years, as a small gift for Diwali. It was a humbling experience as we watched each their faces light up when they received their gifts.
After leaving the slums we had the privilege to make our way to the home of the British Ambassador. It was a stark contrast to the deprivation we witnessed in the slums, but an enjoyable experience all the same. We enjoyed a cup of tea, some Indian cuisine and the view of their picturesque garden and pool area, while being entertained by the monkey patrol guard. AS we were leaving we noticed a signed picture of William and Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge who had also been there and signed the guestbook, so we made sure we did too!
We spent the rest of our evening in the DLF shopping centre, where we enjoyed a ‘cheeky wee Nandos with the lads’ and some shopping, before heading back to our hotel for the night.
Love from Alice and Caitlin.
