This is the second of GA India’s updates from earlier parts of the trip.

July 2:

We woke up early in the morning (or, rather, very late at night) and boarded a bus to the airport for our flight to Leh. A bus driver from SECMOL school met us upon our arrival in Leh and drove us to the campus, our home for the majority of our time in the mountains.

We spent most of the day resting from our travels, acclimating to the altitude, and getting to know the SECMOL students. We are blown away by the beauty of the landscape. The campus is located by the banks of the Indus river, and Himalayan peaks rise up all around us.

After getting settled in our accommodations, we headed to the dining area to meet our hosts. There are about 50 Ladakhi students who attend SECMOL, most of whom are in the 10th grade, and all of whom were excited to meet the Putney group. We paired up into small groups for conversations, played board games and Jenga, and then learned to make momos (Ladakhi-style dumplings). Music was playing throughout our momo-making session, and after feasting on our culinary creations, we ended the evening with a SECMOL/Putney dance party.

-The GA India Team