For the orientation trip, we went to Kithulgala (organized by Borderlands and our teachers). It was quite an experience, and helped us learn about how Sri Lanka makes use of hydropower, a bit about the local culture and helped us make bonds with friends, old and new.

 

Day 1:

For the first day, we had a long drive from Battaramula to Kithulgala. After the enjoyable drive, we trekked into the rain forest, and despite the multiple leeches, it was quite a pleasant experience. Then came the definitive highlight of the day, jumping down into the canyon. Whilst it looked slightly daunting at first, the actual jump was quite exciting and gave me quite the adrenaline rush. Afterward, came the rafting which was also extremely interesting. It was somewhat challenging as well, but it was an excellent bonding experience as we all relied on each other.

 

Day 2:

On the second day, we had an early hike to the Belilena Cave for the ToK workshop with teachers. We learned about the Allegory of the Cave, and how it relates to reality and our personal perception of reality. We then hiked up to the Sandun Ella waterfall, and despite the multiple leeches, it was quite an enjoyable experience. The highlight would be the abseiling when we walked down the river. Despite all the safety precautions in place, it was still quite daunting but enjoyable experience.

 

Day 3:

The final day wasn’t as adventurous , but extremely interesting (and no leeches!). We talked to a dam construction worker, and gained his opinion into the construction of the dam, for the local community, the job market as well as his personal opinion. Soon after, we had to wrap up, and leave.

 

Learning outcomes:

We addressed LO2, as we undertook a bunch of physical challenges in all the hiking, rafting and abseiling. We also addressed LO5, as we frequently had to collaborate to overcome all the challenges we faced.