Early this year a supporter kindly donated money for Elsa Primary School students to go on a day excursion. It was not possible to go in March as no buses were available for hire during Bihar’s annual ‘marriage season’. Then temperatures were too high in the hot season and it was too wet in the monsoon season! Finally, the excursion took place in October.
The selected excursion destination was Patna, capital of Bihar which is 120 km north of Bodhgaya. The school’s older students and staff members set off in a 25 seater bus early in the morning and breakfast was provided on the way. As many of the students had never travelled very far from their village, motion sickness was an unfortunate feature of the outward journey.
The first attraction visited was Patna Zoo where the students especially liked the big cats. After lunch, they visited Bihar Museum, which houses a wonderful collection of ancient Buddhist artefacts and statues. The students returned home late in the afternoon – weary, but very satisfied with their ‘big day out’.