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‘Rest Day’ Back at School

30.04.2006

Prior to the tension of the partner selection for stage 2 the atmosphere was considerably more relaxed as competitors swapped their GPS for paintbrushes and hammered nails rather than bodies. They were finishing the renovation of the Ban Nahai primary school, 30 minutes from Vientiane - one of three community projects commissioned by Land Rover as part of the Challenge.

After Martin Dreyer, sporting a yellow flower garland rather than his new Yellow Jersey, presented a commemorative plaque to a local dignitary, there was a traditional Baci welcoming ceremony with sacred string tied alongside competitors’ Challenge wristbands. A school theatrical production, including traditional dance sparked rumours that the fiendishly difficult hand movements may appear in next week’s remote competitions.

The celebrations were the starting gun for the 18 athletes to paint walls, cut wood for the school veranda’s new bench and install a front drain – final flourishes in a revamp that has seen classrooms built, plastered and painted, roofs fixed and electricity and ceiling fans installed. After the competitor’s voluntary donation of their ‘down’ day, 125 children will enjoy a much brighter education.

‘It’s great to have contact with the local people and be able to help,’ said Brazil’s Eleonora Audra, who spent a month helping build a friend’s deck last year. ‘We’ve been cruising through their country all week and met so many friendly people and today they’ve made us feel really important. We admire them too, and it’s an honour and a pleasure to contribute. We’re helping them and they us.’

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