NEW YORK, February 24 2005
An Indian American movie special effects expert
has won a prestigious travel award for a ride on horseback
across remote villages in the Indian desert state
of Rajasthan.
Alexander Souri, who has worked on "The Matrix"
and "X-Men", is the founder-director of
Relief Riders International (RRI) whose members made
the trip in October last year to provide medical and
relief supplies to people.
"When I created Relief Riders International
I never dreamed we would receive such international
recognition so soon," said Souri after winning
the Outside Magazine's Best Trips 2005 award.
"I dreamt of a new way to travel, a chance to
see new lands and an opportunity to transform both
the visitor and the visited. I am so honoured that
Outdoor Magazine appreciated our vision."
With nearly a million subscribers, New York-based
Outside magazine is one of the best-known adventure
travel magazines in the world. The magazine recognized
RRI for its successful aid component, emphasising
the high point of the trip was seeing villagers receive
knowledge such as AIDS education plus food and supplies
that they desperately need.
RRI is now making final preparations for its second
Rajasthan Relief Ride, which begins Feb 25.
The inaugural 15-day ride, created by Souri to establish
a living memorial to his Indian father, began at the
majestic Imperial Hotel with a bus ride to historic
Fort Mukandgarh.
There the riders met their mounts, the famed Marwari
horses, and began an extraordinary ride to several
villages in Rajasthan.
Rider Alice Read called her trip to Rajasthan the
perfect combination of an adventure and "doing
something for somebody else".
Working with a team of doctors, the Indian Red Cross
and master outfitters, the international team of riders
travelled with 60 goats, five camels and over 10,000
pounds of medical and educational supplies, averaging
21 miles a day.
The riders stopped at five villages along the way.
More than 500 villagers showed up for free check-ups
and medicine.
The RRI medical team had an ENT specialist, an ophthalmologist,
a paediatric specialist, a dentist, a gynaecologist
and two general physicians. Villagers arrived early
and had travelled significant distances to see the
medical team.
The riders distributed a variety of educational material
and sports supplies, including textbooks, drawing
pads, crayons, maps, carpets, cricket bats and soccer
balls. They gave away goats to poor families.
Another aspect of RRI's humanitarian mission was
an important HIV/AIDS awareness campaign offered in
conjunction with the Red Cross and India Canada Collaborative
HIV/AIDS Project (ICHAP).
Future Relief Rides consist of a summer Himalayan
Relief Ride scheduled for July 31 through Aug 15,
as well as this year's second Rajasthan Relief Ride
during Oct 6-21 (IANS)
