Guide Camps

Catherine couldn’t we just fill a whole blog with stories about Guide camps!!! I’m sure we quite frequently fill whole afternoons talking about them (and given the speed at which we talk this is impressive…) It seems that between a tent, some outdoor activities, a few boy scouts and a few sneaked beverages (oh we know how to live!) so much happens.

Some highlights:

• Our first ever trip together to Brownsea Island. You were much more friends with Jo than me at this time but we had a lot of fun. This was, all in, a legendary trip.
• The nudist beach that we went to on the Brownsea Island trip. Were you there? Do you remember that bit?
• Kayaking with the scout group that we met. I recall some slightly mental kayak ‘tricks’ – sticking the kayaks end up in the water, running over kayaks in a circle, etc.
• Night time treasure hunts / orienteering
• What was the trip where we had to come home together on the train? The one that we have our favourite photo from???

• The one where we were out late at night and all those military dudes were crawling around the place doing a recky and I got questioned about what had happened (why me??)
• Of course then we break out into the camps where we were ‘leaders’, errrrm…
  • First thing I have to say here is Bacardi Breezer, because we seemed to just drink a lot of them!
  • I remember going rock climbing one time and Michaela broke her leg, yikes
  • I think there were a few times that you could only do a coupla days because you were going France / sailing with your family at the same time…

So, as usual, sketchy details from me, but this is only meant to be a starting point…

xLuce

Mexico

(Photos courtesy of Aine. Thank you!)

Switzerland may have been where the ‘bug’ perhaps started but Mexico was when it really got into action eh. This was out first back packing / travelling holiday and started a trend that continues today (for Lucy and Catherine only!)

Highlights (as ever open to edits):

• Our first night when we ate Chinese because we didn’t know what else to eat!
• Our first day where we were all confused and unsure what to do with our stuff – would it be safe enough? what do we take with us?
• Climbing the volcano, well balancing on some old donkeys that climbed the volcano
• Skidding down the volcano. I never got all the ash out of my shoes!
• Bart – my guitar! And singing kum-bay-ya (sp?)
• The boat trip through the jungle to the watering hole where we swam and swang!
• Catching candyfloss in the air in Mexico City
• All the coach trips
• Eating sweetcorn from the street
• Arriving in Acapulo and sleeping on the floor til it was light enough to find a hotel!
• Finding a hotel in Acapulco that seemed like luxury (for our budget), even though it was up a butt-of-steel hill

xLuce

Switzerland

ah, the first overseas trip together for Catherine and I… what a nice way to relax after the ‘stress’ of our GCSEs , what a civilised destination but what an unexpected destination to spark in us both the travelling bug (I feel it started here?)

Highlights:

• On our first night, Peter coming home from military service – just seemed bonkers no?
• ‘Popping’ to France, getting the train, practising our French, visiting cathedrals. Just felt so very cosmopolitan.
• ‘Popping’ to Germany, getting the train, practising our German, seeing the Black Forest. Just felt so very… German.
• Spending ages in a shop looking up the right word for carrier bag, ‘sac’, what a pair of losers we felt like.
• Going out ‘for the night’, realising we had enough money for one drink, bailing on the drinking option, getting ice creams and walking home singing out very loud.
• Being whistled and ‘ciao bella’ed walking down the street in Basil.
• Going to Rachel’s tennis club and hanging out by the pool.
• Lac Luzern. It was a wicked day out wasn’t it.

xLuce

Duke of Edinburgh

When did we do this? I feel it was Year 10.
I was a poxy bronzer.
Catherine did you ever complete your gold?? Sue, did you ever get your trip to the Palace??
Marie was not, and is not, in to camping

xLuce