14:00. The adventure has begun. Yes the contents of my rucksack are laid out. All I need to do is get it into the bag. This is going to be a doddle!

17:45. Ok, so maybe not quite a doddle. Four hours later, five re-packs and countless number of wobblies thrown my bag is packed. Now all I have to do is sort out my day bag!

I wonder how the others are?

Wednesday 26th July 2006 - View our Photo Gallery

09:15. So today's the day. Six months of impatient waiting is now over. I'm meeting the rest of the girls at the airport at about 3:30pm; I'm just doing the finishing touches to my day bag, one book or two, such a complicated decision!

17:00. We're sitting in the departure lounge at Heathrow, not long until our flight now. It will take us just under 12 hours to get to Hong Kong airport where we will get a transfer to Taiwan. We all seem to be feeling quite subdued at the moment.

20:30. We've been in the air for a while now. Nikki and Jenny are asleep, Becca looks as though she is dozing, Carrie is watching a film, Emily is all giggly on one side of me and Gill is fidgeting on the other, but they'll go to sleep soon!

Thursday 27th July 2006 - Welcome Day - View our Photo Gallery

14:05. We're in Hong Kong airport; we only have a short wait before our flight to Taipei. Emily didn't sleep at all on the plane so there was my theory out the window! Nikki seemed only to wake to eat, I don't know how she did it, the rest of us slept a little, but we are now starting to feel quite tired.

17:45. We've arrived in Taiwan and have been met by a couple of Scouts who are going to drive us to the campsite, which is about four hours south in Tainan. We will arrive when its dark, but hopefully our tents will be pitched so all we need to do is get our beds out and sleep. Obviously this is in theory, so it may not go quite to plan but we shall see.

22:10. We're at the camp after 26 hours of travelling. It's raining; it's very hot and humid and really noisy, there's a chorus of crickets and frogs. We have been shown to our tents, and they are already pitched which is fantastic!

Ok this isn't in the plan - they have horrible standy-up toilets. I'm never going to be unpleased with lats again! I think it's definitely time for bed.

Friday 28th July 2006 - Blissful Day - View our Photo Gallery

07:45. None of us slept that well last night. Strange place, very hot, lots of noise, time difference; yeah I think you've got the idea.

We have to be up, dressed and breakfasted ready for flag break at 8am every morning, but they don't go to bed until at least midnight, it's crazy, no it's Scouts!

Breakfast this morning was a feast of bizarre bread, that has the texture of uncooked bread but is cooked, salted peanuts and shredded pork. Yummy!

12:30. This morning we joined the group from Girlguiding Midlands and took part in a selection of brain games. Luckily they weren't too strenuous as I think our brains are still asleep.

We moved on to a session that involved us having to relay race with different sized books on our heads and then with a pole balanced in our palm. Then we had to try spinning a wet and dry flannel on our hand to see which was the easiest to work with? Then there was this strange and quite painful rope hoop wrestle game thingy, which I have no idea of correct name or purpose, we didn't join in on this one..

16:15. After lunch (I think I may eat a lot of rice this week!) we went to put up our display in the International Centre, then we got caught in a torrential downpour which resulted in floods, mud and puddles in tents and then we finished the afternoon standing in the Main Arena (big field turned bog) watching a performance of drums, marching bands and dancing!

Saturday 29th July 2006 - Joyful Day - View our Photo Gallery

07:00. Wow, scrambled egg, (cooked by Nikki no less) with nothing strange hidden in the middle, just egg, yay

12:45. Our first activity this morning was building a catapult and then fire water bombs at willing targets. It was a good activity and it did actually work, well kind of, just a few alignment problems i.e. we kept getting our neighbours with the water balloons rather than ourselves, but it's one way of meeting new people.

Our second activity session was to make a water filter using rocks and sand and then we had a discussion/lecture on how to survive in the mountains, how to find water etc. I think we did pretty well as it was all in Mandarin Chinese.

We have been given interpreters, which is obviously very helpful, but at times there are still communication gaps. It's all part of the fun though not having a clue what's going on makes it more of a surprise.

14:50 After lunch we started our activity session with all good intentions. It was a Kim's game but quite hard as we didn't really understand the introduction to it, full marks for trying though. So we left the activities and went to finish our display board in the International Centre and get our fix of air conditioning!

15:10. We're becoming like celebrities here. Wherever we go masses of people bombard us. They want to take photos, get our details, swap things and some of them just want our signatures. It's all quite overwhelming but they are fascinated by us. Our interpreters have told us it's because of the colour of our skin, and eyes and the difference in our hair types. They are just not used to it. It seems that Taiwan isn't on the main tourist map so they don't see that many white people except on TV and films!

17:45. We were invited to a tea party this afternoon, in Sub Camp 2. We met some Scouts from Thailand and Japan, as well as a lot of Taiwanese and Chinese. Some are quite confident and try out their English but the majority of people here are quite shy.

23:30. After dinner we went to a sub-camp campfire where they tried to teach us a song, we were ok but I can't remember hardly any of it now. Then we went for a small adventure around the campsite. Earlier in the day we had arranged to meet the Scouts from Thailand to swap badges. However, trying to find them in the dark didn't turn out to be as easy as we originally thought. Eventually we found them and one of the girls was like a professional swapper, I've never seen anything like it. She laid out all her badges on a blanket on the ground, then when something took your fancy she would closely inspect your offered swap before agreeing or rejecting it. We noticed that some of the badges she swapped were put straight out onto the blanket and some she kept separately, we assume for herself, bizarre!

Sunday 30th July 2006 - Growth Day - View our Photo Gallery

06:30. Today is my 20th birthday. Gilly, Carrie and Nikki woke me up at 5:30am. We're going out on a trip today with all the other Internationals so we have to be ready to get the coach at 7:30 am. It's total madness.

08:45. We didn't go on the trip with the other Internationals. To summarise, two coaches didn't arrive. We had the choice to go later in the day or tomorrow. We chose tomorrow. So instead we have been left to our own devices and we are going swimming, yippee!

12:15. It's lunch time. We went swimming; it was the most fantastically, fabulous feeling in the world ever. The water was absolute bliss and we had great fun splishing and sploshing. None of us wanted to get out.

13:15. By an absolute fabulous fluke we have activity tickets for swimming this afternoon. This time there are Taiwanese and USA girls in the pool with us, which was really fun, especially on the little slide, we tried as many ways to go down with as many people as possible!

18:00. Tonight it's the International Evening and we are country dancing. We're on sixth, which is better than being first or last. There are 12,000 people watching us. Luckily, if we mess up, the majority of the audience are too far away to notice (!). They'd still think we were great whatever, they love us, even if we are barmy English girls!

00:15. Ok, not quite what we were expecting, we were invited for evening snacks after the International Evening, but nothing here is ever what you think it will be. They wanted us to play a strange game, which took us a long time to catch on. It involved us running around in the dark, through long grass and getting bitten to shreds. However it did get better. We found somewhere to sit and we were given really nice black lemon tea which is chilled, as well as a variety of odd snacks. We learnt a few more words in Mandarin and then they gave us silk flowers each for Chinese St Valentine's Day which is tomorrow, very sweet!

We're picking up some phrases now, which they really enjoy teaching us. It's working as a really good ice-breaker. One of the things we've learnt is a chant that they call out to each other when they pass around the camp. It's really cool and they think its great when we do it!

Monday 31st July 2006 - Breakthrough Day - View our Photo Gallery

13:00. We went out on our trip this morning, no problems. We visited the lotus fields and we had some really good mango or strawberry sorbet, the fruit here is really good. I also tried the lotus seed tea and a couple of the girls had lotus popcorn. Also we visited a place where they grow and sell Cymbidiums.

It was really nice to go out with the Taiwanese, they are so pleased to meet you and they are all really friendly. We sang campfire songs on the coach journey, which they then sang back to us in Mandarin (!). I think we are all doing a good job at communication, just that we have to keep reminding ourselves to talk more slowly, otherwise they can't follow what we're saying.

One of our interpreters, Catherine, invited us to her campsite for lunch today which was really nice. It was one of the better meals I've had since I've been here. They know how to cook everything where we don't because the recipes are in Chinese……

16:45. After lunch we went to the Scout shop to buy necessary badges. You can't go camping and not buy a badge or two although all of us have gained so many from swapping. We were mobbed all the way as we were going into territory previously unexplored. We have to allow extra time for bombardment, as we never arrive anywhere on time. The rest of the afternoon was spent in one of the camps on Sub Camp 2, where we had been invited to do t-shirt printing and meet the people on the camp.

18:15. We were out again for dinner. This time to Alisha's camp. She is a Taiwanese Girl Scout who we met earlier in the week and have made friends with. They asked us to split into smaller groups so that we could mix with more people. Alisha is really helpful when we have communication lapses, as she speaks very good English and can translate for us.

22:45. This evening's activity was our Sub Camp Campfire (there were 7 main Sub Camps). The only way to describe it is odd. When we think of campfires we think of singing around a blazing fire. Well there was no fire and there was very little singing. Each group did a performance, most of these were dancing around to pop music and spinning bottles with glow sticks in them (which actually looked quite effective) and then the audience just did as they pleased, mainly making a lot of noise.

Our performance was singing. A song we learnt at Anglia Arts Whatever camp earlier in the year. Can I also add that we sang this on local Taiwanese television, get us and our superstardom!

Tuesday 1st August 2006 - Gratitude Day - View our Photo Gallery

11:30. This morning was a Wide Game for the whole campsite. Everyone was given a puzzle piece and you had to find someone who needed your piece. When the puzzle was complete you had to pick a card and do as the card asked. Once you did that you went and collected your prize, which was a blow up bangy stick.

Nikki and myself couldn't find the rest of the girls, as we all got swept away with different groups. So we decided it would be a waste of time looking for them and so we went back to camp to prepare mango for us all. The mangos here are so juicy and delicious.

13:20. At lunch time we had a sweet group of boy Scouts come and cook dinner for us. Gilly had suggested it in jest and they took her up on it. It was very good; they knew more about what they were doing than we did!

16:50. This afternoon was the Carnival. Nikki, Carrie and myself were Minnie Mice and Becca, Emily and Jenny were Mickey Mice and Gilly was Wizard Mickey. Whilst out on the field it decided to rain so we dived for cover. After a while it looked as though it wasn't planning to stop so we got bored and decided to make a dash for the International Centre to take our display down.

23:00. After dinner it was the Closing Ceremony where they had some more performances and speeches, this time they had someone translating so we understood a little bit better.

After we left the Arena, we made our way down to Sub Camp 2 for a little party with one of the groups. The leaders were very keen for us to come and meet their Scouts, they thought it was a very good thing to mix so that we could learn about our different cultures and countries. It was really good, we met lots more people and we also met the Scouts from Singapore (again). They were pleased to find us as they only spoke English, so they were as much in the dark as we had been all week.

09:55. We had to strike camp this morning. Bags packed, tents down, tables and benches dismantled, all ready for 8am. Amazingly we did it.

15:25. We got a coach to Taipei to meet our home hospitality families at Girl Guides Headquarters. I cannot stay with Jennie (my home hospitality friend) as planned because her family are unwell so instead I am going with Becca, Emily and Jenny with their home hospitality person, Angela. Nikki and Carrie are going with Summer and Gill is going with a lady called Katie and her little girl Victoria.

23:20. After total confusion the guides and myself have had dinner at Taipei 101, the tallest building in the world with the fastest elevator in the world. Then we had a wander around for a little while and then caught the MTR to Angela's.

Angela's apartment is nice. Our room is air-conditioned which is a luxury after our week at camp. One odd thing to note though, there is a fully decorated Christmas tree in the hall way, we also noticed somebody had a Christmas song as a ringtone when we were out, is it Christmas? When I get brave, I'll have to ask someone about it. I wonder how Gill, Nikki and Carrie are?

Thursday 3rd August 2006 - View our Photo Gallery

10:25. We had a lie in today. For some reason they didn't wake us up until 10am and we were meant to be meeting the others at the Memorial Hall at 10am. I think we may be a little late.

12:15. We had lunch and now we're on our way to meet the others at the National Palace Museum, where we had a wander. It's full of Chinese art. We walked around the gardens outside which were very pretty. We then made our way to the Night Market which is famous in Taiwan; everyone has been telling us about it.

23:45. The market was mad. There are permanent shops down the road and then loads of stalls and food vendors (most of these aren't strictly legal and they just wheel them away when the police come) which we gave a miss. There were so many people, not only on foot, people on mopeds drive through the shops and along the pavement, they're everywhere.

I got brave. I asked Angela's friend Mandy, who joined us for the day why there were Christmassy things. It turns out that they have them because they like them and that's it, simple as that.

11:45. This morning we all met at a Buddhist Temple and we had a guided tour, which was very interesting, as I've never been in a Buddhist Temple before.

14:20. We've been in the elevator at the 101; it goes from floor 5 to floor 89 in 37 seconds and your ears pop on the way up! There were excellent views of Taipei and it was good because you got an audio tour to tell you what you were looking at.

17:30. After leaving Taipei 101 we went to this place that I can only describe as different. It was a reconstruction of an old-fashioned street (but inside a building), it had a convenient store (come sweet shop), a classroom, a café, a puppet show and numerous other things. When you paid your admission you received special tokens which you used to buy things from the shops inside and we spent a few hours wandering around and eating things.

Ther rest of the evening we spent doing what we do best,…shopping!

08:30. We don't want to leave. We didn't want to leave the camp and now we don't want to leave Taiwan, we've had such a good time and we've all been made to feel so welcome but Hong Kong awaits and we're all looking forward to our stay there.

12:00. We were taken to the airport by our home hospitality families and the other people who have looked after us over the last couple of days. The airport was packed when we arrived. We had to stand in the checking in queue for ages. The day before there was a typhoon in Hong Kong and it caused a lot of disruption to flights. Once we were through though we said our goodbyes and went straight onto the plane.

15:45. We've arrived at Girl Guide HQ in Hong Kong, we had to lug our bags from the bus stop and now we have all collapsed in heaps.

The accommodation is OK; basic but the rooms are air-conditioned and we have real beds so what else would we want? We're all really tired so we are not going out tonight, we will save the exploring for tomorrow.

13:35. We had thought to go up Victoria Peak on Hong Kong Island today but the weather is very overcast, instead the plan is to get the ferry over to the Island do a short walking tour around some of the sights and then see how the weather goes.

Weather didn't improve much even after a downpour so we went on one of the trams that are on the Island. It was a good way of seeing the city and nice just to sit back and take in the scenery.

16:30. A slight problem has occurred. Someone - I name no names - has snapped the key in half when trying to lock the door and it seems that the only spare set of keys is with the cleaner and she isn't in until tomorrow, oh dear. In a desperate attempt to get the door open ourselves, we have got the bit of key lodged in the keyhole and after trying a variety of methods to get it out, it is quite clear that there is no way we can unlock the door - they make it look so easy in films! So with their lack of room, they have had to come into ours as we have spare beds, and we have made the decision to go to dinner.

22:45. We eventually found a very nice Chinese restaurant, which had English translations on the menu. We were able to pick what we knew we would like and we made a good choice, the food was very good, the best meal we've had since we've been away.

After dinner, we went to the Temple Street Night Market, which wasn't like the one in Taipei, there was no food and only stalls. Quite a few of the stalls were selling more traditional Chinese items, which we have been looking for.

08:15. The handyman arrived this morning and had to remove the whole lock, but the girls now have their room back which they are very pleased about.

15:20. The weather is a little better today, so we are going up Victoria Peak. We made our way over to Hong Kong Island by MTR and caught the tram up the peak, it was so steep but there were stations and houses on the slope on the way!

There are lots of roads and pathways that go right around the top with viewpoints all along the route. It's so strange, because we are so high up it is quite quiet except for the sound of birds and the odd car but you can still hear the city below, it just shows you how noisy it is down there.

We had lunch at a noodle restaurant that was really tasty. We spent a while browsing around the shops then we made our way back down and did a little bit more shopping before going back to Guides HQ.

18:00. Tonight we've got dressed up to go out. We're going to Hard Rock Café and then we are going to the Aqua Fantasia show, so it should be a really nice way to spend the last night of our trip.

23:05. Carrie got another t-shirt for her Hard Rock Café collection so she was happy, but we couldn't see the Aqua Fantasia show because it wasn't running due to damage caused by the typhoon which was a shame, but we still had a good evening.

09:45. We are spending our last morning wisely. We are going shopping, it's very important.

16:30. We've just come back to HQ to finish packing and rest for a while before having to leave to catch the bus. When we arrived we all had one large bag and one small bag, now we have all gained a plastic bag for overspill. Our bags are bulging, we have so much stuff!

19:15. We couldn't leave without having one last adventure - catching the airport bus. You would think that getting two taxis to the bus stop then getting the bus would be easy peasy and in theory it is. Except Carrie, Louise, Becca and Emily's taxi driver decides that he doesn't want to stay with Gill, Nikki and Jenny's taxi driver who knows where he is going, and decides to go off so that Carrie and Louise go into panic mode when they don't know where Gill has gone and have no means to contact her. But don't worry it all turned out fine like these things always do, we are now all on the bus safe and well. Tip: when lost go round the corner and you shall find!

21:30. We are sitting in the departure lounge waiting for our flight. Only four hours to go. Everything is fine and we are all chilled, reading books and eating very odd jelly stuff in balloon-like-packaging which Nikki bought from the sweet shop!

Wednesday 9th August 2006 - View our Photo Gallery

06:00. We landed at 5:15 this morning, our flight was actually a few minutes early. We've collected our luggage and said our goodbye's. I have left the others to catch their train to Bedford so they've still a little way to go yet before they are home.

We have had such a fantastic two weeks and I think we have all enjoyed ourselves. We've seen so much but I'm sure there was so much more to see.

The camp was a brilliant experience. We were made to feel so welcome and they were all so pleased to have us there. We met so many people and had our picture taken so many times!

Staying with Taiwanese families was a great way to find out a little more of their culture and lifestyles. We had an excellent time during our stay and they looked after us so well.

Hong Kong was the time when we were left to our own devices. It is such a noisy and busy city with so much to do and so many things to see that we only had a small snap-shot in our short stay but enough to give us the flavour of what the culture within the city is like.

We thank those who have supported us in fundraising and encouragement.
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