Today was beautiful

Today was beautiful.  It epitomised everything that is wonderful about Guiding.  I will be leaving Our Cabaña very early tomorrow morning and am sad to be leaving. 

This morning, a large group came from VAMOS and we ran a series of activities for them for our service project.  Co-ordinated beautifully by Zoë (thanks to Helen C for telling me that ALT+137 produces the dots), we ran various stations around the sun-drenched field, shielded by ubiquitous marquees which punctuated  the perimeter.

We ran a whole mixture of activities, using the various bits of equipment here and that which we brought with us.  Activities included team games, action songs, face-painting, straw towers, flower-making, string trail, sheet games, endless renditions of 'Oggy Oggy Oggy', which translates into Spanish - 'Oggy Oggy Oggy!'

I ran a station on the tennis court with Kate, where we ran a game where the children had to move cornflakes around with straws, a mixture of organisation and dexterity.  We played a comedy organisation game called 'Siete', which translated is 'Seven'.  I learnt this game at a Sprout Drop-In Improvisation workshop the other week, and it has already been used at three Guiding events - thanks, Sprout people! It can be used in any language, all you need to be able to do is count to seven.  Next time I see you, I will teach it to you, so you have that to look forward to.

After the groups had rotated their way around all the activities, the children were able to play with the sports equipment.  It was great fun flinging tennis balls around for the children to bash with tennis rackets, kicking footballs around and running around the field in the blazing heat.

We all had lunch together under gazebos and the shade of trees.  Gill acted as our trusty translator and we chatted, laughed and joked with the children, over hot dogs and watermelon.  Muy bien.

I spent our free afternoon writing postcards to some of you, and adding my name to the Stop the Violence wall here at , and reflecting on what has been a major undertaking over the last 18 months.  This phase is now at an end, and tomorrow, we go our separate ways - 17 to Guatemala, 1 to Cuba, 8 will remain in Mexico (not for ever, for a few days).

The Mexican fiesta was superb.  We ate delicious traditional Mexican cuisine, then out of nowhere, a bunch of, oh dear, I can't remember the word, so I'll say Marionettes, which is a similar word, but they were a group of musicians variously wielding guitars, trumpets, drums, who appeared from nowhere whilst we were eating, and proceeded to produce a dynamic musical display.  We adjourned for dancing and it was really great fun, accompanied by the Marionettes (sorry, I'll find out the proper word and tell you tomorrow, if you're still reading). 

We then moved onto the Closing Ceremony where the staff spoke about all we had done this week, and showed us a moving collection of the photographs they have been taking since we  arrived.  There were multiple thank-yous to the staff and volunteers, who made it happen, along with the trusty Committee who guided the whole thing.  I presented a comedy routine mentioning most of the group, and their quirks which I had picked up this week - Sheila's reassuring confusion, Gill's love of the Spanish languagge, Zoë's eminent calm, and the fact that Maureen fits into the locker in our dorm.  Baxter the Bear, Maureen's companion, was present, having received his Our Cabaña t-shirt earlier, from the Region Chief. 

Well, here endeth my last post from Our Cabaña, but fear not, this is the beginning rather than the end.  There are 26 of us coming back to the UK soon, equipped to share what we have learnt about WAGGGS, Our Cabaña and Stop The Violence. 

See you soon - be ready for us!