On Day 17 Rachael and I woke to discover that the bathroom didn't really do water. Opting to not use our loo or shower, we tried the one down the corridor. It did water but just cold. We put on our camp faces and showered cold. We had to keep reminding ourselves that on camp there had been no shower or toilet. We've become spoiled, alas.
We had a go-with-the-flow sporadic sort of day. We bounced along to training to find that there'd been a bit of a mix-up. No one really knew the date or time so the powers that be scrambled around to get the participants to arrive in a few hours. No worries.
In the meantime, our venue was a theatre so we entertained ourselves playing Charades, tinkling around on piano and generally making a nuisance of ourselves in a pleasant way. We also popped to the shops for chocolate. But I didn't think I could manage a whole watermelon.
A few people did make it later in the afternoon and we adapted our training and shared our Guiding experience. The girls we met seemed very enthusiastic and were very keen to create more opportunities for girls in Ijevan.
Our trainings trained, our translators Agnes and Lina cooked a meal for us at the hostel. It was probably the best meal we've had so far. They made us pasta and a sauce out of tomatoes, cheese, bacon and herbs which was delicious and creamy and wonderful. And with this they served us a mighty salad of tomato, cucumber, cheese and herbs tossed in oil. And because, let's face it, we're in Armenia, there was bread. We hoovered it up rather emphatically and Agnes wondered aloud if we always ate in silence. Given that the answer is a resounding heck-no, we paused long enough to point out that excessive chatter means less eating. We were paying them a compliment :D
We checked in with Team GB again only to encounter the strange and terrible wonder that is Greco-Roman Wrestling. If you haven't seen it, go an Wiki it now. You won't believe it.
Before bed, I performed a creepy-crawly execution. We've been plagued by some milipede-esque creatures a couple of inches long with a decidedly unnatural quantity of legs. They can run very fast and seem to make no distinction between running on the floor, the walls, the curtains, the beds or the ceilings. Having squished one, a second nippier specimen got away, much to our chagrin. Hopefully, it told its friends not to mess with the GOLDies.
Day 18 dawned: our last day out in the regions training. We overcame more training mix-ups with aplomb and were all ready to go back to Yerevan. We meandered around the market once more and a chap gave us some plums. People are very keen to give us fruit so perhaps we look massively malnourished. I prefer to think that we are something of a novelty as tourists in our matching tops and neckers. The Armenians seem to be very proud of their fruit, which is frankly delicious, and also quite keen to engage us in conversation. It's as good a way to spread the word about Guiding as any.
A minibus arrived to pick us up, we loaded up and the driver swung onto the main road and stopped. Engine trouble.
We melted quietly in the sun while he called up some mates until eventually with 4 men poking under the bonnet, the bus started. Winner! The journey back took around three hours and every so often the driver stopped to poor various things into the engine and tinker with bits of machinery. More credit to him - the bus made it back.
And so we returned to our home from home in Armenia and did this with all our stuff.
We're now back in Yerevan for a bit and I'll let you know what we get up to. Then we're off to Leader Camp. Where is it? Well, no one has really told us yet. So we'll figure it out as we go and we're looking forward to leading sessions with the Armenian Guiders!
Kirsty and Team Armenia xxx
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