I am back from one weekend and preparing for the next as the Venture Abroad team set off to Disneyland Paris again tomorrow.

How to sum up last weekend in Disneyland Paris, but here it goes! The excitement began as the groups rolled up at Disney’s Davy Crockett Ranch and Disney’s Hotel Cheyenne on Friday night. The real adventure however started on Saturday morning, when the Brownies and Guides caught their first glimpse of the Disneyland Park Gates! The day was spent riding roller coasters and seeing their favourite Disney Characters… there was no sign of Mickey Mouse though! But imagine the smiles when he appeared at The Character Breakfast on Sunday morning! Minnie, Pluto, Goofy, Chip & Dale joined Mickey as they went to each table to sign autographs and take pictures. More »

It doesn’t seem like 12 months ago that we were sat here in Disney’s DavyCrockett Ranch preparing for the first of our January Weekend Breaks to Disneyland Paris!

We arrived on-site early this morning to ensure that everything was ready for the arrival of hundreds of Guides, Scouts, Brownies and Cubs later on today. The cabins at the ranch are set and the Cheyenne Hotel is ready and waiting for its guests. More »

Those of you who know me know that I could not stay a week somewhere and not mention the food! That is especially so when in Mexico. Gone are images of sizzling Fajitas and Taco Shells that grace the supermarket shelves at home. At Our Cabaña, these are replaced by Tomales, Taco Tubes, Cactus, Hibiscus Juice, an array of yummy fruity deserts and a whole lot more. On the first night we were told how to eat various things the Mexican Way. This included using a lot of lime, chilli and of course salsa verde. Now, I am a fan of salsa verde and you can imagine my delight when one day it was on the table for breakfast, lunch and dinner!! Those who are not so fond of spicy food were happy to discover that the chefs at Our Cabaña do not make the food hot; it is in-fact up to you to do this… salsa verde anyone? More »

So, I thought I would tell you a little about my favourite haunt at this World Centre, The Craft House! It has played a role in many activities; it is where the piñata is created for the Mexican Fiesta. We started to create our own yesterday and I can see it sitting there waiting for the final touches.

The ladies taught the local seniors some crafts from home town; Mary’s woolly weather man was a definite hit, as were Ann’s scenes of Jersey calendars, which many of the ladies proudly held tightly as they left the Cabaña!

Yesterday it was our turn to learn and the staff at The Cabaña showed us traditional Mexican crafts, including Paper Marigolds, God’s Eyes and Papel Picado (a traditional party decoration).

Proof that everyone enjoys the Craft house was summed up by Jennifer when she claimed “Even I have achieved something in The Crafthouse; something I never thought would be possible!”

Hola from Our Cabaña! I cannot quite believe that 4 days have almost gone by and what an eventful four days it has been! 27 Guide Leaders and Trefoil Members from all over the UK have made the journey to Mexico. We started our adventure in Mexico City before we headed south to the WAGGGS World Centre, Our Cabaña. Luckily the suitcases that stopped off in Paris also arrived here, bringing a smile to everybody’s faces!

On our first night, we joined in the Mexican Fiesta with a group from Australia. Mexican food, drink and dance moves were tried and tested by everyone and it was the perfect start to our week here! More »

Here in the Venture Abroad office, we cannot quite believe that the summer of 2011 is already over. For the first time ever this year, we have all been able to read and keep up with daily life in resort. They say a picture tells a thousand words and looking through the fantastic shots taken this summer, this has certainly proved to be true!

Whether it was a blog about personal triumphs, exciting days out, or life on camp, we loved reading every word! Seeing months and sometimes years of planning come to fruition is what our jobs are all about. Working together with our seasonal representatives, we are proud to be part of groups’ once in a lifetime experience out in resort.

We would like to thank our Venture Abroad Representatives and of course you, the groups, for your input into the summer’s blogs. We hope you have enjoyed them as much as we have and without you, it just would never have worked.

We are already planning and looking forward to what is set to be a jam packed exciting 2012 summer season and we hope to see some of you there again!

Kate Eveleigh
Activity Tours and Events Assistant Manager