Hell - Part 1 (The Campsite)

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After seeing Baldrick off in the morning (just) we dithered until around 11am trying to decide where to go. In the end, deciding not to decide, but to head to Ayr and then decide, we set off into the gentle scottish wind (read gale). We navigated our way out of Glasgow with little difficulty, but almost 2 hours after having set off, were somewhat disheartened to still see the city looking very, very close.

The way out of Glasgow was up, in fact I realised that this was the same way I left when I left Bladrick 9 years ago heading to Ireland. Glad to see I make the same decisions twice! The difference this time was the detour. It was an innocent looking detour, roadworks at a roundabout, and after heading off in three different directions, we finally found the diversion signs and off we went. This diversion summarised our day really: we ended up cycling five miles to get 200 metres, it was beautifully signed ... for the first 2/3rds of the way, and then all off the diversion signs just disappeared, and the whole way it was up hills and into headwinds ... I think we should have stayed in Glasgow.

Anyway, we finally found our way back onto the route, stopped off for a lolly and pie stop at Stewarton and then hit the coast, and after arguing over where we were for 15 minutes whilst trying to find the route 7 cycleway, ended up going around a roundabout (several times) and down onto the main highway (which we'd been trying to avoid) then back up another ramp, back over the highway, only to find the cycleway, which proceeded to lead us over the cycleway for the third time in 600 metres. It just wasn't our day.

We made our way to Troon, and cycled along the shore into a headwind that had us almost standing up on the pedals. having had enough, we stopped at a supermarket for a break, and then cycled the last 7 miles into Ayr. The campsite we were going to stay at looked horrible (right next to the highway and across the road from the airport), so we continued on.

We finally had a bit of luck in Ayr - the Tourist Information Office was open, and told us the location of some campsites, so off we went. Just to finish our day off though, it was all uphill to the campsite, and 2 miles before we got there the heavens opened and we got drenched. We finally pulled in soaked to the bone, to find the guy wnated to charge us £15 - much higher than we'd been charged to date. Christie put on her "I'm not sure face", but I was cold and wet and tired, so I just handed over the money and was glad to see the end of the day. Except it wasn't.

We set the tent up in the rain, then noticed the high pitch whinning noise. There was some big machine hidden behind some trees next to the campsite and it's engine emitted this high pitched noice ALL NIGHT. It was like having someone run fingernails down a blackboard. Of course as soon as we finished setting up the tent, it stopped raining ... and all of the kids emerged from their caravans and descended on the playground we had put our tent righ tnext too. At 10pm that night we were still lying awake, listening to kids screaming and banging and crashing ... although even when they stopped we were accompanied by the pleasent whine of that big machine ...

Some days are just like that.

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