The Otesha Project

Kirkcaldy proved to be more akin to a Carribean beach resort than the grey coastal town that it had been rumoured to be. We experienced tremendous luxury at the JRD trust who kindly put us up for the night and allowed us use of all their facilities (never have so many people taken such joy from merely sitting on sofas) including a convenient courtyard which was soon transformed into a hub for bike maintenance. The tropical temperatures prompted us to head for the beach. Our swim in the sea was slightly short lived as the water was a minefield of floating sanitary towels and jelly fish so we headed for the shore to spend a relaxing afternoon soaking up rays. A couple of us headed back to the JRD trust to sit in on a bible study class and emerged to be greeted by puff pastry pizzas made by the rest of the gang. The gastronomic odyssey did not end there however as, after a prolonged absence, Pete returned bearing PIE and various other sweet delights which we demolished with due haste. A late night play rehersal ensued on an ACTUAL stage but due to delirious tiredness the majority of the cast ended up rolling around on the floor laughing..

The next day we awoke and set off for Pitlochry. The ride there was amazingly beautiful and followed the cycle path almost the entire way ensuring minimal navigational stress. The day was filled with stunning views and music. Our group stopped in Perth to refuel with coffee and eggs. With renewed energy Pete took his turn pulling the trailer and we headed through some of our most beautiful countryside yet and spotted an array of wildlife including families of deer and hundreds of baby pheasants. We were welcomed into Pitlochry by a pipe band and coconut curry kindly procured by the cooking team. Our evening activities including the recital of a poem Olivia had written us followed by a doughnut eating competition – the aim being to not lick your lips whilst eating (this proved to be much harder than anticipated).

We had an unexpected day off in Pitlochry the next day which we filled with visits to the salmon ladder, cake, knitting, shopping, loch swimming and more cake. ‘Hettie’s’ proved to be the finest cake vendor in Pitlochry serving slices the size of your face. We had to say a tearful goodbye to Pete who had to return to London to work. We wept into our cake a little and then consoled ourselves with eating more cake. A crack team of hardcore thrillseekers, namely Louise, Sam and Robin set off for Loch Tummel to have a dip in its icy waters whilst the rest of us spent the rest of the afternoon exploring, perusing charity shops, learning to knit and listening to music in the sunshine.

The following days cycle to Carrbridge was undulatingly lovely. After reaching the highest point of the tour we descended down to be greeted by the Dalwhinnie whiskey distillery where lunch was had. All three teams managed to pass Olivia who was spending a day at the Highland Folk Museum and wave furiously. The sun had held for most of the day  but our entry into Carrbridge was marked by a massive downpour. The rain stopped long enough for us to set up camp and get cracking with a dinner of veggie sausages and mash. However, as the air thickened with midges we were all forced to seek refuge in our tents and have an early night. When we awoke we were greeted by sunshine. We all began our final day off on tour by basking in the sun’s rays and some had a discreet wash in a bucket. We ventured in ‘to town’ and took over the coffee shop for a session of postcard writing and beverage drinking aswell as clearing out the cafe’s stock of cake. Sadly Ellie had to leave us for a few days to attend a wedding so in usual style we wept into our cake and then ate some more cake as consolation. Back at camp in the evening we feasted on a fabulous meal of vegetable chilli and surprise coconut pudding concocted by the lovely Ruth. As the sun set a cloud of midges descended so we headed for the pub to seek shelter and discuss ethical veganism.

Next morning we were very excited to return to primary schools. We ran a banana chain game workshop in Carrbridge Primary and then performed the play in the school hall. Afterwards we headed onwards to 4 miles down the road to Deshar Primary School to perform the play once more. Both performances went really well and everyone was glad to be back in primary schools after the break. We returned to Carrbridge and once more stormed the coffee shop and devoured cake.

The cycle ride from Carrbridge to Alness got better and better as the day progressed. Sarah recieved her first puncture leaving Mike as the last member of the tour to remain punctureless (accusations of sabotage have been floated). On the way we visited the Clara Cairns, one of the best preserved burial sites in the UK. We experienced one of our windiest days yet adding an extra challenge going up hill…and downhill for that matter. We also passed our first signpost for John O’Groats. This provided a realisation of just how close we are to the finish. Our team had managed to meet up with another charity doing LEJOG but in reverse. They were mid way through their first day of cycling and were planning to cycle the entire route in 7 days! We stopped for a cheeky cup of tea and slice of cake with then and exchanged stories. Team 3 managed to be the first to Alness but the others were not far behind. We were greeted at the West End  Community Centre by feast of delicious food and the service of a five star restaurant. The boys took delight in the availability of video games and air hockey at the centre and everyone slept like logs – happy to be under a roof for a change. The centre had really kindly provided us with EGGS for breakfast so we feasted merrily before heading off to the leisure centre for a much needed shower.