This is where our story begins. Do you want to come on an adventure with us? You will need to pack a bag.
The blue/grey pack on the left and the little one with the umbrella belong to Klaus. Mine is the black one on the right. They both contain everything we need as Men on a Mission, including sleeping bags (15:10, 23 October 2015)
Klaus Bravenboer and I live in London. We decided to go on an adventure at 11:49am on Friday morning. That's how we roll. You can come too if you want... next time.
We had to pack a bag and get to Paddington Station for 16:06. That meant leaving early, but I hope you'll agree - by the time that you finish reading this - that the little sacrifice was well worth it, given how much we packed into a weekend.
I'm a punctual guy, and I had to rush Klaus a little to get us to the station on time, but trust me, with a little more preplanning you could be packed and at the station in plenty of time. We did things as if we just decided to do it at the drop of a hat... which is exactly what happened.
Stop admiring the view, Klaus. We have a train to catch (15:15, 23 October 2015)
So, we had to catch the tube with our bags. Because this was before rush hour, it wasn't difficult at all. And because we only travelled with one pack (well, plus a little one for Klaus) it wasn't too tiring. Mine is a holdall with rucksack straps, which is a really nice combination. I didn't have to compromise on what I packed.
Note the backpack worn on the front as well as the back. That's great if you really can't leave your hairdryer and curling tongs behind, and you absolutely need a fabulous frock and high heels (15:54, 23 October 2015)
We decided to take the train. This was the most expensive option. Renting a car or driving our own (if we had one) would have been much easier, but we wanted to show that it could be done on public transport. We also raced some friends from London, who were driving, so that we had an exact like-for-like comparison.
Let the train take the strain. We had 7 whole minutes to spare after we purchased our tickets and got to the right platform (15:59, 23 October 2015)
Now, I really really really detest busses normally. I find that they take ages, keep stopping everywhere, I get motion sick, and they are generally the lowest common denominator in terms of transportation. We took the bus, much to my protestation and wailing. You cannot imagine what a personal sacrifice this was for such a snob as me. It wasn't that bad actually.
The bus stop is right outside the station, and the timetable was easy to find (18:38, 23 October 2015)
The bus was bang on schedule, and arrived with enough transfer time (18:40, 23 October 2015)
There was plenty of space for us and our luggage on board the bus. Sit downstairs if you want to avoid motion sickness though (18:46, 23 October 2015)
We arrived in Bude and there were taxis waiting. Sadly the last part of the journey is the most logistically complex, but Andy from Koa Tree Camp came and picked us up. It's also safe to hitch-hike... everybody is very friendly and nice in Cornwall (21:01, 23 October 2015)
The shop opens in the morning, so it's worth getting Fish & Chips in Bude when you arrive and then doing your breakfast shopping in the morning. Fresh local eggs are delicious (21:52, 23 October 2015)
If you're wearing a head torch because you haven't yet turned on the lights in your Yurt, then remember not to shine the light in people's eyes, Klaus (22:01, 23 October 2015)
All the Yurts and the Log Cabins have wood burning stoves so you can make things really cosy and warm as soon as you arrive (23:41, 23 October 2015)
We spent a bit of time getting to know one of the founders of Koa Tree Camp (video interview will be posted soon... watch this space) so we went to bed quite late, but we could have been in bed, all snuggled up before 10pm. Not bad, considering that we had been in the middle of the concrete jungle only a few hours before.
In our next few blog posts, we are going to write about all the cool stuff that we got up to over the weekend, but even the journey was pretty cool fun. There was lots of time to chat, to snack, to catch up on social media after a hectic working week. It was actually time well spent, un-winding and getting into weekend play mode.
We are also organising another weekend soon. We will be gathering contact details, in case you're interested in coming too. Do you want to come on an adventure with us?
You will need to pack a bag.