World Moot Mexico 2000

20th March 1999 seems a while a go but that was when I decided I wanted to go to the World Scout Moot in Mexico. I had been to the World Jamboree in Chile and the experience was so amazing that I wanted to do something like it again. I started down the fundraising road which was hard work, selling raffle tickets to grannies isn't as easy when you are older, you don't have that sweet child look about you that makes them throw money in your direction. But with a combination of car boot sales, a Christmas ball, letter writing and a lot of support from family, friends and my Scout Group I raised the money. Then April this year I went to the information weekend at Gilwell Park. The weekend was full of "getting to know you", getting various equipment and information. When we left it felt strange saying "Bye see you in Mexico".

On July 8th at 5.30am (a time I never knew existed until now) we left Bristol bus station and headed for Gatwick. The journey took 27hrs flying via Houston and then onto Mexico City. We spent the first few days around Mexico City acclimatising ourselves to this country which would be our home for the next few weeks. We were the 2nd contingent to arrive at Villa Moot and set up 157 of our green alien pods otherwise known as tents. The opening ceremony was delayed due to rain (yes it does rain in Mexico) and when it started we were cold wet and tired. It wasn't the perfect start to moot but we were greeted with a sunny morning as we set off on our circuits.

There were 5 different sites and you visited two of the them, around 700 people at each site in buses of 24 on each 3 international teams. In my team there were people from Sweden, Mexico, Netherland Antilles, Taiwan, Switzerland and Argentina and the bus had a wider variety of nationalities. At the first site we stayed with host families which helped you get even more into the Mexican culture.

We did 3 days of activities at each site, physical, cultural and service. As each day went by the bus bonded closer and language was not a problem, sign language was use if there was no one there to translate and every one was always included in conversations. Our bus was very mad and always getting up to strange things such as drinking pretend tequila or crowd surfing on the bus. It was these little episodes that made the moot what it is, a really friendly, enjoyable place to be.

Our second site was called Hidalgo and we all slept in a giant air hanger with sheets separating every bus. At night we would have sleeping bag racing and chat telling each other about our lives and what our countries are like. I had around 2 or 3 hours sleep each night but the moot spirit keeps you going along with 3 cups of coffee in the morning. Our service project was to build a children's playground, when we arrived the ground had been flattened out and a few posts put in, when we left there was a fully fledge children's playground. It was really good to do something from beginning to end and feel that you had put something back into the community.

Back at villa moot we had a day at the GDV, one in Mexico City and on the final day we walked up the pyramids. Each night our bus would meet up and Leif would bring his guitar and we would sing and teach each other songs. One night it rained so we crammed 12 of us into my green pod and sang in there. At the Fair of Nations each country had its own stall with a bit about its country. It was good to show people where we live and the famous sites around the UK. We did Swedish dancing, drank Colombian coffee and eat Swiss chocolate. The closing ceremony consisted of a peace prayer, traditional dancing and a fiesta! Saying goodbye was sad, everyone had become very close and it felt strange not to be together.

. After the moot everyone did there separate things. Severn of the Brits did the 10-day tour down the Southeast coast of Mexico and then I went travelling with two friends down to Cancun and then back up to Mexico City. Six weeks later I returned home bringing not only my rucksack full of Mexican memorabilia but also memories that will stay with me for a long time.

The next moot is in Taiwan, my only advice is go, raising the money is hard but it is something that I know I will never forget and I don't think any one who was there will.

Shelley