The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

Orono Guide visi ts Trinidad with group Tonya Bumtoni recafls We al met in Toronto Friday, April 20. It was nice finally meeting cveryone aftcr such a long period of correspondence. Everyone immediately got along. At 3:30 Uic phone rang; wake up caîl. Wc werc tired but wc didn't care, we were going to TRINIDAD. flic plane ride was long, but wbcn Uic captain said we, arc now ianding in Trinidad, oui spirits rose. Whcn wc got off the plane we melted.. It was so HOT! Whcn you were used 10 snow and -45degre weaUier and ail of a sudden you werc taken out of Uic freîer.. EEK. We were ail swcating, but wc we having Uic time of our lives. We took a maxi taxi to Uic Holiday Inn in Port of Spain. The hotel was very nice; it hadt a large, refreshing pool which wc promptly used. It was wonderful just watching Uic ocean. What can 1 say Uic wbolc place was terrific! For Urec days we tourcd Uic island. We went shopping in local markets, bougbt fruit, tried fresh coconuts. One day we went on an oîganized tour of the island spending a lot of tirne in a beautiful rain foreat. On Tuesday we left for oui camp which was Iocated near Uic village of Chagournas. This turncd out 10 bc, my first experience wiUi nidgc lents (no floor). The first day we got into our patrola and startcd oui gadgets. It was a new experience for me, making gadgets out of bamboo. Bamboo is, a bard, unbcnding, uncooperative, circulai, reed. It didiVt like going where I wanted il wo go! The next day we began oui service projects. Our lîttie group of Guides chose to wash and paint Uic wail of a cburch. By Uic end of oui shift wc wcre ail filthy dirty, but Uic wall looked great and wc feit îcrrific about oui accomplisbment. In thec afternoon we had a calypso course and a CB radio course. Wben the calypso 4instructor was called away wc wook Uic opportunity to brush up on oui canipfire songs. The CB radio lesson was a lot of fun. Wc talked 10 the boy scouts- wbo Shelpcd at camp: wc talkcd to anyonc e w=wrable tw rcacb! fliursday was our outing day. Wc chose to go to Maracus Waterfall; it was beautiful. Wc werc dropped off at Uic bottomn of Uis immense hill. It took us two hours of steady biking wo get al Uic way to Uic watcrfail. It was a sight for soie eycs. Just having the mist drift on you was refreshing. Il wasn't as large as Niagara Fails but its scttingi a ramn foreat was beautiful. Fo r Uic whole afternoon wc got wo swim and relax. When Uic day was over we hiked back down the bill, taking onfly 20 minutes! 1Friday was International Food Day and our country presentations. Wc Canadians madc pancakes wiUi real maple syrup. Everyone liked iL. I didn't get wo sec cvcryone else's food but those that I did try wcre very différent - a real teste experience. Curacoa fried up somUing, Uiat tasted and lookcd like fried rice pudding ... yummy. The U.K. girls presented a potato dish and somcthing lilce peppermintfudge. Everyone's presentations were rcally amazing. Some girls did their native dance, some sang songs. It was a nice time. The presentations were split ito two parts. For our first presentation wc did Uic Guidc marcbing song, the horse shoc and a little speech from everyone. 'Our second preentation went better since we weren't s0 nervous. Wc came out like moose. We beld our flags in oui mouths and put up our bands like antlers. Evcryonc liked Uiat. We Uien procecdcd tw sing "Waik Along" and "Land of Uic Silver Bircb". It was such afun day.1 Saturday wc took part in a paradc through Fort of Spain; Uicn wc ailwcnt shopping. That cvening we had oui own carnival. We dance d forever. flic Guides had a Butterfiy (dance) contest Uiat was a boot. We didn't want Uic night tw end. Sunday was oui bati and final day. We had oui clo sing ceremonies a nd Uien just sta rted to cry. I was s0 sad, I fmissed everyone already. I met my home stay; ber name Vermaran and sue was a quartermaster. Ail the Trinidad girls had 10 stay until Monday to strike Uic lents along with the rest of clump. I went to my bouse; met the family. They were very kind. Through UtheII0xt five daYS I had a lot of fun. One day Vermaran did my tiair ino braids and we went shopping. She and I went to San Fernando, the next largest city in Trinidad. One day we met with moSt of the other Canadian girls anid their home stays to go to Uic beach. That was a fun day, I enjoyed everyone's company. Thursday night we al met agaîn to go to a night club. It was a calypso night. Boy did I bave a lot of fun. Wc just danced and danced and danced. Friday ail 1 did was shop. Anne Marie,, Helena, and Vermaram and I went to Arima to look at the market and to walk along the streets doing oui favourite tbing shopping. Anne Marie and I bought tie-dye dresses, tee-shirts and. a lot of other tbings. Vermaran thought 1 was so funny just because I took pleasure in trying on cverything in thc store. Friday evening we had a birtiiday party for one of thc Trinidadians. That night wc wcnt back to the Holiday Inn. Boy was 1 tired!' Saturday was spent doing "last chance" shopping in downtown Port of Spai. We went back late in thc day wo laze by Uic pool. It was a nice relaxing day'. WC enjoyed it Uien because we knew that Uic. ncxt day was going to be busy. Sunday wc got up ran into Port of Spain to get food, then we were off w Uice football (soccer) game. Canada's womens team was playing against the U.S.A. We had a big Canadian flag and little ones Uiat we were shaking, wc all lost our voices Uiat day as well. Even Uiough they lost, we had an amazing urne. At Uic end- of Uic garne we got recognized by the Canadian teaia, it was so neat. Sadly, Monday our last day arrived. We ail slowly packcd and chccked out. As wc were al piling into Uic maxi we were stifi smiling. Along the way to the airport wc stopped at a market to buy, fruit. I brought home a papaya, a, coconut and a pincapple. Wben we got to Uic airport, time just fiew by. Before we knew it we wcrc walking across the tarmac toward our plane, which was a big one. The plane ride didn't seemn as Rick Jones Newtonville long coming home; wc ail talked and laughed. We watched the movie and- wbispered about this guy on Uic plane who could bave been Roberto Alomnar's brotier. It was so cxciting. Wc were going to ask bim but we didn't get Uic chance. As we were landing I was happy, I was home. Saying goodbye at Uic airport wasn't my favourite part of Uie trip at ail. As far as I was concerned thcy could bave al moved in witi me for Uic rest of my life and I would have been happy. We ail cried and finally after many goodbyes and.no one moving, I saidmy last goodbyc did my last round of bugs and left the airport. I will neyer forget anyonc or anything about this trip, and I hope to sec Uiemn again, someday. by Tonya Bunton 905-786-2793 MASARU KARATE CLUB SHORIN-RYU Classes for Children and Aduits