Why did I go to Girl Guides?

Who would've believed it?

The day started out OK - it was sunny and quite warm but I had a feeling that today was a day I wouldn't forget and how right I was.

Grant and I headed off to the Savilla Post Office - he decided to go one way and I'd asked a local and with minimal direction headed off in another direction telling my 'other half' that I'd see him there.   Well, I got to the Post Office OK, cheated a little and caught a taxi for the last part of the journey, got an ice-cream so he'd think I'd been there for a 'long time' and waited, and waited. No sign of Grant so decided to make my way back to the van - I walked and I walked, I changed direction and with more confidence, I walked and I walked. With slightly less confidence, I changed direction and then walked and walked until I got to the point that I realised with a good degree of certainty that I was obviously lost. Was feeling quite anxious but tried to tell myself that all would be OK and then Igot some help.

Help came in the form of  four Spanish policemen who all looked quite flustered - as in waving their arms in the air, as I stood before them with tears running down my face. Language difficulties was also an issue  along with their training, which obviously meant neither was willing to put an arm around me !!  Neverthless, after I produced a crumpled map of where I thought I'd been and where I thought I'd started, they quickly put on their detective hats and worked out exactly where the van was parked.

I was put in the back of a paddy wagon with no handles in the back and signs of obvious struggling by some other poor soul and driven away. You wouldn't believe how many people look at a police car and stare at the person in the back. ME - what do you do in a situation like this - give them a wave or stare straight ahead. I did a combination of both!!

Returned to the van to see Grant walking towards me.  He looked quite amused at the sight of his wife getting out of the police car and told me later that he was going to get me a compass and a flare gun!!!!

Neither of them would've done me any good.

Helena - 11-5-11