Sunset | Free5pirit Photography

All the Fun at the Fair

Sizzling sunshine and tents galore, friendly faces and a whole lot more. Intimate talks with respected scholars and teachers, knowledgeable wisdom from intellectual preachers. Soft songs in front of a glowing midnight bonfire and breathtaking devine recitation to lift our spirits higher. Crowds of worshippers praying on the lush green grass, for the sake of The One, united in mass.

Sleeping outdoors, under the stars is always a thought that makes me tingle with delight. One of my greatest memories of sleeping outdoors was two summers ago while staying at a country house in Morocco. The evening humidity and the warm temperatures drove me to set up my mattress outside on the upstairs balcony. Having laid my blankets and cosy pillows down I was amazingly comfortable gazing at the night sky above. Luckily for me it was the night of a meteor shower and with my binoculars in hand, I was able to view the spectacular starry display of what appeared to be rushing shooting stars, but were in fact flashes of red meteor light. I will always remember my night of star gazing and appreciate that heavenly sky.

Last Week I attended an outdoor camping festival, an opportunity I took without hesitation as that previous memory re entered my mind. I have had various other outdoor trips since the one in Morocco, but that night will always remain at the forefront of my memories.

As I packed and prepared for the trip, I made sure I took with me the all important air bed. I am pretty used to ‘roughing it’ whenever undertaking any travel adventures, however I did recall my last camping endeavour was one of the worst night’s sleep I’ve ever experienced; freezing cold temperatures as I lay in a washed out tent during a thunder storm, the lumpy ground beneath my aching body and no leg room what so ever. That’s a tale for a whole other post. I suffered plenty on that trip and I wasn’t prepared to go through such an ordeal again, so air bed it was then!!! (It may seem as a cop out, but hey, a good night’s sleep revives you for a great day ahead.)

At the camp, blowing up my dear air bed proved somewhat of a challenge. Having taken a hand pump with me I set a spot out on the grass and begun to pump up. I spent the best part of an hour pumping up the bed, aching arms, beads of sweat dripping from my forehead, and still it wasn’t completely filled. Thankfully at such events you will ALWAYS find kind-hearted individuals willing to offer their assistance. I love that about these types of gatherings, you witness people expressing their caring, compassionate traits towards others. There’s a sense of community and everyone tries to help each other out. So thankfully, a lovely woman with her family, having witnessed my exasperated state, offered to blow up my bed using their electric air pump. I was more than grateful and accepted the offer. No more than 2 minutes later my bed was bulging. Wow! It was done so quickly. I laid it down with my sleeping bag and blankets covering it, and starred down with a sigh of content. My oh my I was in for a cosy night’s sleep! 🙂

Five days of fun, frolics and fascinating wisdom. The ‘festival’ provided all the necessities and activities for a pleasurable, entertaining yet educational experience. It was a weekend of families sharing ‘quality time’, children’s elated laughter illuminating our surroundings. A casual trot around the grounds on beautiful horses, while birds tweeted their daily reports overhead. Teachers providing intimate programmes, breathtaking sunsets, a late night sing song session in front of a blazing bonfire. Sipping scrumptious cups of hot chocolate while sat under the sparking night sky and making new friends to share it all with. It truly was a tremendous trip!