Wicked Camper Adventure to Edinburgh - Part 2

I awoke on the Saturday morning to the sounds of a car driving past the field.

Our apparent out of the way place to set up our tents was in fact on quite a heavily used country road. We were still a way off the beaten track, seeing as there was no one to usher us on right even when we left at 10am, but each time a truck drove past the wind would ripple the tents.

I got out of bed and grabbed the camera to get a bit of scenic footage on a beautiful Scottish morning and noticed that we did indeed have the field to ourselves.

Our set up in the field

Off to the right was another field full of sheep, and further on was a factory billowing smoke into the air. Behind the tents was the road, and over the road was a farm house with an old leaf barren tree. To the left of the house was another field, with several cows and a couple of bulls. Thankfully we didn't end up in that field otherwise one of two things would have happened.

1. We would have gone cow tipping
2. The bulls would have gone tent slaying

One by one the rest of the crew slowly got out of bed, except for Sam who rushed out of bed as Tyson and myself started to collapse his tent around him.

We all huddled around the tents and campers while we set up the 7 digital cameras and 1 polaroid camera to get a photo of our first night destination on the road trip. Of course, it took us 5 minutes to get everyone into frame and then it was a mad dash by Tod and myself to get back into the photo...... but I think you'll agree they worked out well.


From here, low on fuel, we headed straight back to the petrol station and filled up before heading to Tesco's to get some breakfast. After 30 minutes of aimlessly walking around the store we had what we needed for breaky and got back to the car.

Now we were faced with another problem, where were we going to have our breakfast? Would we go to the park down the road, back to the field where we slept, head further along to the next town, head back to the brook (yes brook, not stream or river or creek or anything else you can come up with) and have it there.

Decisions decisions decisions.

It was all too hard, so we just opened the back of the wicked campers, took out the tables, chairs, plates and kettle and ate our breakfast in the middle of the Tesco car park.

I won't say that we didn't get any weird looks from the umpteen people that walked past us on the way to do their shopping, but no one suggested that we move on, and most importantly no one suggested "That's not on mate, that's not on!"

Forget Breakfast at Tiffany's, the new craze is Breakfast at Tesco's

After breakfast we piled into the car and headed off via the scenic route on the way up to Edinburgh.

We pulled over part of the way into the journey to soak in the serenity............. ahhhhh, how's the serenity..... bloody beautiful.

When we reached Edinburgh we had DJ Lana in full swing with the ipod and was pumping some crazy tunes through the wicked camper radio. We kind of got carried away with the craziness and pretty soon we decided that the van couldn't stop moving.

Of course, we HAD to stop for traffic lights (just for the benefit of mums and dads and wicked camper staff reading this), but the back seat took liberty in ensuring that once the forward or backward motion stopped that the side to side motion started.

I'm not sure if all of the weird looks and stares we got through the centre of Edinburgh was a result of the vans paint job or of the crazy occupants of both vehicles.

At one stage we drove past a bear, yes a real life bear. They had somehow trained the bear to carry a bucked around the town and ask for donations for a worthy charity. Seriously!!!!! Who wouldn't tip a bear. It's a freaking bear!!!!!

We on the other hand couldn't stop and get out to donate, so we just shouted, tooted and cheered the bear on. About 50 meters up the road we pulled up at the lights and the Essex boys started out left to right movement before...... BANG!

Something had hit the side of the Wicked Camper Van causing Lana shart ever so slightly. The next thing I knew there was a bear leaning through my window with a bucket asking for a donation.

Did I donate?

Did I mention it was a freaking BEAR!!!!!!

The Bear out fund raising

I gave some money and we headed off to find a park and wander up to Edinburgh Castle.