Travel Writing - Newquay

''Jess your purse! You've forgotton your purse.'' were the last words i heard from my mum as we headed off to newquay. I could already predict this was going to be the most disorganized, chaotic week of our lifes. 23 sixteen year olds with no parents must be a recipie for disaster.

We stayed in a small building called Bookneys, a town house just off the highstreet reminding me of some sort of infernal nightmare. At arrival we were greeted by a forgein man explaining how he didnt have enough beds which meant two people would have to sleep on the floor. Just what we paid for. The bunk-beds which were avaiable were corroded and screeched in pain as we sat upon them. The kitchen was the forbidden land which meant we relied on the local chip shop most evenings. Our rooms resembled a bomb site but to us it was an extremely organised mess; clothes costing more than £10 folded neatly whilst the rest was screwed up and chucked into a pile next to the tarnished windows. It was clear by the creaking floorboards and the lack of clean bedding, not much attention or care was given to the rooms. No wardrobe, no cupboard, no table. Between 23 of us, we were forced to share 2 communial bathrooms,one for the boys and one for the girls but this rule wasnt followed. The stench off arrogance leaked from girls toilets making it apparent the boys felt they had the freedom of both facilites. Despite the lousy conditions, it was the imperfections of Bookneys which made everyone so fond of it turning it into an abandonned child who needed some nurturing.

Towan, Fistral and Crantock were the three beaches Newquay had to offer us with the variety of choices from a sandy beach to a pebble one. At the end of our road was Fistral beach which was the seafront we visited the most due to general laziness we all shared. Regardless of the proximity, Fistral was by far my personal cherised place to be. If it wasn't the silky smooth sand tickling your toes, it was the sound of the harsh waves crashing onto land washing all of your troubles away. Although Newquay is located in a country famous for atrocious weather conditions, not once did i recieve a visit from the bad weather and instead, was met by a rare thing called 'sunshine'. The sun was the main contributer to why the beach was such an enjoyable place to be as it made it possible to go swimming, play ball games and sunbathe for hours. Soaking up the sun became part of my daily routine along with attempting to herdle over the immense waves speeding towards me. One thing i greatly disliked about visiting the sea was the repulisve taste of the salty sea water. It completley ruined the thrill of jumping between each wave as if it was a skipping rope. Hidden caves brought out my inner explorer and within second me and my friends were climbing inside looking for anything that looked cool. We discovered a secret passage way but to our dismay the door at the end was secured with ancient rusted locks. Unfortunatley, the masses of graffitti made it apparent that we weren't the first people to spot it.

Kimz Kitchen Dinner was also located at the end of our street and was the home to the finest selection of food i have ever witnessed. Stepping inside was like stepping straight into the 1950s with the black and white checked floor and the retro red leather seats waiting for you to enjoy a slice of heaven. People travelled miles to taste the luscious DCB burger, filled with buttermilk fried chicken breast, topped with bacon, blue cheese , coleslaw and pickles. The way the flavours fused together was something i didnt realise newquay had to offer. The women working there wore red and white dresses with their hair in tight sausage-like curls adding to the theme of the 1950s American dinner.

With two new piercings and £200 missing from my bank account, i was finally prepared to say adios. However, leaving newquay was a painful goodbye to make as i knew i would no longer be waking up to the sound of a bunch of moaning teens complaining about how much their head hurt as a result of their first can of cider or the neighbouring beaches only 5 minutes away. Although i must say, i was looking forward to sleeping on a bed not resembling a brick.