So, what exactly is a “Bongo Bash”, and just what do they get up to? Well, my curiosity got the better of me, and having joined the Bongo Fury Owners’ Club, I found out that there was a Scottish Bash, at Cannich campsite, near Drumnadrochit, and it was scheduled for when Lorraine was off on leave, so I decided to find out! As it turned out, it is simply a bunch of Bongo owners, booking into the same venue for the weekend, getting to meet one another, make good friends and have a great weekend!
Not knowing what to expect, but wanting to make a good impression, I polished Ali Bongo until he absolutely shone, and with the repairs to the rear quarter panels and the new decals on, he was looking very smart. All fluids were checked, washer bottle topped up, and the camping stuff was carefully packed, along with my brilliant new mini fridge my dad had gifted me recently. We decided that the journey was to be part of the holiday, so set off up Loch Lomond-side, heading for Fort William, rather than the longer but more steady A9 to Inverness. This proved to be a bit of a poor choice, as the holiday traffic all the way up the Loch, to Fort William, and on to Drumnadrochit was painfully slow. In fact it took some 25 minutes just to negotiate Fort William itself when we eventually got there, after the last 10 miles or so behind some cyclists. There were roadworks as well, and the journey felt like it would never end. Some SIX HOURS later, we made the campsite at Cannich, checked in with the owner ( a really friendly chap, who works tirelessly to keep the site pristine) and made our way to where he directed us on his map. We were first there! This gave us first pick of the designated pitches, which were all level and spacious. We elected for a nice pitch near a water tap, with a picnic table and a bit of concrete paving making an ideal patio, reversed Ali into the space, and got to putting up the canopy.
As Bongos started to arrive, folk got out, and we introduced ourselves. Everyone was friendly enough if a bit shy to begin with, but as more and more arrived,the ice soon melted and folk relaxed into a great atmosphere. It was great to get my first look at so many different vans. There were people from as close as Inverness, and as far as the south west of England, as well as Northern Ireland! There were older vans like ours, and fancy modern ones with the facelifted lights, grills and bumpers. Hi tops, pop tops, alloys and wheel trims, every type were there. As we were next to the picnic table, folk sort of congregated at our van, which was great, and meant a good old blether into the evening, with a few drinks, until the midges finally beat everyone back into their vans. It was probably past bed time anyway!
The next day saw everyone kind of doing their own thing, after a brief meeting to agree we would eat together in the local pub tonight, and one of the members booked us all a table. Lorraine and I chose to wander up the village, then walk on a bit down a single track road, before heading back for a nice lazy afternoon. Sometimes it is nice to not have anything planned, to simply sit, read, chat and drink coffee with a biscuit or two!
I did get to chatting with one of the group, a chap over from Northern Ireland, who owned a very flash V6 hi-top, big wheels, carbon fibre decals, really nice van. He offered to give me a shot, so we headed off on a loop of the narrow roads, and it was good to get a feel for a V6 petrol van. Not as torquey as my diesel, but so much quieter. If Ali wasn’t going to get through another MOT, I might consider the V6 engine. As it turned out, later in the year in September, we got through the MOT simply enough with a new crossmember and front brakes, so Ali has had a full makeover, but it was nice to get the chance to drive Steve’s lovely van.
The cross section of drivers was striking to me – most were couples, like us, but there were three solo-travelling ladies who had made the trip, from as far away as East Kilbride, and even the South of England!! This was great to see, and the Bongo with a full side conversion would make an ideal solo vehicle – loads of space, plenty of storage, all the convenience of a bigger camper, but so agile and economical. I was really seeing the versatility of this van I had fallen in love with – one arrived towing a 5-berth caravan!
Saturday night saw us all in the pub, and although the service, and food, were so-so, the banter was good, and we all wound up in the campers’ room back at the campsite, more merriment, a few drinks, then we headed off to bed.
Some didn’t, for a good deal longer….
In the morning, we packed up at a leisurely pace, treated ourselves to a full breakfast at the on-site cafe, said our farewells and headed off home, very much the richer for meeting other owners, sharing experiences, and for seeing other vans. This served to confirm that we were as close to the ideal layout as we had seen so far, and while not absolutely ideal, it was more to our liking than those we had seen. Each to their own, and it isn’t for everyone, not having a kitchen or cupboards. There were a few modifications on the “wishlist”, and a picture of what I wanted for the future was formulating. Most of all though, I determined to try and get to the National Bongo Bash, at Stourbridge next summer, and of course the Scottish Bash 2020.
In fact, the seed of the idea of a local meetup had formed, and I proposed the Brews and Blethers soon after….
Lorraine and I had a few more days off, and decided to head east, through Inverness and beyond, ending up on the Snow Roads through Braemar to Grantown on Spey, andthe poshest campsite visited so far. That’s material for another post.
I would recommend to Bongo owners though to get to at least a local meetup, or preferrably an organised Club Bash, and meet fellow Bongo nutters. It’s a great bunch of folk.
Ali Bongo's adventures 