Punting on the Cam

So, this post for punting on the Cam has been due for a few weeks now. Due to the retardedness of our old blog, plus being busy, this post has been delayed. But wait no longer! Here it finally is.
The morning of July 25, 2011, Anson and I went punting on the Cam. Unfortunately, Paul was in the midst of a paper, so Anson and I had to leave Daddy at home...it was a bummer.
What is punting on the Cam? Well, a punt is a super shallow boat that only sits about 3 inches into the water. We were told that punts were invented because Cambridge used to be super marshy, so you couldn't take a regular boat along the river because the hull of the boat would drag. So, punts are characteristic for their super shallow hulls. Someone stands on the back platform, and pushes the punt along the water like a gondola. It is super relaxing to take a punt along the river Cam because it is incredibly picturesque. The day we went all the ducks and geese were out, and we went along the back of the Kings, St. John's, and Corpus Christi Colleges of Cambridge University. There is also a very beautiful garden on one side of the river (owned by the University) that was in full bloom. Our punt guy (pushing the punt) is one of the programme assistants for PKP named John (a regular Cambridge student), and the other girl in the boat is one of our fellow students, named Nina (from Hong Kong University). The trip took about an hour total, and was an absolutely lovely way to spend an afternoon. It only cost 3 pounds to boot! I have attached lots of pictures, so I hope you enjoy!



Julia Mann