Final Tournament and Boat Trip

 Saturday 27th July 2024

By Arthur Bateman 

First night back in Zambia after coming back from Zimbabwe. The accommodation is called Fawlty Towers (Yes, it is named after the TV show) and it is epic! Breakfast was a full fry up of eggs, beans, sausages and tomatoes, which was delicious. Then we made our way to our last tournament. However, one of the buses ferrying the children to the tournament crashed. Luckily only the driver was onboard as it was returning and he was safe. This meant the tournament was only an hour and a half long. However, we still had lots of fun and I made friends with all the children from the Jesus Christ Community Club. 

After the tournament we returned to Fawlty Towers and chilled by the pool. I shared a Pizza for lunch, and then at 3pm we got on the minibuses to the river cruise. The boat was amazing. From huge Crocodiles and Hippos (don't fall in) to Elephants and arguably the greatest sunset I have ever seen. Honestly in describable with words. The gave us complementary drinks and snacks as well as a barbecue for dinner, chicken, more sausages and coleslaw. It latest around two hours and without a doubt was the best experience of the trip so far. 

We got back to the hotel around 7pm and we are now chilling in the bar area watching the Olympics (Go GB !). Hope all is good at home and that Baxter is well. Can't wait to see you all at the airport (don't go to school as I don't want to walk home). Love you all, Bye !! xx

Saturday 27th July 2024 

By Katie Bradley 

To start my day I woke up at 6am, got ready and had a lovely breakfast of sausage, egg and baked beans. After that we walked to the Rugby ground where the tournament was being held. It was chaotic at first but after we figured out what to do it was fun. 

When we returned to Fawlty Towers we shared a Pizza and sat by the pool. At 3.30pm we got the on the minibus to the river cruise. Whilst on the cruise we saw Hippos, Elephants and Crocodiles which were very cool. We also watched the sunset over the river which was beautiful. Then we got back at 7pm and sat by the campfire. 

Today was one of the best days. Can't wait to see you at home, hope Lucky is safe. Love you all, Bye ! xx

Saturday 27th July 2024  

By Matthew Foxon 

Today was the last tournament day. We had to get up early but breakfast was a very nice fry up. We collected our tournament kit and set off to the venue arriving at around 8am. The pitches were already set-up which was great to see. However, we ended up started at 10.30am rather than 9am because a bus that was collecting the community clubs crashed. Luckily no one was harmed. Due to the late start, we had to ditch the main tournament format and split off into our own groups to create fixtures for each pitch. Oscar, Hannah, Jess, Bess, Holly and I were working on a pitch. As there were six of us and six teams we all chose a team to support and coach in our own little knockout tournament. We all got involved with our teams and got very passionate during the fixtures. We all took turns officiating and the children had an amazing time. It was very fun to celebrate a try with our teams because they were young and extremely enthusiastic. It was a heart warming experience and my favourite tournament without a doubt. There was a great atmosphere and lots of tension as our mini tournament's final went to 'Golden try'. Ultimately, Jess' team won so the rest of us had to buy her a Fanta each. It was all in good spirit. 

At around midday, the group returned to Fawlty towers for Pizza and a cold drink. Many of us took our chance and had a plunge in the pool. It wasn't as cold as the one at Eureka camp but still took some getting used to. 

Afterwards, my friends and I crossed over to the Shoprite opposite the accommodation to buy some snacks before we had to get ready for the river cruise. We boarded the minibuses and on our way we spotted an elephant on the side of the road. It's a very different sight to what you might see on the side of the road in London. The river cruise took place on the Zambezi River and we encountered lots of wildlife; we saw a few elephants, some crocodiles and some Hippos. They were all very intimidating. The crew provided a barbecue for dinner on the boat. It fitted perfectly with the activity. Unfortunately I lost a bet with Miss Perks on how many Hippos and Crocodiles we would see. The sunset was amazing as the sun looked a deep red and reflected off the water. We all took lots of photos and then returned to Fawlty Towers for the evening. 

I hope you guys are doing great and I can't wait to see you. I'll buy some gifts for everyone at the market tomorrow 

Matthew x