More photos from Welling Schools Tour of Zambia 2011

Welling Zambia Safari & Falls Link

More Photos from the Welling School Zambia Tour 2011

Welling Zambia Photos Link

Wednesday 20th July - The Final Day

This morning we travelled back to Lusaka from Livingstone. Its amazing how much quicker a journey is when your bus doesn't break down!!!!

When we returned to Baobab School, everyone had some time to refresh themselves and pack their bags.

Just before we went out for our final meal in the evening, the Welling Team met up together for one last meeting. It was an opportunity for the Staff to praise the fantastic achievements of the Students and the legacy they will leave with the hundreds of children in and around Lusaka. It was a chance to reflect on what was an unforgettable time in an amazing part of the world. Emotions were high and it was obvious to all that our time in Zambia had affected us all in some way.

There was only one thing left to do after our meeting...The Chicken Dance! Both Mrs Killington and Nathalie (a Volunteer who worked with us) worked with the hundreds of younger Zambian children who were unable to take part in our Tag Rugby coaching. They were fantastic at ensuring that these Children also had a fun time and one of their favourite activities was the 'Chicken Dance' which was a simple song with actions. The perfect way to end a wonderful Tour.



It was then off to 'Chit-Chats', a local restaurant owned by a Sponsor of our tour. Nothing unusual on the menu apart from fantastic food. All the Team were also given their certificates for achieving their Basic Tag Rugby Coaching Award which was run by Mr Robinson from Hurstmere before they came to Zambia.

So, we have come to the end of our Tour of Zambia 2011 and what an experience it has been. From the days of coaching the happiest children, to our visit to the Victoria Falls, it has been a roller coaster of emotions.

The Welling Students have been so instrumental in ensuring that we will not forget what happened here. Their interaction with the children, their dedication and enthusiasm has been a joy to witness; a real credit to their Families. We have watched them display skills and attributes we never knew they had, and grow into young adults before our eyes. It was a very humbling experience for the Staff.

There are many people whose efforts have ensured that the Tour has been a success and we would like to give our thanks:-

Trevor Martingell from the TRT for all his efforts and co-operation.

Mark Robinson from Hurstmere School.

Huw and Celi, our Tour Leaders from the TRT who have been fantastic from day one. Celi was also the official photographer and has taken some outstanding photos of the group which will be displayed on the Blog when we return to the UK.

Nathalie and James Emmerson who came along as Volunteers but were immediately adopted by the Welling Team.

John, the Deputy Head of Baobab School and all his Staff , including his son David.

The fantastic schools here in Zambia who have welcomed us with open arms.

The Staff and Pupils from Welling School who have assisted us on our long journey.

Our Head Teacher, Diane Khanna, and our Deputy Head Teacher, Jenni Tyler Maher who have given the Welling pupils the opportunity of this life changing experience and supported us from the beginning.

A huge Thank You to the Parents and Families of our Welling Team who have worked through tough times during our fundraising to enable their children to have this amazing time.

To everyone who has supported us along the way.

THANK YOU

Please keep your eyes on this Blog as there will be more photographs and videos added once we return to the UK.

We are all now looking forward to being back at home tomorrow.

Goodbye Zambia. We will never forget you.

Please click on the link below to see all the photos from Wednesday 20th July

All the photos from Wednesday 20th July





Tuesday 19th July - Helicopter Flight over Victoria Falls

Over the last week and a half, the Team have gone through so many different experiences and emotions that we didn't think there were any more out there. Today, some of the Team experienced the sensation of a helicopter flight over the Victoria Falls.

The Welling Team went up in groups of 3 or 4 and each flight took around 15 minutes.

The flight took us over and around the Falls three times as well as the surrounding area.

The flight also took us over one of the National Parks and some of the groups were able to see herds of elephants and buffalo as well as a number of other wild animals.

The Falls were an awesome sight from the ground but from the air, we could see how enormous they were. It was another experience we will never forget.

Please click on the link below to see all the photos from Tuesday 19th July.

All the photos from Tuesday 19th July

Monday 18th July - Safari & Victoria Falls

 Livingstone seems like a different world to the villages around Lusaka. It is far more built up and it relies heavily on tourism.
Today, we were tourists! We had to be up and ready for 6am to board the bus that would take us to the Safari. It was absolutely freezing! Probably around 3 or 4 degrees. When the Sun is up it reaches up to 30 degrees, but when it sets, the thermals have to come out.
Most of us were inappropriately dressed for the activity; flip flops, t-shirts etc. so we were already freezing when we arrived. We sat on an open truck so when it moved, we were hit by the cruelest wind chill.
When we were able to lift our heads we saw Impala, Zebra and Warthog but we were all speechless when the truck had to stop as our path had been blocked by a huge elephant. To be so close to such an animal was frightening but incredible. Our guide told us that it may 'mock' charge but to not be afraid. Easier said than done!

We also managed to see hippos, giraffe and a crocodile. A cold but wonderful start to the day.

Once we managed to thaw out we headed towards the Victoria Falls. We were told not to worry too much about waterproofs as everything would get soaked. We did our best to dress up accordingly to keep everything dry, but they were right! We were drenched within minutes. Luckily, the Sun was up and it became warmer so it didn't matter too much.

It is very hard to explain the sight of the Falls. They are absolutely mind blowing and many of us were rooted to the spot, just staring at the most awesome sight (and getting soaked too!). The sound, the power of the water crashing all around us justified why it is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It was sight we will never forget.

After catching our breathe, we stood in the car park to dry off wait for our ride back to 'Fawlty Towers'. A couple of us had a snack or a drink, not realising that the local Baboons were also hungry and thirsty. The moment George took a banana out of his bag, a huge baboon ran towards him and grabbed it. He then sat right in front of us whilst he ate it and taunted George about missing out on his Brunch.

We returned to our accommodation where we enjoyed a bit of free time before the Team were treated to a Zambian meal at a local restaurant. On the menu was chicken, potatoes, curry and...crocodile, which everyone seemed to enjoy. School Dinner will never be the same again!


Tomorrow we will experience a different view of the Victoria Falls, from the air in a helicopter.

Please click on the link below to view all the photos from Monday 18th July
All the photos from Monday 18th July





Sunday 17th July - Arrival in Livingstone

We thought yesterday was a long day but today wins hands down!
After quickly packing our essentials in the morning, we jumped onto the bus to Livingstone. Two hours into the journey, it was becoming obvious that the bus was reluctant to go any further. We eventually made it to a town where we were told that the bus had an electrical fault and that a replacement was on its way from Lusaka and would take an hour to arrive. We've come to understand that an hour in Zambia is not the same length as an English hour. About 3 (English) hours later, our bus arrived and we continued our journey arriving at Fawlty Towers at 6.15pm. We had been on the bus for over 9 hours but spirits remained high.
Fawlty Towers is a world away from where we had been last week and everyone was really pleased and looked forward to the next few days.
To celebrate our arrival, we ordered take-away pizza and then took it in turns to beat Mr Shears at Pool.
Tomorrow we are leaving at 6am to head for the Safari and on to the Victoria Falls.

Sunday 17th July - Travelling down to Livingstone

It is a beautiful morning, and it is warm! After a fantastic bbq last night, the Team are preparing for the long trek to Livingstone by bus. It should take around 6 hours so hopefully the roads are a bit better than the ones we have used to travel to the local villages.

When in Livingstone, we will be staying at a central Youth Hostel ironically named 'Fawlty Towers'. We are looking forward to meeting Zambia's version of 'Basil' and 'Manuel' as well as visiting one of the Wonders of the World, The Victoria Falls.

In the meantime, the Internet is up and running so all the photos have been updated. Please click on the link below to see all the photos from a very special Saturday 16th July.

All the photos from Saturday 16th July

PS Apologies for the spelling mistake from the last Post. It was a long day!!!!!!!!