Day 7 -One Final Trek and a Football Fix

The alarm went off at 5:00am with high hopes of catching the England vs Norway game. Unfortunately, the jungle had other ideas. No broadband meant no football, so after a brief moment of disappointment, we did the only sensible thing and headed straight back to bed!

After breakfast, it was time for our final 3km walk. By now we’d learnt that Malaysian miles don’t translate particularly well into English miles, so we were all expecting another epic morning trek rather than a gentle stroll.

Fortunately, breakfast was more than enough to fuel the adventure. Alongside the usual eggs, rice, noodles and pineapple, we enjoyed sausage, tapioca hash browns, homemade banana bread, and marble cake – a breakfast that certainly left nobody hungry!

There was a slight delay to proceedings as Ollie’s enthusiasm for the previous night’s chilli came back to haunt him, holding the group up by a very respectable 12 minutes!

Setting off through the lowlands and into the village, with the Kadamaian River bubbling away beside us, spirits were high. The route took us through beautiful paddy fields before joining a section of trail that forms part of an international ultra-marathon route. It suddenly made us all feel a little more athletic! Our guide, Sabheer, proudly sporting his trademark yellow socks, casually mentioned that he had finished in the top 10 of the event – making the rest of us even more grateful that our day only involved 3km rather than the full ultra distance! Eventually, we reached the track where our transport was waiting, and the air-conditioned ride back to the homestay was a luxury everyone appreciated. As we boarded -Jo was quick to remind us of the local minibus rules ( see pic) ensuring everyone was seated safely and behaving themselves – a responsibility she took very seriously!

Back at the homestay, Operation Washing began in earnest. Within an hour we’d transformed the Malaysian countryside into a fully functioning laundrette, with washing lines full of clothes stretching in every available direction!

Our hopes of finally catching the football highlights suffered another setback when the electricity disappeared. Most teams would have admitted defeat, but not this one. Armed with a patchy 3G signal, plenty of determination and an astonishing 17 cans of Coke, we pieced together 18 glorious minutes of Norwegian TV coverage. It was enough! The cheers echoed around the homestay as we watched King Jude Bellingham inspire England to victory, sending the Norwegians packing back to their longboats. It may not have been the full 90 minutes, but judging by the celebrations, you would never have known. Sometimes the best sporting moments are the ones you’ve had to work hardest to see!

The rest of the afternoon and evening was all about relaxing after a busy few days. Arulier, six-year-old Miki’s daughter, provided boundless energy and an endless supply of imaginative games, quickly recruiting Kesia, Ffion, Anna, Meg and Jo into her world of make-believe. One particular favourite saw everyone transformed into busy bees, desperately trying to protect their honey while avoiding being caught – a game that brought plenty of laughter from players and spectators alike.

There were also impromptu games of coconut shy using drinks cans, volleyball played over the washing lines, and countless rounds of Mafia, with accusations and dramatic eliminations flying around the room. Congratulations to top scorers Anna and Annie for being crowned Mafia champions!

As the day drew to a close, everyone was more than happy to turn in early. After one last adventure-filled day, our beds were a very welcome sight.

Written by Mr Boughton & Mrs Leighton