Day 2: The Cultural Village and a football match!

Our first morning in Freetown began with a local dish of chocolate croissants and crêpes. African omelette was also a popular option, alongside fruits such as oranges and pineapple. A trip to the cultural village ensued where we treated to a performance of music and dance and an insight into Sierra Leone culture. Orlando and Barnaby joined in on the drums while we were taught to dance by one of the locals. After he had finished playing, Orlando conned one of the locals into selling him some maracas and Reuben got rejected by a 7 year old girl who was more interested in Mr Brink. Amelie, Linsey and Ellie-May were very popular with the little girls and so was Noah, with none of the children wanting them to leave. Back to the hotel and a quick dip in the swimming pool before going to Papaya for another regional dish (pizza and chips). After lunch, the afternoon involved a trip to a local shop, where some of us bought jewellery or a shirt, before going down to the beach with a football. As a group, we played for a reasonable amount of time before heading back to the hotel. A group of us decided to stay on the beach however, and asked a group of locals for a match. We decided to mix the teams and Barnaby scored quickly. The game was fast-paced a rough, but for Orlando, his toughest opponent was not a member of the other team, but instead the sea, which wiped him out on numerous occasions. Orlando dived at one point in the match, but instead of winning a free-kick, he was fully submerged under an incoming wave and got sand in his eyes. Barnaby, Reuben and Luca were on the winning side and the football was donated by Orlando to the locals so they could continue playing. Dinner in Papaya was a local dish of Jollof rice and chicken, which was lovely. Overall, a great day with many highlights and a perfect first day to our fortnight in Sierra Leone. written by Chris