Ayubowan........

We are sitting around a big table at the Golden Mile restaurant on the beach in Mount Lavinia waiting for our final meal in Sri Lanka. It's time to look back and reflect. Mr Knight will begin ......

What a fabulous group of young people! It has been a real privilege to have been the AidCamp Co-ordinater for this first ever School AidCamp. Many people complain about the behaviour and manners of young people in the UK - they should watch the efforts, the kindness and the brilliant behaviour of Rookwood students. Thank you to the tremendous efforts of Mrs. Clarke & Mrs. Speed. My thanks to everyone involved in organising and setting up this amazing experience. Please excuse the beer - I think I deserve it!

 

 

 

These past 2 weeks have been eye opening and life changing. From day one I already knew that I wanted to do this again. I've experienced a new culture, tried new food and made some amazing friends. From sandsifting to water fights on the beach I've enjoyed every minute. It's an experience I'll never forget.

 

I'm never going to get another opportunity to write on this blog again so I'll make the most of it...

OMg Yolo It waZ gr8 yh EEeeEEe luv da tripz 2 tmplz.

Thanks for commenting lots mum - Good day.

Here is me just after I was given a flower that the children from another Serve centre had made for us, sadly we didn't have time to visit this centre but they were shipped over to where we would be, another example of how accommodating and incredible the Sri Lankan people are.

The highlight for me, apart from the obvious safari, was definitely meeting the children and making friends, for example with my best friends Dinesh and Lulach, it has been a once in a lifetime chance.

Love you all and looking forward to seeing you tomorrow, Sophie xxx

Hello! It's our last day here in Sri Lanka, I have had an amazing time and today it's my birthday and I have had a brilliant day! Looking forward to seeing everyone in England soon! Bye xx

 

Hey all, it's me Andrew. Just wanting to say I have had an amazing 2 weeks here in Sri Lanka. Looking forward to going home and seeing the family. Good night and see all of you tomorrow in England !

Thank you to all the teachers, the staff at Serve and everyone back home who have all supported us and made this trip the success it was. See you all back at home tomorrow!

 

I have had the most amazing time here, and I do not want to leave. The teachers have been incredible,we've all had an awesome time. One last time over and out.

 

Hey all!! Today was our last day :( but I am so glad to see you tomorrow. The trip was really a once in a life time experience, which I will keep with me forever. (sorry it's short but I am tired and need to get some sleep for tomorrow) Mum I hope you're okay. And dad I looking forward to see you tomorrow xxx

 

If I were to say that these past two weeks have been fantastic, it would be an understatement. The teachers have been absolutely wonderful, bar the occasional loss of patience mainly due to sleep deprivation, they have been cheerful, fun and have always had a smile on their faces. I look forward to the similar experiences I may get in the future and because of this trip I will make sure I make the most of what's potentially coming up. YOLO! Finally I'd like to say 'cheers bro' to everyone who joined me for making this trip, whether it were the staff at Serve or the whole Sri Lankan population who have truly put up with a lot. Be home soon guys!

 

Wow not an attractive picture but hey, the food was awesome after eating rice for breakfast, lunch and dinner 24/7 for 2 weeks. Really looking forward to going home now and seeing my family. Had an awesome time here and will see everyone when I get back tomorrow after a painful 12 hour flight.

 

This trip for me has been completely life altering. Seeing all the aspects of Sri Lankan society from the beach resorts to village life to shanty towns has made me appreciate what I have even more. I'm sure everyone on this trip will remember the experiences and friendships gained forever, I know I certainly will and everyone has one moment that they will hold with them. I'm so grateful to everyone who made this trip possible- all my love, Hannah xxx

 

I don't think there is a word that can describe my time in Sri Lanka. It has been incredible! It has exceeded my expectations and they were extremely high to start with. All the new and different things I have experienced have truly opened my eyes to 'the big wide world'; I am now even more determined to see more. It has been an experience never to forget.

See you tomorrow, love Em x

 

Summing up this trip in a paragraph Is tough, there are many memories from this once in a life time experience that I will never forget. Being here has changed my outlook on a lot of things in our world but more importantly I have had a great time here. This trip has made me more determined to travel because travel does broaden the mind in a variety of ways. I have had an amazing experience that I couldn't put a price on and there can be no doubt that Rookwood could not have ended in better style than a trip to the other side of the world!.

 

 

 

 

Abracadabra

Words cannot describe the experiences I have had while on this trip. Everything has been totally amazing and I really hope that the past 2 weeks had not gone by so quickly. I had high expectations at the beginning of this trip and they have been exceeded by a mile. I hope that I will come back to Sri Lanka in the future to experience more of what this beautiful county has to offer.

Love Sam X

What a bad photo, but otherwise an amazing time in Sri Lanka!

So basically all my very high expectations of an absolutely amazing trip have been reached. I am going to miss it here and I really don't want to leave. It's going to be very odd going back to England and nobody is staring and smiling. The whole country has amazed me and experiencing all the differences have been fascinating!

Thank you so much for everyone that has helped made this trip possible. It's been so worth it, utterly fantastic!

 

 

 

I feel incredibly lucky to have been part of this very special AidCamp - and if any of these Rookwood students fancy taking part in an adult AidCamp in a few years' time I personally would welcome them with open arms! I am sure that with such an adventurous spirit they will all go on to great things. Hope to see you all again soon Rookwood!

What can we say to top the above? The students have been a credit to their families and Rookwood School. They will undoubtedly be very tired when they return but they will have some great stories to tell.....

Thanks for all your blog comments - we have looked forward to reading them every day. We have had almost 7000 page views - amazing.

 

A special thank you to these two guys. Sarath, our driver on the left, is the king of serendipity - taking us to amazing temples and pointing out camouflaged wildlife that we would have never spotted on our own. Ruwantha, on the right, our Serve contact, has taught us the meaning of Sri Lankan time. Always cheerful he really went the extra mile to ensure that we saw so many wonderful sights during our time in Sri Lanka.

Our final photo outside The Mount Lavinia Hotel. Goodnight and see you tomorrow...........

 

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