Turtles, mangroves and an afternoon off.

Today was a day of rest, so naturally we had a 7am start, but it was worth the early morning to have a beautiful boat ride across the river, surrounded by lush greenery and mangrove trees. We stopped off on the way to see how cinnamon was harvested (a young sapling is peeled of the exterior bark, then the inner layer is gently peeled off and dried), which was very interesting especially as it was a small family which hosted us. They had very little material items, and lived in a beautiful mud hut with incredible scenery around!

Parents finally find a way to get rid of the kids

From there, we gently declined having our feet nibbled by fish, and headed off to the turtle sanctuary. This was a great experience - who knew baby turtles could be so cute?! The guide explained to us the elements involved in the conservation, and how they hatch the eggs in the sanctuary, keep the turtles there for 3 days, then release them into the sea - they have released over 3 million turltes so far, of 5 different varieties. They also keep disabled and injured turtles within the sanctuary, some which can be re-released. Most injuries are caused by humans - boat propellors, floating plastic, and fishing nets.

Skipper enjoying the baby turtles

We all split up for lunch and spent the afternoon relaxing - a mixure of shopping, David getting a haircut (it's a long story..!), amazing henna tattoos and of course, sun, beach and pool. Tomorrow is a even earlier start and another match, so look out for a match report and some tired faces!