Monday 09 January

07h30 wake up, complete packing

08h00 breakfast

08h30 start trip home with a 2hour bus trip to Budapest airport

10h30 check in

12h30 board flight to Istanbul

15h00 (moved watches forward 1 hour) landed in Istanbul. The guys shopped, ate and played cards for the next 8 hours at the airport

11h00 started boarding

12h55 Turkish flight took off for JHB

Tuesday 10 January

09h30 landed in JHB and spent 1 hour on the ground while they refuelled the plane.

10h30 plane now had a lot less people on so everybody could stretch out and sleep.

12h45 bumpy landing in Cape Town, parents there to meet. Shane’s bag got left in Istanbul but was to be put on the next flight to Cape Town

Wednesday 11 January

A shock the every bodies system to be back at school.

Friday 06 January

A clear frosty morning

09h00 breakfast at the hotel

11h00 walk down to the pool for practice match

14h00 lunch and then went to town with Michaelosh, went to a shopping centre which was full of Gypsy’s. The guys were a bit nervous of them and stuck in big groups. Mzi was the star attraction in the town. Everyone tucked into McDonalds burgers as supper was only at 21h30.

19h00 walk down to pool for practice match

21h30 supper then the walk up the hill to the hotel

Saturday 07 January

Cold frosty morning -2 degrees

09h00 breakfast at the hotel

10h30 walk down to the pool for practice match

After practice lunch and then went to watch the BVSC women’s team play against a team from Harvard University (Vanda our escort from Budapest was playing) after that the guys had a choice to go to the Turkish baths or go shopping.

18h30 walked down to the pool and watched the Harvard team play against Eger women.

19h30 practice

21h00 suppers

Started snowing

Sunday 08 January

Snowed all night so the whole town was white, snow still falling. First time Devon had been in snow.

09h00 breakfast at the hotel

10h30 walk down to the pool for practice match which took longer than normal because it was a continuous snow ball fight all the way down the hill. Locals must have thought we were mad.

12h30 lunch then some went to sleep and others went to town and ordered the biggest burgers they had ever seen at the Retro Burger shop. Dan ate his in no time, Rory and Jason had to force the last bit in. No trouble for Devon, he had chips as well. This all after a good lunch. On the way back up the hill to the hotel snow was flung in all directions again.

James and Thomas were lying in the snow in their costumes taking photos. They had to jump into the Jacuzzi to thaw out afterwards.

19h30 the last practice. After the practice some guys swopped clothes with the Eger players then we went to supper.  The other half of the team went to the Retro Burger and Devon ordered another one. Guys started packing as the bus arrives at 08h30 in the morning.

And so ends 32 hours of training and 50km of walking to the pools and back. Everybody had a great time and they learnt a lot,

Tuesday 03 January

Overcast morning clearing to a warmish day (10 degrees)

09h00 2 hour practice session with BVSC 1st team coach. The guys all learnt a lot and gave a 100%

12h00 lunch at Don Pepe

13h30 caught bus and tram to town to go ice skating. Unfortunately they needed ID to hire skates so they went shopping.

18h00 practice match against BVSC u16A.

20h00 super at Don Pepe then everyone collapsed into bed

Wednesday 04 January

Cool cloudy morning

09h00 2 hour training session with BVSC 1st team coach. Helped with tactics and defence.

12h00 lunch at Don Pepe

After lunch some guys caught the metro to town others slept.

16h30 bought a polo ball and all signed it as a present for Vanda our English speaking escort. She was very happy with it.

17h00 last training session at BVSC. Some guys managed to exchange kit with the BVSC players they had played against all week.

20h00 last supper at Don Pepe

Thursday 05 January

Breakfast at the hotel then we packed up and got on our bus for the 2 hour trip to Eger.

12h00 arrived in Eger and had lunch at Melyviz restaurant ( this is where we would be eating all or lunches and suppers. It was right next to the Eger indoor pool)

13h00 bus took us up the 1km hill to our hotel. Villa Citadella, a loverly hotel which overlooks the town of Eger.

13h30 our escort Michaelosh took us into town and showed us the Eger Castle.

18h00 walked down the big hill in icy drizzle the Eger indoor pool for the practice match against thei u18b team. The guys held their own with both our goalies having very good games.

20h00 supper and then the walk up the big hill back to the hotel.

Training session 1 with BVSC 1st team coach (Norbert)

1                     warm up200m freestyle

100m head up

100m backstroke

2                     Freestyle head up pushing the ball, concentrate on rhythm. 6 laps

Head up throwing the ball hand to hand between strokes plus backstroke doing the same thing. 6 laps

Treading water moving forward with ball jumps every 2 metres. 4 laps

Treading water moving forward with alternating ball jumps every 2 metres. 4 laps

Head up crawl with “bokking” between posts. 8 laps

3                      In groups of 3. 2 balls per group. Far side lunging, close side treading with ball in air. 3rd person swims between the two. 4 at each point per player.

Same as above just moved further apart

4                     Same groups as above. 2 player’s 5metre apart passing to each other. One in the middle  blokking.

5                     Groups in a triangle. Pass x30 each way

6                     Groups in a triangle. Pass x30 each way with 2 boks

7                     Shooting at goals. 2 groups from 5m away from goalie.

8                     Warm down 20 laps

Training session 2 with BVSC 1st team coach (Norbert)

1              warm up              8 laps freestyle, 10 laps breaststroke there, backstroke back. 10 laps freestyle.

2              in 2 lines 4 metres apart on each side of halfway line. Pass in pairs and then swim to goal line and back.

3              using small heavy balls (3kg each). In groups on the halfway 2 tread water with balls above their heads, 2 swim to goal line and back. Keep alternating.

4              in same groups of 4 as above. 1 player on each goal line treading water with 3kg balls. 2 players on each side of halfway line passing the ball 10 times each to each other then swim to player on goal line and swop.

5              shooting in 2 groups at each goal from 5m away

6              shooting in 2 groups at each goal from 5m away with 2 blockers. Concentrating on blocking tactics and communication between defenders and goalie.

7              practice game concentrating on defence tactics practiced above. Man up/down tactics.

8              5 minutes freestyle warm down

Thursday 29 December 2011

14h00 All met at Cape Town airport

17h00 Boarded Turkish airline flight for Istanbul via Johannesburg

Friday 30 December 2011

06h00 arrived in Istanbul. Spent 4 hours at the airport.

10h00 Boarded Turkish airlines flight for Budapest. We were in a 25 plane traffic jam waiting to take off. Eventually left at 11h00.

Move watches back 1 hour so arrived in Budapest at 12h00. Went through customs and changed money into Hungarian Forints.

Were met by our English speaking escort Meszaros Vanda. Travelled by bus to our hotel Zuglo.

Dropped bags off and went for lunch. The biggest pizzas any of us had seen at Don Pepe restuarant

Went back to the hotel to unpack.

18h00 practice match against BVSC 2nd team

20h00 supper then the walk back to the hotel (about 1 km) very cold outdoors

Saturday 31 December 2011

09h00 breakfast at the hotel

10h00 practice match against same team

12h00 lunch

17h00 caught tram and underground train to town centre, street party, live bands, fireworks

21h00 back to the hotel for formal dinner with old timers. Stuart managed to dance with a granny

Sunday 01 January

Light snow in the early morning. Free time until lunch at  Don Pepe the restaurant next to the BVSC pool where we have all our meals except breakfast.

14h00 bus tour of the city, a bit cold and wet. Still getting used to it getting dark by 16h30

18h00 training session at the BVSC pool. A good fitness session. All pulled through well

20h00 supper at Don Pepe. Rory upset because they forgot to give him food. Stuart, Byron and Shane still had another XXXL pizza after the meal.

Monday 02 January

Woke up to a clear frosty morning. Marewaahn spent half the morning in the sauna.

10h00 2 hour practice at BVSC.

12h00 lunch at Don Pepe then a free afternoon, some went to town, some slept.

18h00 practice match against BVSC u16A. Guys played well and held their own. All very tierd after the double session.

20h00 super at Don Pepe

Tuesday 03 January

Overcast morning clearing to a warmish day (10 degrees)

09h00 2 hour practice session with BVSC 1st team coach. The guys all learnt a lot and gave a 100%

12h00 lunch at Don Pepe

13h30 caught bus and tram to town to go ice skating. Unfortunately they needed ID to hire skates so they went shopping.