Arriving at Doogles Backpackers in Blantyre, I was at once struck by it's similarities with Lilongwe: Nearby Limbe is where the main bus station is, and is connected to Blantyre by a main road a couple of kilometers long - similar to Lilongwe city center and old town. However, I soon found that that is where the similarities end. Blantyre was a much easier place for me to find my way around and explore as a pedestrian. The main shops, cafes, etc are all along two or three parallel roads and connected by two roads that both lead to a roundabout close to the backpackers. I arrived on Thursday, giving myself time to settle in and get orientated before the anticipated onslaught of Lilongwe rugby club arriving on their tour the following night. I had also been in touch with Wendy, the niece of dad's partner (we soon agreed that cousin was a much easier description), who lives and teaches in Blantyre with her husband and two kids. We made a plan to go for dinner on Friday evening, and her and her husband Russell came to meet me at Doogles. After a drink, we headed to a charming bustling restaurant tucked away in a place I never would have found, and started catching up as if we were old friends and hadn't only just met: Wendy is as bubbly and chatty as her auntie, and with Russell heavily involved in the Malawi rugby scene (yes, there is one), there wasn't much silence all evening! After a lovely dinner, they dropped me back at Doogles. We would catch up again at the Leslie Sevens competition the next day. As I approached the Doogles bar I noticed some of Lilongwe Rugby Club's usual suspects blatantly violating the curfew set by the captain. He was also there breaking the rules, but then he wrote them, including rule #1: the captain is always right. Happily reunited, we caught up over a couple of drinks and I was informed of the tour rules (pretty standard) and next day's meeting time.

The next morning, there was no over-sleeping thanks to the excited chatter in the hallway and the familiar bustle of a team preparing itself for a day of smashy-smashy. Being solidaric souls, Valeria and I got ready and joined the boys on their minibus, arriving at Blantyre Sport's Club well ahead of the first game. The previous day I had found some epic leopard-print shorts and pairing them with a Lilongwe Leopards playing shirt there was no doubt which team I was supporting - my loyalty was much appreciated by the team. Having come second the previous year, the pressure was on and the air was tense as kicking practice and warm-ups got underway. I was entrusted with the tour book and assigned the essential task of match reporting and tallying fines and punishments. It turns out to be quite a challenge: attempting to act as linesman at the same time as reporting on the fast-paced game of 7s unsure of half the team's names… but Valeria came to the rescue! With plenty of banter and the sun blazing, it was a good day to be a supporter, and had I not been concerned about injury I would have been struggling to not get on the pitch myself. After a chaotic first game, the Lilongwe Leopards upped their game but the "president's invitational team", made up of young national team players, proved too much and Lilongwe were left to compete for the plate. After a successful day of 7s, everyone gathered in the sports club bar for the awards: Lilongwe won the plate, and skipper Stewart won a mug for knocking the ball on over the try-line (ironically, this mug was dropped and didn't survive the night in one piece despite frantic - drunken - gluing efforts). The Leopards also had a most-improved prize of it's own to give out, which it awarded to a local Blantyre team who played with a passion and intensity that belied their small size and limited experience despite being barefoot and without flashy stash. The teams then all disappeared to the changing rooms for notoriously raucous celebrations, and I was told they would be back out in an hour or two. I made myself comfortable in the bar with Valeria, Wendy and the other supporters, preparing to wait a while, but before long I was summoned. As I obediently followed Luke, a member of Lilongwe's committee, I soon found myself in the changing rooms being welcomed and handed the winners' cup filled with Blanta: a lethal brandy and fanta mix. Familiar rugby songs (as well as an unfamiliar less-than-complimentary one about rugby ladies) and banter ensued, and… rule #2: what goes on tour stays on tour, folks.

Sunday morning, a broken sorry bunch, we peeled ourselves out of bed and crawled to the awaiting minivan and a breakfast of KFC. Saying an emotional (hungover) goodbye to the guys, I made my way back to Doogles where I was picked up for lunch with Wendy and her kids. The day was a struggle, and they were kindly patient with me - getting dropped off again that evening I went straight to bed in the hope that I'd feel better in the morning. I did indeed, and I spent the next couple of days staying with Wendy and Russell who had kindly offered to have me. They live on the grounds of the school they teach at, and I spent the days chilling, reading, and taking their adorable golden retriever puppy for walks. In the afternoons, I seamlessly joined the family's routines, going to the vet, picking up their daughter from dance class, and even joining in on a drumming lesson! It was a lovely few days, essentially having been temporarily adopted, and the hospitality and kindness of Wendy and Russell is one that I hope to repay (even if it is in the form of a rented room in a shared flat…). Having already extended my stay in Blantyre, I was well aware of visa restrictions - luckily for them or I may well still be there - and got ready to pack up and leave again!

At Doogles a couple of days previous, I had met a Scottish guy called Ken who had introduced me to an Israeli girl called Lili who also wanted to head to Mozambique but was reluctant to go alone after hearing some stories of instability there. We all wanted to hike Mount Mulanje, so I met them at Doogles and we headed off on what was to be the beginning of an exciting new chapter of my travels. But I'll leave you with that cliffhanger for now: watch this space!