http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Brinylon79/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Brinylon79 en-us Thu, 31 Dec 2009 19:10:14 +0000 Thu, 31 Dec 2009 19:10:14 +0000 I've been home in England for half a week now enjoying some good food although the weather as usual leaves a good deal to be desired...despite some sunshine it has now gone back to form of grey skies and rain which has left me longing for Zambian heat and sunshine This will be my final entry as I guess I am not travelling any longer at least for now now have to find some paid work fai http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/Somerset/Porlock/blog-333901.html This may be my last entry as today is really my last day at work. Tomorrow as I am having a leaving party for my last friday night I am taking the day off to go into Katete to buy some provisions alcohol for it do some cooking in the afternoon. Monday Tuesday are my last days here and will probably be spent getting my house in order before I go. I am getting quite emotional with leav http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Zambia/Eastern-Province/Katete/blog-329971.html I cannot believe that I only have 14 days left herethis time in two weeks I will be on a bus to Lusaka probably devastated at the thought of leaving. It sounds like a cliche but my time here has gone so fast it feels like no time at all. And I suppose that really in the scheme of a lifetime 6 months is hardly any time at all. I certainly would like to do more here but I also feel that it i http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Zambia/Eastern-Province/Katete/blog-326992.html Well this is my second attempt to write this blog this week. I have been so busy that I didn't get a chance until yesterday when I was in such a foul mood that I decided it was probably not the best idea to inflict it on the rest of the world it is not much better today to be truthful but at least not everything is irritating me as it was yesterday. The acting president of the country form http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Zambia/Eastern-Province/Katete/blog-322298.html The country is very subdued here right now due to the President's death funeral which takes place this week. Our latest expedition to the local bars in Katete on Saturday was strangely subdued there were not too many people even Drums was closed although this was because it got closed down by the police Still it didn't stop a crazyalcoholic woman from trailing us and shouting repeatedly http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Zambia/Eastern-Province/Katete/blog-318492.html So another week has passed my time here is rapidly dwindling. Only 6 left to go now. Not quite sure how I feel about it on one hand it will be lovely to come home and see all the friends and family I've been missing over the last six months as well as the usual creature comforts. But it also means the boring issues of job interviews and flat hunting. Still I have not really been getting on to http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Zambia/Eastern-Province/Katete/blog-316424.html I have a few moments on my hands this morning just before I have to go up to the pharmacy to pick up some ARVs don't worry they're not for me they're for another patient doxy is still the only medication I'm on thought I should update even if its still less than a week since the last one. The weather is hotting up here now making everyone rather irritable or so it seemed last night after http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Zambia/Eastern-Province/Katete/blog-313804.html I have just moved offices this week as I am now acting as secretary assistant to the hospital director resident doctor. It is certainly very busy I'm writing this inbetween typing several letters that need to be sent today I am now based in the centre of the hospital right by the clinics rather than out on the edge by the mortuary as I was previously. As I write I can hear children crying http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Zambia/Eastern-Province/Katete/blog-311598.html As of tomorrow anyway. I fly on the Thursday 9th October which means I will be travelling to Lusaka on 8th then I want the 6th 7th to sort my things out in my house make sure it is clean throw away all rubbish give away as much as I can to make my suitcase lighter...so I really only have eight weeks of work left. It seems a frighteningly short time especially when I have also started to l http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Zambia/Eastern-Province/Katete/blog-308977.html St Francis is certainly much quieter with the departure of the five Irish students ten days or so ago...no more occasions of people falling out of trees giving themselves a black eye after drinking too much that wasn't me or trying to chase after elephants nearly falling off a cliff after drinking too much that was me. It's funny how the whole environment seems to change here with the arri http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Zambia/Eastern-Province/Katete/blog-305837.html Again there have been a shameless lack of updates by me lately...work is still very busy I have also just got back from a four day weekend at the game park about 4 hours drive from here. But the good news is that I am staying on until October in fact I would be home today if I'd gone when I first planned. My visa is being processed I have a repeat prescription of profilaxis now I just need http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Zambia/Eastern-Province/Katete/blog-298317.html The last couple of weeks have been incredibly busy for me workwise so I apologise for my lack of updates That said no one at home seems to be responding to my emails any more so I'm not even sure if anyone is still reading this You know who you are please get in touch let me know all the news from homeI have now more or less taken over the daily running of the volunteer accomodation http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Zambia/Eastern-Province/Katete/blog-288883.html My apologies for not updating for so long. First I was away for nearly two weeks travelling on the Lower Zambezi for five days then up to Livingstone Victoria Falls for another few days. Then this week has been really busy taking care of the accomodation for the new medical students who are arriving from Ireland tomorrow as well as going shopping with one of the cooks to buy ingredients for http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Zambia/Eastern-Province/Katete/blog-284014.html Yes I had a blood test this morning and it was negative for malaria...what a relief I thought I'd better as I had an absolutely stinking headache all day yesterday not to mention the temprature chills aches and pains etc. Guess I must just have a bug. But it's not going to stop me going away tomorrow When I come back I should have loads of photos details of my trip to add on here. I've d http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Zambia/Eastern-Province/Katete/blog-277795.html Yes that is when I leave for my safari trip to Victoria Falls. I am so happy to be going off to see a bit of this huge country. It feels like I've barely been here as I have only left the hospital complex once for anywhere further than walking distance since I arrived here. Typical me I have been feeling unwell for the last few days and am hoping it's not malaria. I don't think it is but if http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Zambia/Eastern-Province/Katete/blog-276526.html I can't believe I've been here one month today or tomorrow. The days have just flown despite the odd trauma of being robbed twice the great inconvenience of losing my phone. Still it's Friday afternoon the sun is shining and it's only another 10 days until I take off to Victoria Falls. I can't wait not that there isn't a lot of work to get through before then. Two containers of stock hav http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Zambia/Eastern-Province/blog-274471.html The Zambian bank holiday was yesterday yes I know odd to have a Thursday off then have to go back to work so after a very leisurely lie in even with the power off so no coffee I went out to lunch in Katete with some of the med students one of the doctors. Sadly Fly one of the cutest dogs in the hospital decided to follow us as we walked up the main road to town only to run under th http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Zambia/Eastern-Province/blog-272103.html Yes please note the above...you do not know how lucky you are to have uninterrupted power 24 hours a day let alone hot water when you want it Still it could be classed as fun to have a cold shower in the dark at 6am if you're insane But at least it is sunny every day I'm getting a tan new things are happening every day. Yesterday I wore scrubs for the first time ever. That was fun I rea http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Zambia/Eastern-Province/blog-271441.html I seem to be getting more more acquainted with the creepy crawly variety of African species beside the adventure with the cockroach in the last entry I have now managed to accidently kill the lizard that lived on my windowsill by trapping it under the door trying to get rid of various spiders and found a praying mantis on the wall. Weirdest of all yesterday I found a frog on my kitchen fl http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Zambia/Eastern-Province/blog-269631.html Well it's the start of my second full week here and I really enjoy it. The work is hard but busy which is good I have my own little house and garden which I love as it's my own space to do what I please with. I think that the other volunteers have been easy to get to know are all really friendly. We are relying on each other for entertainment as there are no other sources really no tv n http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Zambia/Eastern-Province/blog-268622.html