Agandi from Kisiizi
I am actually back in England and this my last bit of news about my time in Uganda! I returned to the UK yesterday and am settling back in, the washing is done (I tried to smuggle Peace back in my bag but she was having none of it!!) and I have been reunited with my rabbit, Pip (ahhh!).
The last week in Uganda was lovely. For a start it actually stopped raining!! I had done nearly all my visits to the various wards and departments and so spent my time working on my favourite wards. This was medical and maternity. It was great to go back to these wards and I felt that I was beginning to understand how the wards worked and where I could be most useful. It was a privilege and really rewarding to help and do some nursing. The Ugandans really like to be cared for by a white person (??!) and are very grateful for help.
I did quite a bit of teaching. It is not my favourite job (when teaching is mentioned at work, I tend to go quiet and try and blend into the wall paper!) but by the end of my time there I felt more confident.
I spent two days on the medical ward and a day on maternity. I hated maternity as a student nurse but have really enjoyed it at Kisiizi. I was able to do quite a lot. They would have had me delivering babies but I resisted and just looked after the babies when they popped out. It was great fun and I learnt lots. I have no plans to be a midwife, it was just so interesting to do a type of nursing that is poles apart from what I do in England.
I also spent a day going out with Hope Ministries. This is an department in the hospital that deals with children who have been orphaned either because of AIDS or other illnesses. They may have lost 1 or both parents. The team provide practical help and support to the orphans. They sometimes need to build them a new house if they have unsuitable living conditions, they provide financial support so that the children can get schooling (education is very expensive in Uganda) and they also provide counselling.
It was an amazing day, quite an eyeopener. We first visited a grandmother who's granddaughter is at boarding school (they are not like our boarding schools here). They had fallen out and they had not seen the grand daughter for a while. This girl was 13. The house that had been built for her to live in had been vandalised by a family member and there was a lot of family conflict. We went to talk to the grand mother and then the girl at school. Following Knight (who leads Hope ministries) talking to both parties it seems that they will try to make more of an effort to support the girl and provide help at home. Can you imagine, she was only 13?
We also visited another family to check out their situation so that Hope ministries could offer support. There were 2 orphans there, very cute children who were very happy to see us. We took balloons and little toys for them. When we arrived the family grew from 2 to about 15 as all the local children turned up to see the white people!! This family lived in very poor conditions. Mud huts with banana leaf roofs (a lot of houses have tin roofs). Its so hard to imagine what it would be like to live there, we are so wealthy in the west. There was quite a sick grandparent there who needed to go to hospital but couldn't afford the deposit to pay for his hospital admission (about £12).
It was a great day, very moving, challenging and interesting. Its so great that Hope ministries can visit these families and make such a difference to their lives. It is hard to know what else to say, I hope I remember what it is like for so many Africans when I am complaining that I don't have the latest computer or TV.
My last few days I spent visiting people. I went Peace's (the lovely lady who cooked for me and looked after me) house for supper, (but it was more like a feast) with another ex pat called Diana. Peace and her family live up on the hillside, up a mud track (mind you its all mud tracks and roads there!), in a nice house. It is still a mud type structure, but with 4 rooms, a separate kitchen hut, loo hut and shower room (with no roof so you can watch the wide life whilst you wash!!). They have a banana plantation and like most people in Kisiizi they work on the land to provide some income. They have no electricity and have to fetch their water. 3 of her children sang songs and entertained us, it was lovely.
I left Kisiizi on Sunday morning, waved off by the other ex pats there. I was very sad to leave, I felt like I made lots of friends and was beginning to feel very settled and used to the way of life there. There are so many things that I will miss about Kisiizi. My friends, the lovely singing (have I mentioned that I like the singing!!), the sound of rain on my tin roof, really sweet bananas and other tropical fruits, the birds (there are so many colourful, noisy birds around, a bird spotters paradise!), the slow pace of life, roast pork and roast potatoes (a weekly treat at Jane & Adrian's), cake (never thought I'd be in Africa eating coffee and walnut cake and chocolate cake on a daily basis, it was great!), the green hills and stunning views, people greeting you on the street and children shouting in a load excited voice 'Muzungo' (they love to come and touch a white person and will go back and tell there family all about it!).
I won't miss the rain (mind you I am back in the UK!), the internet going down and power cuts at night (its not easy preparing teaching sessions by candle light!).
I hope this blog has helped you see a bit of what my time in Africa was like. I had a great time , I'd love to go back again. Although I did feel at the beginning that I was more of a hindrance than a help by the end I felt very settled and that I was able to contribute to the work going on in the hospital.
Thank you for reading and that's all for now,
Love Penny xx
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Monday, September 17, 2007
Hello again from Kisiizi
Sorry its been a while since I last blogged, a combination of being busy here, enjoying myself and lots of power cuts during this week. Kisiizi doesn't have many power cuts as it has hydro electric power from the waterfall. It seems that a lot of Uganda suffers from power cuts regularly during the day. But here we have them only occasionally apart from this week when their have been a few problems. A few years ago they had a power cut here for 3 months, imagine that. I don't complain when it is for 3 hours!!!
I have had a great 2 weeks working on the wards. I spent a day on maternity where I saw lots of babies (funny that!). At the end of the day the sister asked me if I'd like to deliver the next baby, she was serious!! I came up with some excuse about that not being very safe for the mother or baby!!! The women here deliver their babies with NO pain relief and no screaming or shouting, they just get on with it often with no one there apart from the midwife.
I have also been out on community visits. Not like the community visits I do at home. We drove to a village, down a mud road, where they have some community buildings that are opened up. Before long the place is buzzing, with people selling and buying fruit and veg, getting their babies immunised and weighed, adults having HIV tests and counselling and also anti-natal appointments. It was great fun and interesting to see. I loved being involved in that. They also do community teaching about HIV or malaria prevention.
At the weekend I away to Queen Elizabeth National Park. We (me and a dutch medical student called Maarten) went early on Saturday morning with a hospital driver caller Augustine. It was a 4 hour drive on mainly bumpy, pot holed mud roads. It will be strange to get home to England with the roads being very smooth and relatively pothole free!! Again I was treated to some lovely scenery on the way as we travelled over hills and through valleys. We stopped on route at some hot springs. It was full of Ugandans bathing and relaxing. We didn't join them in the hot springs, didn't fancy showing all to a group of strangers!!! Just before we arrived at the park we stopped at a look out over the national park and could see the park stretch out before us as far as the eye could see. It is a large park that lies in a western rift valley, near to DRC Congo.
On the road leading to the park we saw an elephant and some monkeys. The monkeys hang around for passing cars and beg for food, they seemed to quite like kit kats!! When we arrived we booked onto a boat trip on the kasinga channel. This is a really long stretch of water that joins lake George and Edward together. On the boat trip we saw lots of hippos, it was like moving through hippo soup, they were everywhere. Mostly submerged but then there would be some bubbles and up came a hippo for a breath of fresh air. They are very large and cause the most human casualties at the park. We were quite safe in our boat! Along the edge of the water we saw elephants playing, buffalos drinking, crocodiles, antelopes and loads of birds.
There were some very strange noises outside my window in the evening, it sounded like a large person in wellies squelching through the mud. I was a little worried for a few seconds as I thought someone was trying to get in my window!! But I soon realised that it was a warthog eating grass!! They are very noisy eaters. The next day was an early start to catch the animals before they hid or took shade from the hot sun. So we were up at 6am and on the road or game drive by 6.30. We saw a beautiful elephant, they are so large and Augustine jumped and reversed the car very quickly when we bumped into him (not literally!). They are very careful around elephants as they will charge the car and squash it if they are provoked or protecting their young. We also saw many herds of buffalos, Ugandan kobs, water bucks (both antelopes), a stray hippo and lions lying in the grass about 10 metres away from our car (they were drooling a bit, thinking we looked like a tasty snack!!!). On our way back to the hostel we had to stop to let a herd of elephants cross the road, so amazing to see. It was so great to see these animals in their home as their guest!! A great weekend.
I am now getting into the swing of things here and have arranged some teaching sessions on pain control in palliative care. I have taught the student nurses and will also do a session for the doctors and the staff nurses also. This week I have spent some time in the operating theatre where I saw someones hand sown back on after he had half chopped it off cutting wood!! I also had a day in rehab where I saw them correct club foot. They manipulate the foot back into the right position, without giving the child any anesthesia. It is very painful for the child/baby and they scream the house down. Needless to say doing talks on pain control here seems a bit futile when they seem to put up with so much pain and suffering.
Thats all for now, I could carry on writting more but will leave it at that for now and put some more on soon. I have only about 10 days left here now and will be sad to leave as it is beginning to feel more and more like home.
Thanks for reading, love Penny
Sorry its been a while since I last blogged, a combination of being busy here, enjoying myself and lots of power cuts during this week. Kisiizi doesn't have many power cuts as it has hydro electric power from the waterfall. It seems that a lot of Uganda suffers from power cuts regularly during the day. But here we have them only occasionally apart from this week when their have been a few problems. A few years ago they had a power cut here for 3 months, imagine that. I don't complain when it is for 3 hours!!!
I have had a great 2 weeks working on the wards. I spent a day on maternity where I saw lots of babies (funny that!). At the end of the day the sister asked me if I'd like to deliver the next baby, she was serious!! I came up with some excuse about that not being very safe for the mother or baby!!! The women here deliver their babies with NO pain relief and no screaming or shouting, they just get on with it often with no one there apart from the midwife.
I have also been out on community visits. Not like the community visits I do at home. We drove to a village, down a mud road, where they have some community buildings that are opened up. Before long the place is buzzing, with people selling and buying fruit and veg, getting their babies immunised and weighed, adults having HIV tests and counselling and also anti-natal appointments. It was great fun and interesting to see. I loved being involved in that. They also do community teaching about HIV or malaria prevention.
At the weekend I away to Queen Elizabeth National Park. We (me and a dutch medical student called Maarten) went early on Saturday morning with a hospital driver caller Augustine. It was a 4 hour drive on mainly bumpy, pot holed mud roads. It will be strange to get home to England with the roads being very smooth and relatively pothole free!! Again I was treated to some lovely scenery on the way as we travelled over hills and through valleys. We stopped on route at some hot springs. It was full of Ugandans bathing and relaxing. We didn't join them in the hot springs, didn't fancy showing all to a group of strangers!!! Just before we arrived at the park we stopped at a look out over the national park and could see the park stretch out before us as far as the eye could see. It is a large park that lies in a western rift valley, near to DRC Congo.
On the road leading to the park we saw an elephant and some monkeys. The monkeys hang around for passing cars and beg for food, they seemed to quite like kit kats!! When we arrived we booked onto a boat trip on the kasinga channel. This is a really long stretch of water that joins lake George and Edward together. On the boat trip we saw lots of hippos, it was like moving through hippo soup, they were everywhere. Mostly submerged but then there would be some bubbles and up came a hippo for a breath of fresh air. They are very large and cause the most human casualties at the park. We were quite safe in our boat! Along the edge of the water we saw elephants playing, buffalos drinking, crocodiles, antelopes and loads of birds.
There were some very strange noises outside my window in the evening, it sounded like a large person in wellies squelching through the mud. I was a little worried for a few seconds as I thought someone was trying to get in my window!! But I soon realised that it was a warthog eating grass!! They are very noisy eaters. The next day was an early start to catch the animals before they hid or took shade from the hot sun. So we were up at 6am and on the road or game drive by 6.30. We saw a beautiful elephant, they are so large and Augustine jumped and reversed the car very quickly when we bumped into him (not literally!). They are very careful around elephants as they will charge the car and squash it if they are provoked or protecting their young. We also saw many herds of buffalos, Ugandan kobs, water bucks (both antelopes), a stray hippo and lions lying in the grass about 10 metres away from our car (they were drooling a bit, thinking we looked like a tasty snack!!!). On our way back to the hostel we had to stop to let a herd of elephants cross the road, so amazing to see. It was so great to see these animals in their home as their guest!! A great weekend.
I am now getting into the swing of things here and have arranged some teaching sessions on pain control in palliative care. I have taught the student nurses and will also do a session for the doctors and the staff nurses also. This week I have spent some time in the operating theatre where I saw someones hand sown back on after he had half chopped it off cutting wood!! I also had a day in rehab where I saw them correct club foot. They manipulate the foot back into the right position, without giving the child any anesthesia. It is very painful for the child/baby and they scream the house down. Needless to say doing talks on pain control here seems a bit futile when they seem to put up with so much pain and suffering.
Thats all for now, I could carry on writting more but will leave it at that for now and put some more on soon. I have only about 10 days left here now and will be sad to leave as it is beginning to feel more and more like home.
Thanks for reading, love Penny
Saturday, September 08, 2007
Agaandi from wet, rainy and cold Kisiizi!!!!
I hear that the weather in the UK is really nice. That’s great as England really could do with some nice weather. But here in Kisiizi it is pouring with rain (cats and dogs with a big thunder & lightening storms) and it is also quite cold. I seem to have come in the rainy season, which is usually in October (its early!). It is good because they need the rain but it does mean that the roads get very flooded and muddy and you can't go out as much. I am lucky because I have a house and can take shelter but for the Ugandans who live in huts it must be very difficult to cope with. I haven’t come prepared (apart from an umbrella) for this kind of weather (as it was not meant to rain till October!) so I am getting very wet!
My first weekend here was lovely. It consisted of being well feed by the muzungu’s (white people) who live here, going to chapel and relaxing!! I know that I have already said this but the Ugandan singing is so lovely, it sounds like a thousand piece choir, they really know how to harmonise and make a beautiful noise. I also took a walk with Hazel to see a lovely old Ugandan lady (called Marcella) and stayed for sodas (coke) and were sent off with a gift of some beautiful tie dyed material. Marcella really doesn’t have a lot and so it is very humbling when she insisted on giving us a gift. When you leave someones house they 'give you a push', which means they walk with you some of the way home.
Since I last wrote I have done my first weeks work in over 7 months and it has been a bit of a shock to the system!! I have worked on the surgical, medical and isolation wards. It has been really interesting being on the wards and so, so different to nursing in England. For a start they just don't have the medical supplies that we have and they make do with so little resources (I will try not to complain about the NHS again!!). Some of the wards are quite dirty and the level of ward cleanliness leaves a lot to be desired.
Most of the patients have an attendant. This is usually a family member who will help the patient with bathing, provide & prepare their food and generally do a lot of the jobs that nurses in the UK normally do. This leaves the nurses with jobs like giving drugs, doing dressing and other such tasks. The standard of nursing care is lower than in the UK. That is hard to see when you know it could be so much better. I have found that I do a lot of standing around, trying to find things to do. The language barrier makes it more difficult as I can't just go up to a patient to see how they are, I need to take a nurse with me. It can be very frustrating!
On a more positive note I have felt that I have used my knowledge a little with some informal ward teaching on palliative care with the nurses and doctors. It has been good to spend some time on the wards and it is a lovely opportunity to get to know the nurses. I would love to be able to influence patient care and palliative care here but I think I would have to be here for years to do that!!!
In the evenings I tend to visit the other Brits here and it is nice to spend time with them and here about their life here in Kiziisi. I hope over the next 3 weeks I will be able to visit the Ugandans too. I also went shopping (to buy some much needed food) in Kabale. It is south of Kiziisi and very close to the Rwandan border. The scenery on the journey was amazing, very hilly, and all the hills were terraces for farming. Everywhere there are banana plantations and farming-the land is so fertile here. On the way back we stopped off at a fruit and veg market which was quite an experience. You have to stay in the car and the sellers come up to the car with wicker trays full of veg. They swamp the car and are shouting at you to buy stuff!! If you are not careful they chuck veg into the car so that you have to buy them!!! It was quite a bewildering experience, but we came away with what we needed and no extra cabbages etc!!
Driving here is also interesting!! I think that Ugandans are the worst drivers in the world. They love to drive very fast which is odd because in everything else they are quite relaxed and laid back!! I have not braved the local bus or matato (minibus type taxi) yet. I may just stick to safer, slower taxis!!
Next week I will spend some time on maternity, out patients and in community outreach. I am also doing some teaching on palliative care to the student nurses. Next weekend I am hoping to go to Queen Elizabeth National Park with one of the medical students and go on safari.
That's all for now and weballi (thanks in Ruchiga) for reading
Love Penny
I hear that the weather in the UK is really nice. That’s great as England really could do with some nice weather. But here in Kisiizi it is pouring with rain (cats and dogs with a big thunder & lightening storms) and it is also quite cold. I seem to have come in the rainy season, which is usually in October (its early!). It is good because they need the rain but it does mean that the roads get very flooded and muddy and you can't go out as much. I am lucky because I have a house and can take shelter but for the Ugandans who live in huts it must be very difficult to cope with. I haven’t come prepared (apart from an umbrella) for this kind of weather (as it was not meant to rain till October!) so I am getting very wet!
My first weekend here was lovely. It consisted of being well feed by the muzungu’s (white people) who live here, going to chapel and relaxing!! I know that I have already said this but the Ugandan singing is so lovely, it sounds like a thousand piece choir, they really know how to harmonise and make a beautiful noise. I also took a walk with Hazel to see a lovely old Ugandan lady (called Marcella) and stayed for sodas (coke) and were sent off with a gift of some beautiful tie dyed material. Marcella really doesn’t have a lot and so it is very humbling when she insisted on giving us a gift. When you leave someones house they 'give you a push', which means they walk with you some of the way home.
Since I last wrote I have done my first weeks work in over 7 months and it has been a bit of a shock to the system!! I have worked on the surgical, medical and isolation wards. It has been really interesting being on the wards and so, so different to nursing in England. For a start they just don't have the medical supplies that we have and they make do with so little resources (I will try not to complain about the NHS again!!). Some of the wards are quite dirty and the level of ward cleanliness leaves a lot to be desired.
Most of the patients have an attendant. This is usually a family member who will help the patient with bathing, provide & prepare their food and generally do a lot of the jobs that nurses in the UK normally do. This leaves the nurses with jobs like giving drugs, doing dressing and other such tasks. The standard of nursing care is lower than in the UK. That is hard to see when you know it could be so much better. I have found that I do a lot of standing around, trying to find things to do. The language barrier makes it more difficult as I can't just go up to a patient to see how they are, I need to take a nurse with me. It can be very frustrating!
On a more positive note I have felt that I have used my knowledge a little with some informal ward teaching on palliative care with the nurses and doctors. It has been good to spend some time on the wards and it is a lovely opportunity to get to know the nurses. I would love to be able to influence patient care and palliative care here but I think I would have to be here for years to do that!!!
In the evenings I tend to visit the other Brits here and it is nice to spend time with them and here about their life here in Kiziisi. I hope over the next 3 weeks I will be able to visit the Ugandans too. I also went shopping (to buy some much needed food) in Kabale. It is south of Kiziisi and very close to the Rwandan border. The scenery on the journey was amazing, very hilly, and all the hills were terraces for farming. Everywhere there are banana plantations and farming-the land is so fertile here. On the way back we stopped off at a fruit and veg market which was quite an experience. You have to stay in the car and the sellers come up to the car with wicker trays full of veg. They swamp the car and are shouting at you to buy stuff!! If you are not careful they chuck veg into the car so that you have to buy them!!! It was quite a bewildering experience, but we came away with what we needed and no extra cabbages etc!!
Driving here is also interesting!! I think that Ugandans are the worst drivers in the world. They love to drive very fast which is odd because in everything else they are quite relaxed and laid back!! I have not braved the local bus or matato (minibus type taxi) yet. I may just stick to safer, slower taxis!!
Next week I will spend some time on maternity, out patients and in community outreach. I am also doing some teaching on palliative care to the student nurses. Next weekend I am hoping to go to Queen Elizabeth National Park with one of the medical students and go on safari.
That's all for now and weballi (thanks in Ruchiga) for reading
Love Penny
Saturday, September 01, 2007
Agaandi (Hello) from Kisiizi
I have been in Kisiizi for 2 days now and am settling in.
I left home on Tuesday evening. The flight over from the UK was fine, I went via Dubai and then Addis Ababa, and so it was a long flight, taking 16 hours door to door. I met a lovely GP from Scotland, called Mary, who was going to work at another hospital. She was very helpful and gave me a lot of hints and tips, helping me to get my visa at Entebbe airport. I was met at the airport by the guesthouse I was staying at and felt well looked after. Travelling to deepest darkest Africa (although it is not deep or dark at all!) alone was a very daunting prospect, I was very apprehensive about coming but it has been fine. Ugandan people are very friendly, helpful and warm.
The next day, by this time it was Thursday, I travelled to the hospital. I was collected from the guesthouse in Kampala by Yassin who drove me down to Kisiizi (a 6 hour journey). We crossed the equator quite soon into our journey and I was back in the southern hemisphere again!! Uganda is a beautiful country and called the ‘Pearl of Africa’. It is very green, hilly in places (particularly in the west) and a nice climate.
Kisiizi is such a pretty place. Set in the hills, about 600m above sea level. It is about 30km from the Congo boarder. All around it is green and lush, there are lots of banana plants and trees. There is a big waterfall here also, which is used to power the hospital and surrounding hospital houses. The climate is pleasant, sunny and very cool at night. Today it is raining and dreary, like England can be!!
As soon as I arrived at Kisiizi I was given a warm welcome, consisting of a cup of tea and a slice of cake from Jane and Adrian ( missionary couple who have worked here for 7 years). I was then met by Hazel who gave me a guided tour of the hospital. She is from the UK and is 80 years young. She is a nurse tutor here and has been for 9 years. Since retirering has lived and served as a missionary in the Congo, Zambia, Papua New Guinea & more. She is an amazing lady.
I am staying in a 2 bed roomed house, sharing it with Heidi, a cat. It is well equipped with everything I would have at home, including a hot shower. I have a house girl called Peace, she does my washing, ironing, cooking and cleaning. She is lovely, a fantastic cook and very helpful, showing me the ropes!! It s very odd having someone do these things for you and makes me feel quite uncomfortable.
These past two days have consisted of settling in and meeting lots of people. Greetings are very important here and you say hello to everyone and ask how they are, it takes along time!! Often when I say Hello to someone, they giggle!! Ummm, that’s quite normal!! I have also been to chapel. We have to go every morning at 8am, it is part of the life of the hospital. The African singing and clapping is so vibrant, not to be missed and will help me to wake up in the morning!
I will say more about the actual hospital once I start work on Monday. I am going to spend time working on all the wards, including maternity and the neonatal unit (which is a corridor with 2 incubators in it) & going out with the community teams. As well as doing some teaching with the student nurses each week.
Thank you for reading, sorry this is so long, there is so much to say and I could go on for ages!! It is so good to be here and such a great way to end what has been an amazing time travelling this year.
I will write again soon with another truckload of info!!!!
Love Penny xx
I have been in Kisiizi for 2 days now and am settling in.
I left home on Tuesday evening. The flight over from the UK was fine, I went via Dubai and then Addis Ababa, and so it was a long flight, taking 16 hours door to door. I met a lovely GP from Scotland, called Mary, who was going to work at another hospital. She was very helpful and gave me a lot of hints and tips, helping me to get my visa at Entebbe airport. I was met at the airport by the guesthouse I was staying at and felt well looked after. Travelling to deepest darkest Africa (although it is not deep or dark at all!) alone was a very daunting prospect, I was very apprehensive about coming but it has been fine. Ugandan people are very friendly, helpful and warm.
The next day, by this time it was Thursday, I travelled to the hospital. I was collected from the guesthouse in Kampala by Yassin who drove me down to Kisiizi (a 6 hour journey). We crossed the equator quite soon into our journey and I was back in the southern hemisphere again!! Uganda is a beautiful country and called the ‘Pearl of Africa’. It is very green, hilly in places (particularly in the west) and a nice climate.
Kisiizi is such a pretty place. Set in the hills, about 600m above sea level. It is about 30km from the Congo boarder. All around it is green and lush, there are lots of banana plants and trees. There is a big waterfall here also, which is used to power the hospital and surrounding hospital houses. The climate is pleasant, sunny and very cool at night. Today it is raining and dreary, like England can be!!
As soon as I arrived at Kisiizi I was given a warm welcome, consisting of a cup of tea and a slice of cake from Jane and Adrian ( missionary couple who have worked here for 7 years). I was then met by Hazel who gave me a guided tour of the hospital. She is from the UK and is 80 years young. She is a nurse tutor here and has been for 9 years. Since retirering has lived and served as a missionary in the Congo, Zambia, Papua New Guinea & more. She is an amazing lady.
I am staying in a 2 bed roomed house, sharing it with Heidi, a cat. It is well equipped with everything I would have at home, including a hot shower. I have a house girl called Peace, she does my washing, ironing, cooking and cleaning. She is lovely, a fantastic cook and very helpful, showing me the ropes!! It s very odd having someone do these things for you and makes me feel quite uncomfortable.
These past two days have consisted of settling in and meeting lots of people. Greetings are very important here and you say hello to everyone and ask how they are, it takes along time!! Often when I say Hello to someone, they giggle!! Ummm, that’s quite normal!! I have also been to chapel. We have to go every morning at 8am, it is part of the life of the hospital. The African singing and clapping is so vibrant, not to be missed and will help me to wake up in the morning!
I will say more about the actual hospital once I start work on Monday. I am going to spend time working on all the wards, including maternity and the neonatal unit (which is a corridor with 2 incubators in it) & going out with the community teams. As well as doing some teaching with the student nurses each week.
Thank you for reading, sorry this is so long, there is so much to say and I could go on for ages!! It is so good to be here and such a great way to end what has been an amazing time travelling this year.
I will write again soon with another truckload of info!!!!
Love Penny xx
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Dear All
After a week and a bit life back in England seems more normal. It has been great to get home and to see freinds, family and my rabbit! I am really looking forward to a holiday (its been a while!!) in the lake district with all my family in about 10 days. Now I am home I making plans to go to Uganda at the end of August for about 7 weeks to work in a hospital.
Anyway thats all for now, I'll keep you posted on Uganda and hope to use this blog whilst I am in Africa.
With Love, Penny xx
With Love, Penny xx
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Hi all,
just a quick one to let you know that we arrived back at Heathrow safe and sound on Monday. I (Linda) then went back to Glos to pick up my car, staying with friends, and therefore was immedately confronted with the turmoil of floods, devastation in many ways and the water going off only 2 hours after I arrived back - and we're a "developed" nation!!
Aside form that the biggest shock was being faced with so many choices of everyday items, and also being reunited with so many possessions, especially clothes. When you've been living out of a rucsac for 6 months with very limited choice, having so much to pick and choose between is pretty overwhelming!
I'm now in North Yorks at my Mum's, being well fed, rested, taking my lovely lurcher Jake for walks and trying to prepare for RAF Cranwell......a WEEK TODAY, yikes! Running, walking, breaking my really uncomfortable boots in, reading, form filling etc is all involved, and some of it at a much lower level than I intended! Hey ho.
Thanks for following our blog, for comments, encouragements and for providing a much needed link with life back home. If I get the chance, I'll add some more Blog comments during my RAF training, but things are going to be pretty hectic and full on, and access to some parts of the internet very limited.
Oh well, at least I get a 2 week break at the end of August when the whole college has a fortnight's shut down........ so that's me off to Egypt for a week with my dive buddy Kim, back to the Hilton at Dahab.......it's a hard life, but somebody has to do it!!
Til next time, blog buddies. Do keep in touch, by e.mail or mobile, or comments here!
Love from Linda xx
just a quick one to let you know that we arrived back at Heathrow safe and sound on Monday. I (Linda) then went back to Glos to pick up my car, staying with friends, and therefore was immedately confronted with the turmoil of floods, devastation in many ways and the water going off only 2 hours after I arrived back - and we're a "developed" nation!!
Aside form that the biggest shock was being faced with so many choices of everyday items, and also being reunited with so many possessions, especially clothes. When you've been living out of a rucsac for 6 months with very limited choice, having so much to pick and choose between is pretty overwhelming!
I'm now in North Yorks at my Mum's, being well fed, rested, taking my lovely lurcher Jake for walks and trying to prepare for RAF Cranwell......a WEEK TODAY, yikes! Running, walking, breaking my really uncomfortable boots in, reading, form filling etc is all involved, and some of it at a much lower level than I intended! Hey ho.
Thanks for following our blog, for comments, encouragements and for providing a much needed link with life back home. If I get the chance, I'll add some more Blog comments during my RAF training, but things are going to be pretty hectic and full on, and access to some parts of the internet very limited.
Oh well, at least I get a 2 week break at the end of August when the whole college has a fortnight's shut down........ so that's me off to Egypt for a week with my dive buddy Kim, back to the Hilton at Dahab.......it's a hard life, but somebody has to do it!!
Til next time, blog buddies. Do keep in touch, by e.mail or mobile, or comments here!
Love from Linda xx
Friday, July 20, 2007
Hi everyone,
here we are in Pisco, home of the "famous" Pisco Sour (and not a lot else!). We´d never heard of Pisco Sour before coming to S Am, and our first taste of it was in Business Class flying on from Easter Island..... sorry, we just had to get that on record one more time...... business class, hurrah!
Anyway, we digress.... Where were we last, ah yes, Cusco. In the midst of all sorts of confusion and uncertainties involving the many strikes around Peru for different causes we found ourselves unsure whether to still try and get to Arequipa, to visit the Colca Canyon where the condors live, or to change tack and head north west to Pisco on the coast, via Nazca. Due to a certain amount of paralysis on our part we decided to leave it to a flip of the coin, and Nazca/Pisco came through.
Our night bus from Cusco to Nazca was a very posh bus, by Peruvian standards, but that didn´t save us from the horribly winding steep roads, as we came over the Andes travelling from 3,400 meters to 500 meters over night. Our ears were popping regularly and water bottles were pinging and crunching left right and centre due to the pressure changes, lovely! The bus also started to take on the resemblance of a fridge around midnight, and it took several failed attempts at telling the stewardess this before it later on turned into the inside of an oven warming up to gas mark 8!! The joys of travel...
When we got to Nazca, around 7.30 am we were taken to our hostal in a clapped out, very huge US Oldsmobile, with a "trunk" big enough to conceal an elephant (or two). We were then taken to our windowless "cell". When we asked for a room with a window the reply was that nobody ever stays more than one night in Nazca, so they never bother giving them windows!!
It then became apparent that we should book on to our flight to the Nazca lines that day, as the weather had been somewhat dodgy in previous days. So, after very littel sleep the night before, a quick shower and a cuppa (trying to find black tea was also a big challenge that we didn´t quite manage) we found ourselves being hurled and dipped about in a tiny 4 seater plane (one of the 4 seats was the pilot´s) looking at the LInes.
"What are the Nazca Lines" we hear you cry. Well, go look it up you lazy people! Just to give you a clue though, they´re ancient drawings and lines made in the Peruvian desert, discovered only when aviation began, as the only way to see them properly is from the air. The drawings include a hummingbird, monkey, spider, condor, an "astronaut" or man waving, and various other figures. It was amazing to see, but towards the end we were more intent on our "sick bags" than the Lines, shame really. One of us threw up, and one of us almost did (bet you really wanted to know that!).
It was really worth seeing, and a very important national heritage site in Peru, just a shame it was so like a rollercoaster for which we were totally unprepared! Linda´s not sure what to make of any possible RAF fast-jet opportunities in the future, given such a hair raising(!) experience in a little wind-up 4 seater!!! Hey ho.....
Anyway, the next day we moved on from Nazca to Pisco (home of the famous aforementioned "Sour") which is a rather nondescript coastal port (especially when the sun doesn´t shine) after the bright and bustling Cusco and the more quaint and sleepy Plaza of Nazca. Yesterday morning very early we went off to see the Ballestas Islands, reached by speedboat, where we saw bottlenose dolphins playing near the harbour, as well as vast numbers of pellicans. As we moved on the the islands, there were thousands of different sea birds, including cormorants, turns, Peruvian boobies (ooh er missis), not to mention many sea lions and quite a few penguins! It was a really interesting morning, and we were delighted to be told all about the local Guano (bird pooh), harvesting techniques, local uses etc.... and boy did we know when we were there...such a lovely aroma - NOT!! Amazingly, none of us got fired upon, but there were a few close calls!
From riots and tear gas to guanu assault attacks and all sorts in between we feel like joining the SAS now. Back to our sedate little travels....
We leave Pisco this evening and travel on to Lima, staying at an Airport Hotel overnight. Our flight heads out mid morning (hopefully) and we then arrive in Miama, for our last night´s stay which will be with Sue & Art, Penny´s rellies-in-law (yup, even more of em..... those Hewitts get about!).
It looks like our last entry will be from Miami, although we guess it´s only fair to sign off properly once back in England. However, we´ll possibly both use the site for some ongoing updates - Linda from the RAF training college and Penny from........ AFRICA, Uganda, Kisiizi to be precise...watch this space for more details, how exciting!!!
Well, here we are, up to date again on our blog, like good girly swats, so it´s time to sigh off and get ready to leave Pisco, which includes putting some MORE PHOTOS ON FLICKR!!
Bye for now folks, thanks for dropping by.
Til next time....
love from Penny & Linda xx
here we are in Pisco, home of the "famous" Pisco Sour (and not a lot else!). We´d never heard of Pisco Sour before coming to S Am, and our first taste of it was in Business Class flying on from Easter Island..... sorry, we just had to get that on record one more time...... business class, hurrah!
Anyway, we digress.... Where were we last, ah yes, Cusco. In the midst of all sorts of confusion and uncertainties involving the many strikes around Peru for different causes we found ourselves unsure whether to still try and get to Arequipa, to visit the Colca Canyon where the condors live, or to change tack and head north west to Pisco on the coast, via Nazca. Due to a certain amount of paralysis on our part we decided to leave it to a flip of the coin, and Nazca/Pisco came through.
Our night bus from Cusco to Nazca was a very posh bus, by Peruvian standards, but that didn´t save us from the horribly winding steep roads, as we came over the Andes travelling from 3,400 meters to 500 meters over night. Our ears were popping regularly and water bottles were pinging and crunching left right and centre due to the pressure changes, lovely! The bus also started to take on the resemblance of a fridge around midnight, and it took several failed attempts at telling the stewardess this before it later on turned into the inside of an oven warming up to gas mark 8!! The joys of travel...
When we got to Nazca, around 7.30 am we were taken to our hostal in a clapped out, very huge US Oldsmobile, with a "trunk" big enough to conceal an elephant (or two). We were then taken to our windowless "cell". When we asked for a room with a window the reply was that nobody ever stays more than one night in Nazca, so they never bother giving them windows!!
It then became apparent that we should book on to our flight to the Nazca lines that day, as the weather had been somewhat dodgy in previous days. So, after very littel sleep the night before, a quick shower and a cuppa (trying to find black tea was also a big challenge that we didn´t quite manage) we found ourselves being hurled and dipped about in a tiny 4 seater plane (one of the 4 seats was the pilot´s) looking at the LInes.
"What are the Nazca Lines" we hear you cry. Well, go look it up you lazy people! Just to give you a clue though, they´re ancient drawings and lines made in the Peruvian desert, discovered only when aviation began, as the only way to see them properly is from the air. The drawings include a hummingbird, monkey, spider, condor, an "astronaut" or man waving, and various other figures. It was amazing to see, but towards the end we were more intent on our "sick bags" than the Lines, shame really. One of us threw up, and one of us almost did (bet you really wanted to know that!).
It was really worth seeing, and a very important national heritage site in Peru, just a shame it was so like a rollercoaster for which we were totally unprepared! Linda´s not sure what to make of any possible RAF fast-jet opportunities in the future, given such a hair raising(!) experience in a little wind-up 4 seater!!! Hey ho.....
Anyway, the next day we moved on from Nazca to Pisco (home of the famous aforementioned "Sour") which is a rather nondescript coastal port (especially when the sun doesn´t shine) after the bright and bustling Cusco and the more quaint and sleepy Plaza of Nazca. Yesterday morning very early we went off to see the Ballestas Islands, reached by speedboat, where we saw bottlenose dolphins playing near the harbour, as well as vast numbers of pellicans. As we moved on the the islands, there were thousands of different sea birds, including cormorants, turns, Peruvian boobies (ooh er missis), not to mention many sea lions and quite a few penguins! It was a really interesting morning, and we were delighted to be told all about the local Guano (bird pooh), harvesting techniques, local uses etc.... and boy did we know when we were there...such a lovely aroma - NOT!! Amazingly, none of us got fired upon, but there were a few close calls!
From riots and tear gas to guanu assault attacks and all sorts in between we feel like joining the SAS now. Back to our sedate little travels....
We leave Pisco this evening and travel on to Lima, staying at an Airport Hotel overnight. Our flight heads out mid morning (hopefully) and we then arrive in Miama, for our last night´s stay which will be with Sue & Art, Penny´s rellies-in-law (yup, even more of em..... those Hewitts get about!).
It looks like our last entry will be from Miami, although we guess it´s only fair to sign off properly once back in England. However, we´ll possibly both use the site for some ongoing updates - Linda from the RAF training college and Penny from........ AFRICA, Uganda, Kisiizi to be precise...watch this space for more details, how exciting!!!
Well, here we are, up to date again on our blog, like good girly swats, so it´s time to sigh off and get ready to leave Pisco, which includes putting some MORE PHOTOS ON FLICKR!!
Bye for now folks, thanks for dropping by.
Til next time....
love from Penny & Linda xx
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