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Thursday 21st February
I slept better last night, I only woke up once in the night due to my bites and the other times I woke up were just from being too hot or noises. I slept into until around 8.30am, and managed to sleep through most people waking up.
Hayden was awake by the time I awoke I think, as he waved down from the top bunk. The electricity was already out by the time I woke up. I put cream on my bites and got dresses. It wasn't nice putting on a slightly dirty top but my washing was still drying. I felt like an unprepared tourist, as no one else seemed to be bitten to death, sweating like a pig and everyone else seemed to be clean and in nice clothes...was this an illusion or was I doing something wrong. We went to have breakfast, I think Hayden was hungry. He ordered something from the bar, an omelette (it looked good when it arrived full of peppers and 2 bits of buttered bread) he offered to buy me something with his left over money, but I just asked for a cup of tea as I reminded him he needed to buy lunch too! There were no bowls in the kitchen currently, so cereal was delayed. We sat and chatted whilst breakfast was made! It wasn't long before the omelette was ready (they cooked on gas stoves, so no electricity was not an issue). After Hayden had finished his meal I went to find a bowl and I was in luck. I felt bad by offering Hayden some but I didn't want to waste all my food. I had a small bowl, as I wanted to try and sort by pain in swallowing and in my chest, so thought eating small amounts might help. It wasn't as bad today as yesterday but I could still feel it.
After breakfast Hayden showered and I sorted some things out. I took my pills (I tried not taking my vitamins to see if that helped), I wanted to take the pills as soon after breakfast as possible so it could all be digested as possible. It had started raining again lightly outside. I thought I heard it rain in the night, but decided that must have just been a dream but it had in fact rained in the night.
It looked like the new people in the dorm last night were leaving today. Once Hayden was showered and his bag all set (he left me his sun lotion too), we headed into town to get his lunch. I put on my rain coat and off we went. The rain was very light and the coat wasn't really needed. I didn't take my purse so I couldn't buy anything. We just took the short walk to Spar and he brought a sandwich, a energy drink and some cookies. He then gave me his 3.5 Kwata change. We headed back to the hostel as his shuttle was leaving in 10mins, at 11am. As we arrived back, he grabbed his bag and went to ask where he needed to be but the driver was waiting for him, and after our goodbyes he was off. He offered again a room in Melbourne if I needed one.
It was sad to see him go, as I was again by myself and that I was alone and this was it until possibly South America for being with groups.
The power was still out, so my plan to write my diary and download photos kind of went of the window (I didn't want to waste my phone battery in writing in case I couldn't charge it before heading to Olgas to abuse their Internet again), so I got my reading book and bottle of water and went to the 'Chill out Zone' and sat and read. As the electricity was out a lot of the students were unable to work as their computers had died. So there were a couple there reading. The rain had now stopped and as there were clouds in the sky it was a much cooler morning, although warm it was much more bearable. Reading was slow progress. I was clues on time, but I read for a bit and then dozed off for a little nap, when I woke I continued to read and force myself to drink water to see if that would help the pains.
I then thought it must be nearly lunch time so I headed to get some of the left over pasta and more water, I was surprised to see it was 1.20pm. I got a small bowl of pasta again to limit food intake. It was still painful to eat but it was better than yesterday. Lunch was a slow affair as I would try and read between each mouthful, after the pasta I had an apple and more water. Around 2.30pm I was slightly bored of reading, so I washed up my bowl, collected my bag and belongings from the safe box and headed to Olgas. It was getting warmer outside but still much cooler than yesterday. It felt like a quicker walk today and I was soon there. I ordered a cup of tea (cold milk this time) and settled down to emails and messages. I had a good few emails and one from Alice which was nice. I had a response from the parents concerning the doctors, although they seemed to think it wasn't the pills!!! I had responses from the travel agents, to which they either tried to arrange the whole tour or wanted more info, so I replied accordingly. STA had also got back to me about the bus so I asked about them booking flights. Emails seemed to be working, as my the following afternoon I had responses. I also had a few from friends and family, which I intended to reply to that evening and send the next day. Emails and messages still made me smile. After about 90mins the Internet seemed not to be working (it was connecting to wifi but not the Internet), I decided to ask about the Internet but felt a little guilty about abusing them for their Internet and ordered a carrot muffin too. The waiter said the Internet was working, although it wasn't, but left it. A women came to sit next to me and I asked if her Internet was working, she said it seemed to be, although I was still struggling. The muffin came out, it was very nice and warm, it was light and fluffy...a good choice. After giving up with be Internet and reading the old BBC news and starting to write my blog, the lady next to me said her emails were not working. We started talking, she was from England, Essex. We discussed travel plans, she was spending three and a half weeks in Africa, it sounded like she did most what we did; a safari, Zanzibar and living stone. But she was flying between them all and most of it was independent. We also talked about New Zealand and Australia, as she had been there before with her ex-finance. She said the north west of Australia wasn't necessarily worth the trip as it was a massive distance and towns were very spread out, so they were driving 300km a day. She also mentioned some other places on the east coast too. After this we just chatted about Africa and our experience, which was good as we found similar experience. She had been very ill with a stomach bug in Zanzibar, and the British Consulate (as one of her hotels called them as she wasn't well at all), gave her the contact for a doctors in Livingstone. She went to him (very close to Olgas, where she was staying) and said he was very helpful and sweet, he wanted to get her better for her flight in Sunday and prescribed some pills. I asked where it was and about cost, just in case I didn't feel better by Saturday that I had a back up plan. She said he was lovely, spoke excellent English, you walk in and then she paid for the pills. This reassured me as there was help there if needed, I explained why I had all the questions. After her suffering and putting it down to the malaria pills at first, she advised not to suffer.
Time had flown past and as dusk was drawing in, I said I had better leave before it got dark and she said she had better eat something. We said goodbye and that we might see each other in the restaurant again or at the airport (we think we were on the same flight on Sunday). From our conversation, I realised that this was another traveller who had no issues with money, for example a room at that hotel costs 60 dollars a night and she was there 5 nights, and comments absolutely 3/4 star hotels. All I could think at times was if I would ever be successful enough with a job to be able to spend so much on one holiday or would I forever be traveling on such tight budgets. It also made me think about jobs when I get back and how I wanted a job that allowed me to do things, like move out, go on nice holidays and have long weekends with friends without constantly worrying about money. I went to leave the restaurant and as I was walking out the gate the waiter called at me, I had completely forgotten to pay and just walked out, I felt very embarrassed and went to pay straight away and apologised so many times.
By the time I left it was 7pm and getting dark enough. I wouldn't want to leave any later. It was a nice cool temperate to walk at. I called into a petrol station that was on the way home, as I fancied something for after dinner, but nothing took my attention, so did the right thing and saved my money. I was getting better at not buying things for things sake. By the time I reached the hostel it was almost dark and I was glad to be back. The power was still out (it apparently hasn't been back on all day). Groups of people had obviously brought food back to eat at the hostel as a few were all eating pizza. I put my belongings back in the safe box and went to put my bag down. I wasn't overly hungry so decided to write a bit of my diary until my phone died. As I sat down the power came on, so I thought it would be best to charge my phone. I decided to have dinner. I was going to through some peppers and mushrooms in the pasta but people had flocked to the kitchen to abuse the power so instead of waiting (as lots of people cooking on 3 weak electric rings took a lot of time) I just grabbed my cold pasta. The two Swedish girls were in the kitchen, they said they hadn't been able to study as their batteries had died.
I sat outside eating my dinner and writing my diary (I was very very behind at present). I ate slowly as it was still painful to eat, but as I found with my muffin the more I chewed the less painful it was. The hostel then changed the TV channel to show the Europa League football, so whilst writing I was watching Lyon take on Spurs. I was a nice evening. I picked in a nectarine and some cereal whilst watching the football, along with a glass of milk. I continued to write my diary and write some replies to emails. I was by myself for most of the evening, although there were people in the bar. It was nice to be able to relax, as nice as company was it was always slightly tiring to keep conversations going! I watched the football and saw Spurs score in the last minute to progress. The Liverpool vs. Zenit was next on, I watched it until around 10.30pm and now 3-0 down on aggregate and decided it was bed time (although by the time I went to bed Liverpool had scored and I was tempted to watch for longer, but sleep seemed to trump football.
In my head I had a busy day planned, museum, photos, market and wifi to hopefully have more of an idea on cost and dates of flights so I could email family fiends. Kate had said Aryes rock might be a no go as it was proving very expensive. I was gutted to think I wouldn't see it but know it would be expensive!
I just hopped the legs wouldn't be as itchy tonight and I could sleep through, I wasn't overly confident on this!
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