Well here is my last entry from Gizo - very sad...

Have had an amazingly quick last week!  It surprising how so much of your time when away is focused on how long it is until you leave.  Talking about what you want to do still before leaving; where you're off to next; or how many malaria tablets you have left to take!  Now the end is here, all i'm wishing for is just one more week!  Have to say it doesn't help that Honiara is expecting it's new parlimentary elections this coming week so am anticipating some airport delays and potential curfews in the evenings I am there, which won't be fun.  But fingers crossed, my sources tell me all should be well until next weekend, by which point I shall be lazing around on a beach in Fiji!

The hospital has been incredibly busy again this week.  Two new students from Bristol Uni have arrived who have settled in very well and are slowly getting over the culture shock!  Saw a chap with crazy leg ulcers who turned out to have leprosy (1st case i've seen here).  We are now all paranoid we have it as it's so highly infectious!  But i'm sure we're fine!  Seeing patients with newly diagnosed TB and hepatitis has become the norm for me here.  It's been good experience to have to teach the 'newbies' though.  Dr Ghabu put me in charge of 'training' this week!  What is there to train I asked myself...there ARE no protocols!  But compiled a 'cheat sheet' of drugs for them instead.  A nice end to the week on Friday; reviewed a case of type 2 diabetes, a lovely old lady who's medication hadn't been changed in about 10 yrs!  I changed all of her tablets and she came in crying and hugged me thanking me for making her feel so much better.  It was incredibly rewarding, especially as Diabetes isn't my strong point (sorry Felix!).

Have spent most of my afternoons diving to try and complete my PADI course before leaving.  Alex has been my training 'buddy' which has been cool, and we've had such a laugh doing it together (it could potentially be a bit boring on your own!).  You have to do certain exercises underwater, such as removing your mask and hovvering in mid-water.  They started calling me 'the astronaught' as I couldn't get my bouyancy right at all...couldn't clear my mask properly, and how I haven't got the 'bends' from doing some questionable emergency asents to the surface I don't know!  But it's been a great experience and has helped me face my fear of the ocean, so money well spent!

Had my 'leaving do' at the hotel on Friday night which was great fun - lots of G&T consumed (although tried not to mix it with SolBrew this week!).  Danced with a lot of the locals and it was really nice that so many turned up for a boogie.  Didn't feel too great at the 8am start for diving on Saturday.  Had to dive a WWII Japanese ship wreck, which was a bit erie but glad I did it.  Then feasted on a mahimahi and rice BBQ - perfect hangover food!

Today am feeling very sad, it's my last day in this wonderful place.  Am flying out to Honiara this afternoon (after a last lunch at Fatboys!).  The people here are so amazingly friendly and the island so beautiful.  I'll never forget the memories I have and the lovely people i've met along the way.  Hope they all know they'll be friends for life now!  I can't think of any wise words to say, so I shall steal the words of a wise man before me;

"So long Gizo, and thanks for all the fish..."