Well here we are in Gizo. It could be a completely different universe to Honiara. Its beautiful, this is what we came all this way for! Have had a brilliant week settling in, and recovering from the 13 hour boat trip. It was all going so well until the locals started being sick over the side and the wind was blowing in our direction.... Will's birthday was really good on monday, although he did overdo it just slightly, I won't go into details but it is up there with my own personal most shameful moment (ha ha). We have made a few trips around with the other students, as its much cheaper filling the boat and dividing the petrol money. Sauraghi beach was like a postcard, spent all afternoon playing with the local children in the sea and watching them throw themselves out of massive trees into the sea. The locals speak much better English here. Although Honiara is the capital and has the most services/people, Ghizo is similar to a place like Salcombe; the houses are bigger and better kept (even the pre-Tsunami ones), the people are better educated, better dressed, have more money and eat better - less fried foods! We also went to Kennedy Island (see picture) on saturday - it is very small and nobody lives on it but lots of great snorkelling. Also on the island next to it we went snorkelling and I saw a shark, about 2 metres long - I WET myself. Will also wet himself after I started thrashing around like a loon (I clearly have not learnt anything from watching Jaws). Anyway the sharks here aren't rip-your-leg-off scary ones and he just swam on his merry way. We also went to the Clam farm which is on the same island as the airport, spent a few hours learning how to get clams to mate (which is ridiculously compicated); Will now thinks he knows enough to set up one if teaching college isn't right for him We are planning to stay in Gizo for 2 more weeks (total of 3) the go on to another Island in the Western Province called Munda, as we can do more sightseeing and hospital things from there. I am having a good time in the hospital, even less intensive than in Honiara, but more general which is getting me thinking a bit more about medicine as a whole rather than just lady things. I have been out to 2 clinics with the GUNS (Gizo Urban Nursing Service) in the little boat, one in Boboe and another in Konggulavata. In these clinics I actually get to be a Doctor, making diagnoses and handing out tablets. Its a bit scary at times but I'm getting used to it, much more fun than watching all the time! One of the Doctors is off this week as she has got malaria and managed to overdose on anti-malarial tablets, blood pressure dropped into her boots and her heart almost stopped. Gives me a lots of confidence hehe, especially as she is apparently the best Doctor!! On these trips I also saw dolphins jumping out of the water (like in the Disney films) and stingrays, which apparently is unusual but lightning had just hit where they were swimming, they were probably a bit frazzled. We are cooking a lot more for ourselves here, you can buy fish fresh from the sea at about 3pm everyday, a 2 foot yellowfin tuna is 40 SBD (2 pounds 80). However, it is a lot more expensive to get around here, most the places to see and go are by boat, including Fatboys, and the transfers are reasonable but for here quite expensive. Went to Fatboys all day yesterday and Will was delighted to watch Wales-Australia, we also got to have cheese for the first time in a month (cheese and ham toastie format). I also have wonderful news for mother - I have lost HALF a STONE. Without even trying. You won't recognise me by Christmas, unless I go crazy with the takeaways when I get back hehe. All I am actually trying to do is get a tan, Will is black already and getting browner by the day. You'll be pleased to know that we haven't brought the fleas with us, our room here in Phoebe's is small but clean. The toilet only flushes once every half hour though which does cause problems when we all get back from a trip and the first person in has diarrhoea.....I have done a lot of hovering here which means I will amost certainly have an irritable bladder/ incontinence by the age of 35. The shower is also stone cold and is a dribble of water, although I don't mind the coldness as it soothes the patch of sunburn I seem to get somewhere different every day. So to sum up, we are having a brilliant time here and still have plenty to do!!