After 2 months of the Solomon Islands

I have now left the Solomon Islands and will truly miss it.

We spent the last night in Honiara and the lovely gentleman at Chester Resthouse remembered me. I must have made an impression (hopefully a favourable one). They only had one room left.
The Master Suite.
He said that because he knows the good we've done for the Solomons as Doctors, he gave a vastly cut rate for the room. We most definitely took it!
The room was ensuite with a kitchen as well as a double and a single bed. It was amazing.

The shower was unbelievable. It even had a HOT tap!!! This is about as rare as Megapodes in the Solomon Islands (rare)! It was incredible just to have water running at a speed over your body and be able to wash out weeks of sand, salt, dust etc. out of your hair. Brilliant. I felt so so much cleaner after that!

After an evening meal at Point Cruz Yacht Club and a brunch at Lime Lounge (English breakfast and the best Chocolate Milkshake in the World, that I've tried) we had to head off to the Airport.

A lovely send off by a Bamboo Band and we left the Sunny hot climate of the Solomons.

I am so sad to leave as it suited me perfectly, the relaxed lifestyle and the friendly people.
This sadness was enhanced when cold greeted me in Brisbane, especially as I was in shorts and sandals!

Fairwell Solomons! Au Revoir! I will return!

Week 7

I know it has been a while since I last posted here. This isn't because I've been hiding but rather relaxing.

Gizo is lovely and very beautiful. However, this does mean it is difficult to get energy to do anything, including walking down the hill into town, except when food is involved.

As to what I've been up to... Not much.
However, I have done a night dive which was scary in shark infested waters, but I survived.
I've also scuba dived with sharks! They are such interesting creatures but Hollywood really destroyed their reputation. They are not like Jaws but they do know that they are boss!

It is so cool here, meeting new people that I would otherwise have never had the opportunity to.

I will be sad to leave as this stress free calmness is brilliant and will be sad when the world of work forces it away.

I would really recommend visiting here but only if you enjoy the 'Off the beaten track' beauty of desert islands and tranquility. Don't come here expecting tourist facilities as tourism is so far a concept that hasn't caught on, which has its benefits.

With 992 islands making up the Solomons Islands and only about 150 inhabited, you can still find your own desert island to hide away from all technology and chaos of modern life.

Visit the Solomon Islands and Leave the Modern World behind!

Week 5

Hello,
Just a quick update to reassure any of you who are worried about me.
I've been relaxing in Gizo and enjoying it. Very slow moving here but that is lovely.
These last few days have been a series of firsts:
1) Descaled a fish and prepared it, then cooked it on the barbeque. During the descaling it attacked me, by inserting a sharp spine into my thumb. It swelled up but is now settling. Evil fish.
2) Went to Nurse Outreach Clinic in a village up in the hills. 3 families settled there after fleeing their coastal village when the Tsunami struck in 2007. I say 3 families but really more extended families with lots of children. This was an experience.
3) Taught basic life support in a high school. This was good as they've never been taught it. It was good fun as well as potentially life saving.
4) Finished a 4th book in 5 weeks!!! This never happens!

Anyway, I better go and get some more bananas (as that's my breakfast and lunch).
Oh and not yet been diving again as nursing various wounds and don't want to risk them getting septic, which often happens here.

M.

Day 33 (In Gizo)

I have arrived in Western Province and it is so beautiful.
Everyone is friendly and virtually not traffic. This has its ups and downs as the other day we had to walk 2 hours in the darkness from a beach as the taxi did not arrive with only 2 torches between the 4 of us. An experience, as the stars away from all light, bar a campfire, were phenomenal! I believe I have seen the Southern Cross but oddly can't tell any star signs as we're in the southern hemisphere! Irritating as that is normally a forte.
Yesterday we had to get local to give us a lift back from one of the islands as the 2 'tourist resorts' had stopped their free boats early (without warning) at 7pm!!! However, although this trek to and fro resembled a team building exercise, and was so stressful (1 torch between 4 and roots/upturned trees ready to trip us), we had a brilliant boat trip back with plankton glowing an eerie green as though they were water fireflies/glowworms. Magical!!!
Most of the medics who were here have now left but it seems as though this will be the relax and enjoy the beautiful Solomons aspect of the elective.

Also kayaked around Kennedy Island and also dived a Japanese transport ship and saw a tank, jar of condoms and other delights from the wreck (sunk 1943). However the highlight was almost impaling myself on a LIONFISH, which is poisonous!
http://www.activistangler.com/journal/?currentPage=130

Anyway, I am enjoying the relaxation and bananas (so many and of different types), which put the 'English Bananas' to shame.

Day... I'm off to Gizo

So I have now completed 4 weeks worth of placement in the National Referral Hospital.
It has certainly been an experience.
I am happy though that I have done the placement here, as the large volume of patients I've seen of varying complexities is something that would not have been possible elsewhere.

As for Gizo and Western Province I'll keep you posted (if there is internet, as phone signal is worse there evidently). It is said to be really lovely.

I am now qualified to dive to 30 metres!!! I did an extra day (dive). 30m is very odd. Reds are no longer red and to my fascination at that depth, my skin had turned Green!!! Obviously not really but as no red light to reflect of my arms to give me that rosy colour.
As for fish, not many at 30m but the wreck was amazing and you could see much more of it. Into the bough where a shell must have torn a hole in it, and then up a bit and you hit the coral. The colours continued to wow me. Fish that were half yellow half purple, massive spotted (back and white with yellow fins) fish, pink fish galore and even a pufferfish (I think)!

Anyway, I am all packed. However this domestic flight has 16kg hold limit and 5kg hand luggage. I think I'll be over that. Oh well, just a bit of a surcharge as I can't really jettison suncream and DEET mosquito repellent!

Hopefully, update you all soon. Tan is really nice, well, I have a tan line.
Keep in touch.

Day I haven't got a clue

So, It has been a while since you were last treated to an insight from my life in the Solomons.

It is weirdly enough actually becoming like home. Yes, the routine of being kept up until midnight with traffic on the only road and drunken locals, then children screaming or dogs yelping from about 6am. By 7 then sun is warming my room and by 7:30 it is impossible to get back to the sleep you crave as you are roasting like a pig on a bonfire.
At around 8am we head off to the hospital and say 'Halo' to the local children as we pass, this is in reply to the "Halo whiteman!" that is plaguing my life.
As for the hospital and A+E...
There are 2 new doctors ('interns') and so now I can actually find a doctor to sign the various forms for scans and drugs. This is a revelation. I know, it is hard to believe but as much as I love running an A+E department by myself it does get frustrating when you need the scan to discharge or admit, just to rule out important differentials but if you sign then Ultrasound department won't accept it as only ONE scanner for whole hospital. Also, due to this, guess what URGENT means on the form... maybe sometime in next 2 weeks! Luckily though "Pliz fit in" for the very urgent ones does help.
I can't get over the large volume of miscarriages (or abortions as all called here) and general gynae problems. Just so unexpected.
Also been graced with the impressively rare, with medical terms I have never been taught about. However that was a unique case and luckily the medical 'notes' (an exercise book with pages falling out) gave me the diagnosis.

Anyway enough of the medicine as you must be bored of the medic talk by now.

Water.

Actually, No water.

This makes hydration and general hygiene a big issue. The water is not even reliable. We have had 24 hours without water straight earlier this week, as well as many smaller losses of 6-10 hours and trickles inbetween.
Having a shower is impossible but can't be helped, nowhere near enough power to even start it. As for the toilet... I am getting used the smell of festering Number 2s. Not out of love of them i have you know but of lack of water in the cistern and no rain water to manually fill it. Therefore bowels basically are being regulated on whether there is enough water to fill the cistern or you physically can't hold it any longer.
Sorry, just realised girls may be reading this and be grossed out. Sorry. But it is important to get an accurate picture of my current life.

Also, I was so pleased to finally have breakfast on Friday. This is because at the beginning of the week we ran out of bread and hospital was too intensive to get any more, so was living off 1 meal a day.
On the plus side, definitely losing weight!

Also, finishing in Hospital next week as we need a holiday. We have just booked flights to Gizo on Friday 3pm. I'm really looking forward to this.

I'm also now a qualified PADI Open Water Diver!

Day 17

Went for 2 more dives yesterday and topped this off with a large gourmet pizza at the Raintree Cafe and a Chocolate cake (not that chocolatey - definitely miss Belgian or any kind of chocolate).

The dives were amazing. Got attacked by a territorial yellow fish (?Yellow tang). It was looking at me so I thought I'd play with it. so jabbed my finger at it. It made itself big and puffed out its sides and then started jabbing at my mask. Needless to say I got out of there and my breathing control went to pot.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_marine_aquarium_fish_species
That page shows a lot of photos of the fish I have seen. Maybe when I have time I'll list their names. Certainly seen various types of Angelfish and Clownfish. Also saw my first Trianglefish (genuinely a triangle!)

Anyway better go as got work e-mails to send. Off to a Hotel again to use their swimming pool and relax.

P.S. In yet another Internet Cafe in NPF Plaza. $24/hr but faster internet.

P.P.S. If you have never dived on a coral reef, you are missing out. Do it.

14 days since landing here...

Dia all,

Weather is still hot, with the occasional relief of rain. Spent the weekend in hotels swimming (Honiara hotel and Heritage Park hotel). HH is not worth the $30 entry, although it has the only 25m pool, and the advert that has views of Honiara from the pool is a lie. Heritage Park Hotel on the other hand cost us $50 (reduced rate from adult visitor of $100) for the pool for a day. It is not worth the $100 but the view was spectacular and it even had a stony beach where you could paddle in the sea. Food was reasonably priced, moreso than Solomon Kitano Medana Hotel, which was horrendously pricey. Brilliant toilet and shower facilites (only hotel to have shower for day guests), only let down was that it only has 1 sun lounger.

As I'm sure I've said before Point Cruz Yacht Club is the best value for money place for food.

Onto yesterdays activity... Scuba Diving!!!
Yes, that is correct. We had our first day of PADI Open Water Course, with Tulagi Diving at White River (just outside Honiara). At only $3500 it is the best value dive school in the Solomons. We started with a couple of hours theory then packed up the gear and went diving!
We travelled to the Dive site in the back of a rusty truck, with our German instructor driving. The wind in our hair and palm tree (and other types) lined road, this is the country we were expecting to see.
The road had SPEED BUMPS! Advanced you are thinking for the country I've been describing... you are wrong. Instead of the British Sleeping Policeman (or its modern alternative), they have made DITCHES! Yes, the road has holes in it, that have been dug into the asphalt. They made for a very bumpy and occasionally painful ride, even at 1 mph.
Custom had to be paid at the beach (fee for using the beach) and then we arrived at the beach.

It is incredible!!!!!!!!!! The white sand, lined by palm trees, and the sea... a perfect blue and hot (30 degrees). Heaven.

Onto the diving.
We kitted up and entered the water without a wetsuit, as way too hot. Putting on our fins and masks then the descent. The blue sea, white sand and beautiful coral immediately hit you. Then we touched down. Some of us having a few issues. A beige fish with blue stripes came up and greeted us. Immediately this was better than British Diving. We then noticed that J had his fins on upside down!!! Hillarious. Unfotunately laughing underwater is not as easy as on surface.
After doing some basic skills we went for a swim.
We were diving Bonegi I, a Japanese cargo ship that was trying to beach itself after being attacked by American planes. A second wave sunk it just before it landed! It starts at 5m and goes down to 50m! A must dive.

This untouched wreck with every kind for coral was undescribable. The vibrance of the colours looks like something from the best aquarium in the world. As for the fish... electric blues, blacks, yellows, oranges, pinks, greens, purples, sandy colours all mixed in a variety of tiny to pretty big fish. For some the coral was a protection (like the clownfish, yes, I saw Nemo and his family) and others an obstruction. Everything from Angelfish, to parrotfish (that have a beak), to tiny electric blue fish, to Crayfish, to the massive groupers and probably tuna. I just can't get over how I have never done this before. It cannot put it into words. Playing with fish, chasing them, just admiring them in their natural habitat... AN ABSOLUTE MUST FOR ANY HUMAN BEING!!!
Didn't see any sharks luckily. =).

After a short air tank change we went again, a little deeper this time and saw more of the wrech. At times looming over us. Brilliant!

We finished the day by going to the much recommended Raintree Cafe and had a lovely Tropical Giant Pizza for $210 (not really enough for 3 post diving). The pineapples here are incredible, as are green bananas!!!

Basically, you need to visit Solomons for the BEST Diving in the World!!!

Day 9, I believe, but could be 4 weeks

So I am back in the air conditioned internet cafe once more at $10 for 30min, worth that just for coolness.

Yesterday was a mixed day...

A&E - saw lots of patients in the morning using my English/Pidgin mishmash and managing them accordingly. A few back pains, quite a lot of gynae problems and also trauma in past still causing problems. It is amazing how long some people stay at home before seeing doctor, some several years with quite bad problems. Unfortunately as good as my English history taking is and my vast 'communication skills' teaching in med school it just is impossible here and basically history is:
List of problems (cough etc), Look for response either verbal or non verbal (raise of eyebrows=yes), then 'Long? Day, week, month' which occasionally gets reply 'long time' (not the most helpful when need to present case to doc) and then examination in the chair as the examination couch is too high for some to get on (and no adjustable head control for different positions, just flat).
When it comes to presenting to a doctor you just have to hope they haven't just decided to leave as they work on, as patients refer to it, 'Solomon time'... basically go home or 'pick up children' for half a day if they want to and the staff and patients just accept it. So unlike Britain.
Afternoon - saw fractured hand X-ray (I spotted it) and it needed traction, fixing straight and plastering. Fracture clinic had no doctors. So Dr said he would. We got everything ready and told him, so sign. We reminded him 3 times and he said last time he was just finishing last few (of morning cases we saw) 1 hour 30min after initially ready. Then after 2 hours of waiting we looked again, and he had GONE HOME! The patient wasn't even surprised! I was shocked.


Onto the evening after a chaotic and frustrating day...
We (Rhod, Jana and I) went to Point Cruz Yacht Club, which we heard was good. $30 entry and $20 off food, it is the BEST PLACE TO EAT so far. I had Panfried fish and chips... perfectly cooked.
We sat on a table by the sandy beach with palm trees around. It was a whole new world.
A lovely several hour relax from Honiara and iffy water supply of Kiwi house, which was much needed.
We were treated to best sunset ever with a new colour/shade of red and also a lightning storm all over!!!
The weather cooled and it was perfect.

Off to hotel pool now for swim.

Day 6 or 7... lost count

aftnanun,

Ok, soI'm back at the internet cafe. I've now moved from Chester Resthouse to Kiwi house on hospital compound as much easier to get to placement. I'm in A&E (accident and emergency). Doctors (4 of them working 7 days a week) are lovely and proactive. I'm currently with Jana but he is moving after 2 weeks to anaesthetics. I haven't decided yet whether to do another speciality.
A&E is basically like UK A&E and GP merged (as latter doesn't exist).
Seen some interesting cases and some UK like (bronchiolitis very common in children). Most cases are infection related. As for further tests: FBC, U&E, LFTs, Xrays, Ultrasounds are only available. This may seem a lot but this is basically the only hospital in solomon islands.

although English is official language only 2% speak it and 96% pidgin. Pidgin is odd language as sounds like broken english, and phonetical, but not all english sounding words mean the same. Medical terms are basically the same (vomitim, cough, fever, diarrhoea but not pain = soa (logical if think about it)).

Honiara: Not paradise. Dusty, noisy, busy and EXPENSIVE!!! although $12 to 1 pound it is more expensive than UK!!!!! A main meal is not possible for under 10 pounds. Money is not lasting anywhere near as long as need it to.

Chester accommodation is $220 per night (22 pounds) and so that adds up and Kiwi house (soon to be demolished) only $400 for whole stay - but not that good quality. No shower, and water tempermental.
However it does have fans, beds, gas hobs, and a roof. Mum would probably struggle to live in it but it will so probably 800 pounds!!!!

Basically summing up here... you can't live on budget and don't know how locals can afford to live.
Also, not safe after dark.