Letters from a beach bum

Well, one boring afternoon and one bag on m&m's later - I finally had the patience to sit down and wait while this computer uploaded some images! The first one is Sandy Beach where I go swimming in the evenings. Next is me on the cruise last sunday (rum punch in hand!). And finally is one of many beautiful sunsets taken from inland looking out across the water. Actually, taken from beside Oprah Winfrey's house here...very big and fancy neighbourhood! (Not where I live...hahahaha....but we took a drive there).

This week has been a lot of fun. I helped Ray use and abuse the Hilton hotel again on Tuesday night. We had drinks by the bar, free salsa dancing lessons by the pool, watched the sunset and then had dinner at one of the restaurants there. I think I may have graduated to a new class of living! It was definitely fancy. I think the waiters were spying on us and would swoop in as soon as you were done to clear your plate, bring new cutlery for the next course, and refill my water from a glass Evian bottle done up to look like wine!

The hospital hasn't been so exciting. There are not many patients on the ward right now and I'm not allowed to actually DO anything, I just watch. Most days I get sent home by lunchtime because there is nothing to do...which sounds like fun but really I did come here to learn something, so that aspect is a bit disappointing. But the people I have met there are great and I've had lots of time to study so I did improve some book skills!!

I've also started taking the private buses home. They are SO much more fun. They cost the same as a government bus, but they are just white vans where you stuff in as many people as possible (and sometimes more), crank up the reggae music so you can't hear yourself think, and then drive down the road like a bat out of hell honking at everyone you pass to see if they want a ride too!! I laugh most of the way, it is by far the highlight of my day.

My sunburn has managed to calm down now. I'm not in actual physical pain anymore, which is nice. And I've discovered that I have an epidemic of freckles after all this sun. I'm not entirely sure if I got them in New Mexico or Barbados but I had this lightbulb moment yesterday where I realized - wow, I don't know the back of my own hand, or my arms or shoulders...what is going on here?! To everyone else I'm sure I still look white as can be, but I know that this is the most tanned I have ever been :)

Just one day left at the hospital and then I head for home. For my final night I think we are going to go out for dinner, and then on Saturday morning drive up the east coast before I head to the airport. Thank you for reading about all my adventures :) Stay tuned next week when i will hopefully have more pictures from this trip and stories and pics from my wilderness emergency medicine course (we get to stage mock scenarios with fake blood and everything!!! hahaha)

Love you lots and lots
Pamela

p.s. "My baby", who I now call Joshua, cause no baby should be without a name...has come back HIV negative, so now he can find a family :) YAY!