Ships log # 23

Finally a clear head to put pen to paper  - these past 3 - OMG !!! - I mean 5 weeks have gone by in organised chaos since my last blog update – and what a transformation for me.....

I mentioned in an early Congo blog that I had trouble sleeping – an issue which was never entirely resolved due to general  noise in the motor room directly below  my cabin – I think I am more sensitive than most.  Fortunately I have been able to change rooms and have slept almost perfectly for the past 2 weeks.  My new cabin was in fact my old cabin when in Guinea so felt right at home and was given a very cheery welcome by the crew there.

Work has continued at a fast rate of knots doing different and interesting surgery – continuing to be a challenge with orientating new staff on an almost weekly basis.  Fortunately all are keen and experienced in most things in the operating theatre and it has been very enjoyable to have such a diverse and enthusiastic bunch to work with – several from Canada have made me to promise to visit in the not too distant future – YEH more countries to have a holiday in !!

I had also settled into “time to go home” mode - as I was missing my "normal" life and activities and general alone time that I had come to enjoy - not an easy task on a ship of 450 people and often at least 200 at any one time at most meals.  But there was still a job to be done and I intended to do it to the best of my ability as that is what I had committed to.  But what happened in the last few weeks was that I cemented relationships with people, some which will last a lifetime, and made some major life changing decision. But let me return to my diary and piece together the last month...

I continued with ballet class every Tuesday evening ensuring I wasn't on call as this became a must each week - to stretch me out and take me away from being in constant work mode as I went from the operating theatre to the shower to the dining room to my bed and up again to start another day.  Weekends have been spent relaxing and catching up on "me" time - processing life and work options which was what this year was suppose to be all about - but so many more options and ideas have been thrown up in front of me so decision making has been rather fraught with complexities and "what ifs?"  Finally things have become clearer and I will be returning to work in NZ in a different capacity (still somewhat uncertainly) and then purposefully  returning to the UK in the new year to work.

During the weekends, however, I did enjoy time off ship, one Saturday going to the local Espace orphanage playing with and being entertained by children aged from  4 to 16 years old.  A bible story from the book of Genesis started off the visit and then progressed into us all attempting to produce a garden of Eden with stickers on a floral table cloth - much hilarity followed as the children started sticking stickers on themselves and  also the adults....

...here with Yvonne, my cabin mate from Brussells.













We concluded the stay with other  indoor and outdoor games much to the childrens' and our delight as we endeavoured to play Jenga "nicely" ....!!









A project which I started near the beginning of my stay in Pointe Noire was to follow a patient journey through from screening day to discharge.  This I undertook with gusto as I intended to portray a picture of the burns scar contractures in this country and also of  achievement, if somewhat limited in some people's eyes.  I followed an 11 year old girl as she endured the hardship of rehabilitation and then the joy of discharge to the outpatients facility, the Mercy Ship's Hope Centre.  Here she had a lot  more freedom than on the ship and was destined to go home within a few weeks (pictured with her mother and me).  She had suffered burns as a  baby to her body, face and hands and the surgeon was able to improve the function of  her right wrist and fingers so that she could begin using her hand usefully in everyday life.    Burns contractures can cause unbelievably unnatural contortions of limbs, hands and feet forcing joint flexion or extension that is not actively possible.  It can only be seen to be believed.  This young girl is now actively pursuing her allocated exercises and very keen to get back to school and engage in life again with her new found abilities.  The finished written article will hopefully feature early 2014.

My biggest joy during this process was to be able to engage  with her and her mother, which I did on a regular basis by visiting them in the hospital after work, playing games and taking along activities to fill in the long hours of confinement on the ship.  Due to the necessity of keeping within a clean environment and ensuring there is limited risk of infection to the surgical site,  patients must stay within the confines of the hospital deck - having very limited access to outside areas, for 2-3 weeks after surgery.

Another weekend I took the opportunity to visit the local men's (300) and women's (6) prison and take part in their weekly worship.     Not having  been to a prison back home I went with some trepidation along with a fellow group of Mercy Shippers.  I was pleased, however, that we warmly welcomed as we joined them with song and praise, and that I was acknowledged with a greeting each time I made eye contact with of the inmates and said bonjour . I later met the prison nurse, a retired woman who visits most days and provides comfort and treatment within an environment that has very little to offer.  We managed to chat with my halting French and  she was delighted by the interest  I showed as a fellow nurse.  I would relish  the opportunity to spend working alongside her. A truly moving and uplifting experience for me.

And to my last week in the Congo .... I was extremely fortunate to be included in a group of wonderful people venturing beyond the confines of the city and  in fact flying to the capital Brazzaville for the ships holiday weekend - a 3 day weekend that occurs every 6-8 weeks.  Six of us travelled and stayed at a simple guest house and enjoyed the most amazing comraderie and exploring you can ever hope for.

(L-R) Maryke (Sth Africa), Steve (USA), Fulbert (Togo), Rose (USA), and Mahesh (London)

The city is built on the side of the Congo River - 12-25 hr by train (very unpredictable jouirney !!)  north of Pointe Noire - with Kinshasha, the capital of the Democratic republic of Congo (DRC), on the opposite shore.  Brazzaville is more built up than Pt N (pop 0.7 mil) but with a population of approx 1.5 mil is very small compared with the high rise buildings of Kishasha with a population of approx 7 mil. (photo courtesy of one of my fellow travellers),




The Congo river becomes quite bulbous adjacent to these two cities then narrows down to create the Cataract rapids which tumble over huge boulders and culminate not far down stream as they disappear over the Livingston falls, which is unfortunately only visible from the DRC side of the river.  They were indeed a site to behold, giving you the impression of what a mid ocean tempest would be like.



The return journey found us a quite spot in the lea of some rocks where we bathed in the Congo and lived to tell the tale.  I was assured there were once again no crocodiles in this part of the river :)  The water was crisp and clear but a very welcome relief from the heat and humidity of the day.  Meals during our stay in Brazzaville included much eating of pastries - due to the French influence in this part of the world there are many patisseries - which included pain au chocolate, pain au raisin, almond croissants, custard croissants and much, much more :D

But... the highlight of the trip was exploring the inner reaches of the area and the savannah land that lead us to the gorilla reserve.  We were fortunate  to secure the services of a very experienced 4WD driver and vehicle that took us off road and beyond the mist, over hill and down dale, on very sandy tracks that defied recognition at times but with much discussion and map reading we navigated ourselves (where no Mercy Shpper has gone before) to see the most extraordinary  vistas I have ever seen.  The landscape had to be seen to be believed, with wild orchids included......


......and panaromic photos belie what we really saw.



The gorilla sanctuary was away in the faaaaaar distance and we were fortunate to see some of them at feeding time as this is a small protected area where they have rescued gorillas in a tame situation.



After 3.5 hrs of reaching this sanctuary across rivers, hills and plains we had to make the return journey with ever increasing sore bottoms from the bumping and swerving of the vehicle :( But the journey was well worthwhile as we approached dusk and realised we would be on the tops of the ridges around sunset.  Naturally the photographers in the group had to stay and record it (so I can't lay claim to any of the next few photos - in fact many are in the photos in this blog are thanks to the generosity of my fellow travellers).

The sunset was definitely worth recording and I was blown away like everybody else.....

I was even captured on film in  the most flattering light conditions....


We headed happily home  very satisfied with ourselves for a job well done.  We have a tonne of memories and photos that will last us a life time.

My time in Africa has now come to an end and I have bid fond farewells to some of the most exceptional people that you can hope to meet.  I endeavoured to thank many of them personally for their input into my life over the past 6 months on my final night aboard the Africa Mercy.


Now back in London enjoying another week in East London, catching up with new London friends and preparing for the journey back to reality.  I will be back though .....

I will sign off this blog now and begin to rationalise my journey this year and what it has done for my soul and for me as a person.  Au revoir mon amis- thanking for listening xoxo

Ships log # 22

Another week has whisked by after an adventuress weekend that saw us motoring up the Kouilou River in a dug out canoe past the Jane Goodall chimpanzee island sanctuary during feeding time.  What a treat !!

 We travelled north west of the city, past the gorge area of the week before, and were able to hire a boatman to take us up river - we were assured that there were no crocodiles or piranhas in this part of  the Republic of Congo but never-the-less there were some big fish in the river.  We felt somewhat vulnerable, however, as we sat perched above the canoe on plastic seats with the canoe lurching sideways anytime somebody turned to admire the view.  I think I would have preferred to either squat in the bottom of the canoe or sit on small baskets like the locals do.

 

 

The scenery was spectacular with many tall trees lining the river bank, a wild orange tree vine and many more exotic plants in abundance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The village market area where we hired the canoe from was a hive of activity with children selling sugar cane - chewed straight from the stick - various local green vegetables, fruit (oranges, bananas and papaya) which we bought on the outward journey, and fresh bread - the smell was something to behold :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Everybody was very friendly and they even had a local public convenience for us ladies but ........... more on that at another time !!!

Surgery has continued at a fast rate of knots attempting to get as many cases done before each surgeon departs with the worst of the cases being done first.  There have been medical and surgical emergencies as if we were at home.  I am working relatively long hours but loving every minute of it and enjoyed a extended Plastics team dinner out last night which included surgeons, ward and dressing nurses, as well as the rehab physios and occupational therapists - one of which is Erin from the US who is my cabin mate. We had a very interesting complex case yesterday and she very kindly found me pictures of tendons in her anatomy manual so that I could understand how the transposition of tendons (to be done during the operation) would affect the flexion and extension of the patients hand.

The hospital took the opportunity to open its doors to the wider ships community this week and I even took the time to explore where no theatre nurse has gone before - radiology I discovered has a brand spanking new CT scanner, the lab has some of the latest blood workup equipment and the product used for making individual casts for the postop contracture patients is ingenious !!  I also took the opportunity to visit some of "my" patients - something which I have virtually never taken the opportunity to do in the past. I have continued to visit a couple more times since and found both children and adult patients very receptive as well as the caregivers who are very limited while their child recuperates. Here where there is no travelling time home at night  it is easy to just pop in after work or on a Saturday afternoon - to play games or just chat (via an interpreter).  The games, however, usually require no conversation and in fact can be very educational for all concerned.   I got taught the higher numbers in French by an 11 year old as we played slides (snakes) and ladders - she very patiently continuing to correct my pronunciation - and she in turn learnt to count past 30 as we progressed around the board.  The teenager in the next bed then beat me well and truly with Jenga and with much hilarity by all who watched.

 

Tomorrow (Sunday) aims to be a quiet day but hope to get out for a long walk and maybe a swim.

I am up early to get the nest of the broadband again to load photos but with mixed success - and I have so many to choose from  so can't do it all justice - thank goodness for flash drives and fellow photographers.  Off to breakfast now - au revoir and bonjour :)

 

Ships log # 21

Just couldn't wait to write this blog - we have hit the ground running - in fact sprinting - and I have seen  extensive operations which will change patients lives in a very significant way.  We have started to repair some of the most serious conditions such as neck, jaw and facial tumours on some patients who have had severely affected breathing and eating.  We have also removed much burns scar tissue from young and old that will enable improved functioning of limbs, feet and hands again.  All these patients  will endure pain and much discomfort along the road to recovery and rehabilitation - relearning how to utilise body parts that had become a burden to them.  I am in awe of how they will endure this recovery phase as I know it will be long and often grueling - fortunately for most they don't know what lies ahead of them.  There will be many hands and hearts that will take them along this route - like  the physiotherapist who may see them for an hour every day for the next 6mth and do strengthening exercises with them - or the nutritionist who will manage their diet as they learn to reuse their mouth that has had a cleft palate and lip repair or partial jaw removal due to tumour.  I am working alongside surgeons who have specilaised in this work and am loving being a part of ensuring the surgery runs smoothly and efficiently timed for the patients well being.

The hospital is now humming with activity and the patients have on average a moderately high acuity level - that is to say they all require specialist nursing care, have very individual needs and some are required to be nursed on a one to one basis.  Somehow it doesn't surprise me that in the middle of central Africa we are on a hospital ship with some of the most experienced health professionals the world has on offer.  Everybody is so committed to the cause that when one theatre runs late, and another one finishes early everybody offers to help.   Highly regarded surgeons and  anaesthetists  have been persuaded by the philosophy of Mercy Ships to spend their annual leave or retirement giving freely of their skills to the needy.  Every nurse or other health professional comes with giving in her heart - and that includes me.

There is so much to give to here that it sometimes feels wrong to have some time off for yourself.  But we all need time off and planning time away from any work environment is important.  Fortunately there is always someone to share the load here and news travels fast when someone is in need of a rest

Even though it has been a busy and enjoyable time here in the Congo I have found it tough as I have not slept as well this time - but with the generosity of my bunkmate I have the super dooper version of earplugs and am once again sleeping like a baby and not waking up grumpy in the morning - I warned people when I was which I have found is a useful thing to do.  No they don't steer clear of me but they come and find out of there is anything they can do for me.  I am truly blessed with the colleagues I have here.

Oh my goodness  !!!  It is so late already - I must away to bed - don't want to be grumpy in the morning - but then again sometimes it is useful :)  Bonsoir mon ami xo

Ships log # 20

This week has sped by with the focus on the patient screening day on Wednesday - the stats for the day are as follows :

7,354 people in total (patients, caregivers and family) showed up

4,236 patients came through the gate for assessment

Peak crew on site: 311

Line was open for 12 hours and 20 minutes.

The line snaked around three roads which had to be cordoned off from traffic.

The day was extremely well organised with dozens of designated escorts ferrying patients and their families from one station to the next - from medical, surgical and physical assessment to photographing to scheduling to final check - palliative care and prayer stations were also provided. I personally think that the escorts got the hardest job on the day as they had to be mindful of those patients who we were not able to help as well as though who were preassessed as not even appropriate for assessment. All assessed patients (4236) came thru the final check station that I was on whether they were scheduled for surgery or not. The majority of people were either accepting of their lack of opportunity for surgery or relieved that they were part of the group of chosen ones. Some patients were confused by the whole event, some were very upset that they hadn't been scheduled for surgery but others with the same condition had, and the parents were just very thankful that their children were going to be given the chance of a better life.

Many patients were found with conditions that could be readily treated like this multiple nodal goiter .....




.... but there were others like this child with bilateral club feet that may need such extensive treatment that it is not possible on the ship as on going rehabilitation treatment may be required after Mercy Ships departs.

 

We had visits from several Congolese media groups and the president  Denis Nguesso and entourage arrived in style to examine proceedings.   There was also a reporter from the US -  Dana Perinos - who  fronts a talk show on Fox news who with her husband are supporters of Mercy Ships.  They  took many photos and interviewed crew members and did a live article from the ship on Thursday night.  The link is as follows:

http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.foxnews.com%2Fon-air%2Fthe-five%2Fcontent%2Ffollow-dana-perinos-mercy-ships-mission&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNE_8NZbP3DvRhuOTpF0p-bN5RiYDA

or if that doesn't work copy and paste as below :
 www.foxnews.com/on-air/the-five/content/follow-dana-perinos-mercy-ships-mission

I am apparently in it but have yet to see the full clip due to lack of good broadband here. Dana  was press secretary for George W Bush and has of course numerous stories to share and is a brilliant speaker so we were entertained one evening with stories of war zones and behind the scenes transgressions !!

It was a huge day with most people working 12hrs straight - including moi :) - but the time seemed to go very quickly in 3hr slots - was alerted to looking at somebodies watch usually when my stomach started to rumble :D

We finished the week ensuring we had the correct instrumentation, dressings and equipment for the first batch of patients and left work  on Friday feeling very satisfied at the week just gone.  I intended to have a quiet start to the weekend so come Saturday checked emails, started this blog and went for a long walk on the local surf beach.  It looks harmless but has a big undercurrent so we are not advised to swim there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday evening saw us watching the chosen movie night film - Arsenic and old lace - in black and white with Cary Grant - filmed circa 1910 (yes I am just kidding) - certainly post Charlie Chaplin but only just - but we rocked in the isles and   screamed with laughter - so a good night had by all.

Sunday saw me attend church at the local Assembly of God - great vocals and band but very emotional as the current pastor and his wife of 17 yr told the congregation that had been asked to move to Libreville, in the Gabon to start a bible school - much heart felt thanks and crying later we were finally given refreshments and headed home - each one of us thinking about when we would need to say goodbyes at some stage in the near future :(

 

 

 

 

Sunday afternoon lifted our spirits somewhat as we heading in a land rover an hour out of town to a forest area with promises of dense Congo jungle and beach side fare at the end.  We arrived at the top of a gorge and half our party descended the steep decline with the aid of a rope ladder......

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 ........ the rest drove straight to the beach - we made our way thru tangled trees and  open tussock areas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Under foot ranged from red clay to fine white sand with just one small stream being fed by an audible spring. 

 

 

We came across large wild beasts... aka small black ants !!  Suggest you zoom in on this photo for good effect :)

 

 

 

...and some unidentifiable mud mounds.

 At the end of the journey we relayed tales to our colleagues of meeting huge snakes and spiders, hearing lions roar and imagining the little people that lived in the mud mounds (??) . They did not believe a word of it but we never- the- less had trekked thru the Congo jungle and survived  - and we deserved a feast at the end of it :D

 

On the beach at the end of our trail was conveniently placed a restaurant which apparently cooked the best fish around. We subsequently dined on fresh bass and plantain (fried banana but much sweeter - yumyum)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WOW - what a week of it - life in Africa is so full of surprises - you never know who you are going to meet and what you are going to learn - I continue to enjoy the community atmosphere and have found a whole new family - I now have even more places to visit on my world travels and have learnt that just about every state in the US is represented on the ship.  We do have many Australasians as well and have enjoyed a hilarious night out on Friday ...... but will keep that for next time .  Will just say however that the ANZAC cause is hail and hearty.

Definitely time for bed - first surgery tomorrow - can't wait to get going now - TTFN xoxo

Ships log #19

This past week has flown by with us putting in many physical hours to put the operating theatre to rights.  All the   instruments for the coming field service have been checked and resterilised.  We have this opportunity to have every set opened, relabelled and adjusted if required - a real luxury which is not possible in a hospital at home that runs 24/7 - 365 days of the year.  I am also coming to grips with the plastic surgery requirements for the coming surgeon and with unfamiliar trade names of dressings and equipment.  This a bit of a challenge at the outset as the surgeon becomes familiar with surgery back on the ship again (he has been many times before) and what we have available for him this time !!  Mercy Ships mostly relies on donated products from a variety of reputable companies so it is sometimes like opening a present at Christmas time - its not really what you want but it will do fine :)

We are gearing up now for screening day on Wednesday with mass orientation meetings and discussions about how to react to patients who are in distress, medically very unwell, have disfigurements that are quite unsightly, and those that Mercy Ships are just unable to help at this time.  Everybody has been allotted a job on the day which involves either being at a station for assessment of each type of physical affliction or surgical need , movement of patients from one station to the next, entertainment of children, provision of water or prayer, security or care of those where surgery is just not possible with Mercy Ships.  We need to have breakfast at 5am (YIKs !!) as the plan is to start assessing patients by 7am.  Prospective patients are probably already accumulating at the screening site ( a local high school) and many would have travelled miles from home to attend.  Advertising has been put throughout the country but those from surrounding countries may also turn up in the hope of a cure.

I am anticipating undertaking my job at the final checking station with some trepidation but also with  excitement at the prospect of interacting with a huge number of the prospective patients for the Africa Mercy during this field service.  I will attempt to ensure that each patient is treated as an individual and has as full an understanding as possible of their surgical journey to come.  My hope is that we can meet everybody's needs in some way.

I have no photos for you this week, even though I have been out to the markets over the weekend, due to just not taking my camera - but will  describe some aspects of my local surrounds.  The ship is berthed in a dock area (of course, you say) which is surrounded by container vessels, which change  constantly, fishing boats and warehouses.  We have to walk about 1.5 km to the port gate - shuttles run on some days - but the walk is good for us and due to the weather being cooler here and also lower humidity its quite  comfortable being outside.   We then take either a taxi or bus van (where we are packed in like sardines) to the market or beyond.  Markets were just as busy and chaotic (to the uninitiated anyway) as  Guinea but full of life and friendly locals.  We managed a few interactions again with our basic French and I purchased a fresh avocado and just enjoyed discovering the different types of fruit and vegetables available here in the Congo. There were also stalls with ready made local clothing and was tempted to get another skirt and blouse but perhaps next week. There is a real supermarket nearby if we need any western provisions and  many small restaurants selling local and foreign food.  The beach, which is within a half hour walk, has big surf and we are advised not to swim there due to he undercurrent but some of the guys have discovered already that  it provides good entertainment for their surf boards so they are pretty happy.  The surrounding countryside, I understand, is very picturesque, with plenty of safe walking tracks and views of gorges and forest areas.  I intend to get out there next weekend and discover it for myself (photos promised).

Its late now and there is still plenty to do tomorrow and an early night would be a good idea in preparation for the big screening day.  I hope they will provide us with caffeine in the water bottles on the day !!  Hope, all my dear family, friends, and followers of my adventure, you are well and hearty. Aurevoir for now :)

Ships log # 18

Just a quick note to stay that I have arrived safely in Pointe Noire (Republic of Congo) despite nearly missing my connection in Addis Abab !!  Alls well that ends well though and it was fortunate that I was the only white girl on the flight so was easy to find as the missing passenger.  The staff were very friendly and said - madam your flight is waiting to depart - I now know how royalty feel :)

Am getting used to life on board again and have been welcomed back by so many people it has been quite touching.  We are busily putting the operating theatre department to rights after everything was shuffled around in the packing up prior to sailing to the Canary Islands.  The major screening day is next Wednesday then surgery begins in ernest on 2nd Sept.  I will be part of the final checking team to make sure all patients understand when to come back for surgery and also what is to be expected - I can imagine very few would have had any experience of going for an operation so it may be very daunting.  Fortunately we once again have local translators to assist in this process.

Have connected with some NZers already and will be working alongside Sue from Tauranaga which will be great and have Australasian dinner out planned for next Friday - I think this 8wk period will fly by but be satisfyingly busy and productive.

There is lots to explore in this new country where I have discovered that the populations is the same as NZ and there a very high % of Christians (more than muslims) - unlike Guinea where it was about 90% muslim and 5% Christian.  French is not the predominat language so I am madly brushing up on two types of greetings in the local languages - Kituba and Lingala.  WOW !! The learning never stops - and much to the mirth of my family I have started ballet classes very kindly provided on board by one of the crew members _ I am now the proud owner of a pair of pink ballet flats and appreciating the movement and music of the class much more so than when I was 12 yr old and didn't want to practice - and I wondered why I didn't improve :)

Enough for now - have made use of the quicker broadband time early in the morning so away to breakfast now - hopefully add some pics over the weekend

Cheers to all - Vicki

Ships log #17

Well hello :)

I'm back ..... while in the final stages of repacking for Africa I thought I would update my blog on what I have doing during this time of R+R in London.   The 8 week period has been hectic at times (train catching all around the UK), stressful (negotiating the tubes),  thought provoking (writing articles focused on my thesis content), and just relaxing (enjoying the super summer and the sights and sounds of the big apple).

I have also met up with some former Mercy Shippers resident back here in London ...

.... here with occupational therapist Sharon at Windsor Castle....

....amongst many other unplanned events - me here waiting for Kate Middleton to finish her phone call !!

I have spent quite a bit of time dissecting my thesis while in the UK and have managed to write 2 articles suitable for publication and produce 3 more drafts so a great start I feel to be completed when I get home and reattached to  my trusty referencing program - I am lost without it and need it to finalise articles so that they are suitable for different journal formats.  I am very pleased to have so many focus points to discuss and thoroughly enjoyed revisiting the thesis after a break of several months.  For those who haven't caught up with the news I got an "A" for my thesis so will now graduate with a Masters of Clinical research (distinction) in December of this year.  Am somewhat pleased with myself :)

I have so enjoyed spending so long in the UK and have come to appreciate London and absolutely love all the old buildings....

...the many churches - such as Westminister Abbey...

... and St Pauls cathedral...

...and the ancient architecture of this prolifically Victorian city...

...here near Chancery Lane ...






.... and here on Parliament buildings.

I have also had the opportunity to see the countryside full of historic villages (aren't they all ?) and townships beside the waterways here at Foxton Locks...

... catch up with NZ friends and relatives and visit the north  near Cambridge where I discovered there was a university college named after my daughter...

... with a stunning dinningroom prepared for a formal dinner...




..... and to Scotland and the sight of vast amounts of bracken, heather, and castles !!

...with many noteworthy buildings in Edinburgh ....

....and then there was the fringe festival - WOW !!! - what more can I say - a definite for anybodies bucket list I think   :D

 But naturally I could not leave town without talking about the bag pipers on almost every corner - and the military tattoo which was genuinely a sight to behold !!!

.... south  to Southampton and Chichester....

 ... and the hills above Brighton ......

.....and west to Henley-on-Thames.

I loved it all !!!  - but I think the Edinburgh fringe festival was the most memorable.  We went to 22 shows over 5 days plus watched numerous street performers and just took in the wonderful ambiance of the city with its stone buildings, secret alleyways and many lanes and courtyards.

I could have stayed there another week !!!

But now the time has come (the walrus said) to return to the ship and I am preparing my mind and body for fulltime work again - along with the wee cabin  - and the prospects of making a load more friends :)

I am repacked and with a little trepidation am heading for the airport to fly to Pointe Noire in the Republic of Congo via Addis Ababa in Ethiopia.  I once again have been promised to be met at the other end :)

The anticipation of returning to the ship has been upon me since I arrived in London as it is a special place and has a community feel like no other I have ever experienced.  It is where everybody works towards the one goal and the consideration I have felt that people have for their fellow colleagues is unique.   I will wind this blog up now and prepare my lunch before I am airport bound and a thru the night flight :( but at least I am on my way.

Will be brushing up on my french again en route and hope to hit the ground running.  Ta ta for now. See you in the Congo xo