All good things come to an end...

And that was certainly true this week.....

1. My placement : last Saturday (5th June) was my last day working at RSUD dr. TC HILLERS, Maumere.As one reader pointed out to me in an email last week, I haven't said much about the work part of my placement on here. That's true, for a number of reasons : firstly, I'm not sure how much of it would be of any interest to anyone; secondly, much of the time there wasn't a lot to write about and thirdly, you never know who's reading these things ! However, the wrap up process got under way a couple of weeks ago with a formal meeting between VSO, the hospital and me so there were few formalities left to complete, just the usual rush of completing half done tasks, copying things on to a CD (no fancy shared drives here) and leaving a list of things that needed to be followed up.

2. My camera : my little camera, which has given sterling service while I've been here decided to stop recognising the memory card as a group of us posed for the very last photo before I left the house for the airport on Tuessday. Timing, eh ? The problem is that the same memory card still contains lots of photos which I haven't yet copied to my laptop so I'm hoping that it can be salvaged. So this post will be photoless I'm afraid.

3. My run of good health : my leg injury (remember my leg ?) suddenly flared up again last Sunday and it transpired that, despite looking good on the surface, an infection had been lurking beneath. This has necessitated daily hospital visits this week, with the insertion of a drain for a few days and now (in Bali) daily dressing changes). Fortunately the surgeon I have been seeing in Bali is happy for me to fly which is a relief but I may need some further treatment on arrival in London tomorrow (Saturday). At least the pain I experienced last Sunday has subsided and I can walk now...

4. My time in Maumere : I can honestly say that I never thought it would be so hard to leave and say goodbye and it's not until the last couple of days that you realise the attachments that you have developed to the people, the place and the way of life. I'm sure that it's going to be equally hard to settle back in at home.

Anyway, that's enough misery - I'm now in Bali on a sunny Friday afternoon,. having completed my exit interview with VSO, sorted out my finances with the finance manager, (almost) finished packing, and am almost ready to head to the hospital in an hour or so. From there it's straight to the airport for a departure at 10.30 pm or thereabouts.

I'll be in touch !       

     

Moni, the hospital party and mud, glorious mud

Ok, the internet seems to be faster than usual here today so I'm going to take the opportunity to include lots of photos in this post..

After the excitement of finally getting my KITAS last Saturday, three of us from Maumere headed off to Moni in the mountains on Saturday afternoon to meet Dany, my programme manager from the VSO office in Denpasar who was here on a holiday trip for the weekend with some friends before a few meetings on Flores next week. The trip to Moni seemed much easier this time around than the last time, I think that the inside of my helmet has now adjusted somewhat to the shape of my head and I'm able to wear it for much longer periods before the discomfort becomes too much, also I'm better used to going around endless corners ion steep hills. As usual, Moni was a lovely spot – we didn't go up to the lakes this time around but chilled out (literally – Moni is about 1600m high and so much cooler than Maumere) on Saturday night.

On Sunday morning I left at about 10.30 am as I wanted to get back for the hospital party at Sao beach near Maumere. This was partly a farewell for Dr. Hendradi, an ENT specialist who is leaving the hospital soon after two years here but mainly just an excuse for a party for hospital employees and their families. There were about two hundred people there, including lots of children and plenty of party games (including one which involved transporting leeches in a glass of water...).

The first group I met on arrival was the breakaway "adult" group, engaged in a more traditional Maumere activity !

Echae McQueen, chief MC for the day :

Pak Edmon on keyboard, still going after last Thursday's wedding !

Dewa, the hospital gardener, strikes a cool pose in my sunglasses...

Okto and Igo skiing in the sand

A serious spectator..

Marlena and Ika

Igo & Okto celebrate something or other (probably the end of another bottle..)

Igo with a covering of soy sauce after one particularly messy game

Transporting leeches (well, it is a hospital after all...)

Echae rallies support

Ika

Party games

Dr. Asep always organising

Monday was a tanggal merah (literally, a red day which means it's a holiday) so the morning was spent relaxing and reading Patrick Leigh Fermor's fascinating account of a walking tour from London to Constantinople in 1933 and 1934 (sent to me all the way from Canada – thanks, Robert !). In the afternoon I headed out with Daniel, who works in the blood transfusion unit in the hospital, to explore the coastline west of Maumere and travelled about 45kms along far better roads (and flatter too) than I experienced between here and Moni. Some really spectacular scenery, with rice paddies in the foreground and mountains behind, and also some sunbathing water buffalos. My journey took me into the Kabupaten (regency) of Ende, the next one to Sikka (which is Maumere's Kabupaten).

Daniel with rice paddies in the foreground.

Flores is at the top of this map - Sikka District is the purple one towards the eastern end of the island and Maumere is on the north coast.

Cooling off..

Mud, glorious mud !