Hello!

I can't belive it's been only a week, it feels like ages. I am in Nkawkaw now (furtehr north than shown on the map), got here fine on Tuesday. It took most of the day, about 4 hours, but it wasn't a tro tro like I was expecting, it was a fancy air conditioned bus! didn't make the roads much less bumpy though. The hospital is up the mountain in Atibie. It is alot cooler here which is good but has rained most days (though apparently doesn't normally rain this much)

This weekend we are going to a nearby waterfall and staying overnight on Saturday either in a big town called Koforidua or at a chalet at a botaniocal gardens (Which the cook recommended).

I am staying with Jane and 3 other girls, Hannah, Debbie and Jen, from Sheffield, Cambridge and Canada. They are all really nice. Our hut had no runnign water when I arrived so we had to fill the toilets ourselves (there is a big water vat outside), it is back on now but we still have to wash with a bucket of water and a scoop.

I cut my knee on the last night in Accra, but the hospital have offered to keep dress it for me though.

The hospital is good, but very very different to England. I have had a few strange experiences but it is getting used to a completely different culture. The Doctors are very paternalistic and dont give much sympathy to their patients. The main lack of resources is tests, they only have limited tests so diagnosing if mainly done on thier history and experience. The other medical students spend time working in Casualty, clerking and treating the patients, but me and Jane are unsure whether we want to do that yet. The Dr incharge is really nice and will let us do what we want. There is a really nice cook who cooks good food and remmebers what we liek and dont like (e.g. gizzard - chicken stomachs). I also got the hospital to do my laundry!! Everything is very cheap here. I just got a taxi for 10 mins for 40 pence (thought was sharing with some people I didn't know).

I had drummign lessons yesterday and the day before, they were really good fun but I wasn't very good. The first day they gave me the most simple one and quickly took it off me because I was bad. Then they got annoyed yesterday because I skipped to the top drum when you are meant to work your way up, but I managed to play it right so I think they let me off.

Lots of Love

XXXXXXX