Well, now it's my turn. I held out for two days after Peter and Tom got sick before I succumbed to the little amoebas too.  It started with a light stomach ache yesterday as we were touring around some of the rock hewn churches.  Which were totally and completely amazing!  Think Lord of the Rings, mines of Moria on a human rather than a dwarfin scale.  Columns and niches, windows and couches and ceiling carving which'd blow your mind.  Most of them had paintings as well.  The first had probably the oldest paintings.  They were very colourful and had a Byzantine looking style with the big eyes and long noses. 

We stopped in the last town before the first church and Abba Thomas asked one of the local boys if he knew where the priest with the key for the church was.  The boy ended up climbing into the back of the truck (we were in a pick-up) and shadowed us the whole day.  We continued toward the church and he got out at one point and ran into one of the houses to bring back the priest and the key.  With both of them clinging onto the back we bumped along the unpaved road up to a cliff face and stopped.  By that time we'd acquired a number of small and large shadows who led the way up some rickety but surprisingly sturdy hand made ladders to the ledge on which the church was perched.  This first church wasn't entirely carved out of the rock, some of it was built around it as well but it was still awesome.  Everything was tiny though, the main door came only half way up my torso -I'm not really sure how Peter even got through- the whitewashed walls leaned slightly and the inner door came up to my waist.  It was beyond this inner door and on the actual rocks that we found the paintings.  Outside the back we had a bit of a surprise when we found two uncovered tombs with the various bones lying around in a corner.  It took me a second to realise this was the first time I'd seen human bones in real life when there wasn't at least museum glass separating us.  It was cool. 

My stomach ache was turning into cramps by this point and getting worse, but I've had slight pains on and off since we came so I ignored it.  After the third church we found a little clearing in some farm land for our packed lunch which reminded me of family trips where we go to the supermarket and buy little snack foods for lunch; and then off again.  By the time we got to the fourth church I knew something was actually wrong with me.  The cramps were worse and really painful by now so I was happy this was our last church, as cool as they are. This one was across some grazing land and had been carved into an already existing crevice in the rock.  Unfortunately no one could find the priest so we couldn't go inside, but we were able to wander around a bit which was awesome.  Tom discovered another open tomb which kind of freaked him out because one of the skulls lay so that you could see inside it.  The boys then climbed up higher to see more of the view while I stayed and sat with some kids who had found us and tried to breathe normally. 

On our way home, we stopped by a Sisters' house and clinic for tea and met the Parish Priest.  I was still in denial that I was really sick, hoping a good night's sleep would cure me of anything, but I couldn't eat dinner and word started to get around that I wasn't feeling well. Everyone asked me how I was and what was wrong and if they could do anything.  And when I walked into the tv room after dinner everyone clapped as they stood up to offer me a seat.  It was REALLY embarrassing.  As I went to bed a little while later, Abba Thomas offer me a hot water bottle which is probably the only reason I survived the night.  Never has being sick hurt so much.  Normally I'm just miserable and feel sick but this time it's painful!  I didn't get much sleep and by morning was beyond denying I was sick.  I staggered into Peter's room at about 7 45 and collapsed.  He made me a 'cocktail' as he called it which ended up being a litre of water, a rehydration packet and concentrated mango juice.  It's the most disgusting thing I've ever tasted!  Like warm ocean water that someone tried to make into fruit juice.  I also took a parecetamol and 2 of his left over antibiotics.  And I'm now sitting in bed wrapped up in as many clothes as I can find while everyone else is working on English.  But I do feel a little better.  And I've already had a number of visitors, for all that it's nine in the morning...

Em