I've been out here about two and a half months now and life has been quite hectic. The weather has got much colder, especially at night, and we have had the first snow on the mountains. With the Winter has come the usual range of colds and coughs and that is just what I thought I had until just over a week ago. Then, as things were going from bad to worse and the coughing was getting extreme to the point where I lost my voice, I got shipped off to a local Doctor. Bronchitis and Laryngitis was the diagnosis. Various things were prescribed including antibiotics for five days. Even with health insurance you have to pay up front if you are a visitor here so 550 rand were duly handed over, that is just over £50 in UK money. A week later and although I was a bit better it wasn't clearing up so I was shipped off to another Doctor in another town. We are filming in various places so going back to Doctor number one wasn't an option. The infection is still there and to make sure it wouldn't come back another ten days of antibiotics were prescribed, along with a load of other things. This time it cost 880 rand, about £85 in UK money. Things seem to be getting better, but progress is slow and I just hope I don't have to see a Doctor again. All in all it has cost about £130, it makes you think really, maybe the cost of the UK prescription is not so bad after all. I hate to think what state I would be in if we couldn't afford to pay, I'm bad enough now when we can. So, thanks to all this the painting has been put to one side for a bit, which is a real shame as the light and landscape just make you want to get out there with an easel. Are well, the next lot of filming is much lighter on the visual effects work so I hope to get back to creative things at weekends again shortly as hopefully I won't be so tired. I hope you are all doing well and painting away. I will get back to work again now and hope to write again fairly soon. Enjoy the sunshine and the warmth.