The past two days have been a whirlwind of fun.
On Tuesday I arrived at the clinic and was told that I would be working in Triaje (triage), where all of the patients come in to have their vitals taken before being sent to different areas of the clinic. When I first walked into the tiny closet-like room where they housed triage, it was pretty overwhelming. A line of patients weaved outside the door and about 20 patients were crammed into the tiny room.
Immediately the head nurse asked me in spanish if I knew how to take blood pressures. I told her I did and she promptly got up and had me sit down behind a small table where a blood pressure cuff sat. Now, having worked in a hospital for a few years, it's been a while since I have seen a manual blood pressure cuff. Almost all of them these days are electronic, connected to computers that analyze results. Here in Cuzco I had my stethoscope and an old worn fabric cuff.
As patients walked in they would have their height and weight measured by a nurse and then they would come to me where I would measure their blood pressure and their pulse. It was pretty hectic, but once I got in the groove things got going. Mostly all of the patients had normal pressures, but on one occasion an older man sat down and as I took his pressure I was pretty sure I had recorded an extremely high pressure of 200/150. I was nervous, because I knew that if I wrote down that pressure the head nurse would have to check it- and if I was wrong my credibility would be shot. Still, I trusted my instincts and wrote it down on the paper. When the nurse saw this, she came over to take the patient's pressure herself. I held my breath and was shocked when I saw her write down 200/150, the same as me. I was pretty happy and proud, and my time in triage flew by pretty fast. For the first time, I really felt as if I was truly helping and making a difference. By splitting up the work we saw patients much faster and got them going quicker. I really enjoy it.
Last night all of my house went out to the bars around La Plaza de Armas. Over the weekend, our house got a bunch of new volunteers from Canada, the US and the Netherlands. They are all really fun and we had an amazing time going out for the night and didn't get home until the wee hours in the morning.
Unfortunately this morning I awoke feeling pretty crummy. While it could have had something to do with going out the night before, this felt a little worse. I went to the clinic anyway, deciding to fight through and I went downhill pretty fast. When I came home for lunch I had no appetite and felt like I was going to throw up. I called my Spanish teacher and told her I would not be in class, and then slept from noon to 5pm. Since waking up I've been pretty crappy, I constantly feel nauseous and I think I'm fighting a fever. I think that tomorrow I will take the day off and try to recover and hopefully I'll begin to feel better.
Sorry for the short entry but I'm pretty tired. I'm gonna go try and get a good night's sleep. Goodnight!
Greg
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Monday, February 7, 2011
Day 9. Back and Beat.
The title says it all, I am back in Cusco and totally beat from this weekend's trip.
Last night (while writing my Machu Picchu blog) I watched the Super Bowl, broadcast here in Spanish. It was great. Made me slightly homesick watching my favorite sport. The Peruvian housestaff was here and I was explaining the game to them (and to those who weren't from the US). They were laughing when they realized how vehemently I was cheering against the Steelers, and how happy I was when Roethlisberger dropped that last pass. So great!
Anyway this morning I awoke early and went to my new placement at El Centro De Salud Ttio (Ttio is a part of town here in Cusco). It was very interesting and very challenging. It was extremely busy and I was placed in the laboratory, helping to run blood samples and urine samples. I am actually picking up the procedures, even though it is very difficult because while I am very much able to speak spanish conversationally, the technical words used in medicine and the lab are pretty hard to grasp since I have never used them before. It's challenging and tough, but it's what I signed up for, and I am learning a lot.
After class I went home and crashed in bed. I have been so tired from my trip. After waking up I went to Spanish class where I re-learned the El Subjuntivo (the subjunctive tense). I remember learning it in the past but couldn't remember much. It has come back to me so quickly- I'm very happy.
After class I immediately fell asleep to the rain outside of my window and slept until dinner. After din din, I had the opportunity to catch up on emails and chat with friends and mom for a good while which was great. I can't believe it's already been over a week since I've been here.
We learned that there will be a transit strike here in Cusco Wednesday and Thursday of this week. Apparently this means that all Taxis and Combis are off the road (pretty much shutting down all transportation infrastructure) and the supporters of the strike barricade roads to prevent any drivers from passing. Because of this, it's unlikely that the clinic will be able to open so I will probably be off for those two days. (We are already planning StrikeFest 2011 where a few friends and I are going to hike to the top of the highest hill in Cusco where a giant white statue of Christ stands over the city- el cristo blanco).
I also met my new roommate, Nick, from North Carolina. He has been here in Peru since early January but was volunteering in the jungle for two weeks and just returned to the house. He is extremely nice and I was extremely relieved that my roommate was so congenial and fun. I hope to travel with him around sometime in the next 3 weeks.
Alright well that's about all I can think of from this side of the Equator. I hope everything is great back home and I'll talk to you tomorrow!
Greg
Last night (while writing my Machu Picchu blog) I watched the Super Bowl, broadcast here in Spanish. It was great. Made me slightly homesick watching my favorite sport. The Peruvian housestaff was here and I was explaining the game to them (and to those who weren't from the US). They were laughing when they realized how vehemently I was cheering against the Steelers, and how happy I was when Roethlisberger dropped that last pass. So great!
Anyway this morning I awoke early and went to my new placement at El Centro De Salud Ttio (Ttio is a part of town here in Cusco). It was very interesting and very challenging. It was extremely busy and I was placed in the laboratory, helping to run blood samples and urine samples. I am actually picking up the procedures, even though it is very difficult because while I am very much able to speak spanish conversationally, the technical words used in medicine and the lab are pretty hard to grasp since I have never used them before. It's challenging and tough, but it's what I signed up for, and I am learning a lot.
After class I went home and crashed in bed. I have been so tired from my trip. After waking up I went to Spanish class where I re-learned the El Subjuntivo (the subjunctive tense). I remember learning it in the past but couldn't remember much. It has come back to me so quickly- I'm very happy.
After class I immediately fell asleep to the rain outside of my window and slept until dinner. After din din, I had the opportunity to catch up on emails and chat with friends and mom for a good while which was great. I can't believe it's already been over a week since I've been here.
We learned that there will be a transit strike here in Cusco Wednesday and Thursday of this week. Apparently this means that all Taxis and Combis are off the road (pretty much shutting down all transportation infrastructure) and the supporters of the strike barricade roads to prevent any drivers from passing. Because of this, it's unlikely that the clinic will be able to open so I will probably be off for those two days. (We are already planning StrikeFest 2011 where a few friends and I are going to hike to the top of the highest hill in Cusco where a giant white statue of Christ stands over the city- el cristo blanco).
I also met my new roommate, Nick, from North Carolina. He has been here in Peru since early January but was volunteering in the jungle for two weeks and just returned to the house. He is extremely nice and I was extremely relieved that my roommate was so congenial and fun. I hope to travel with him around sometime in the next 3 weeks.
Alright well that's about all I can think of from this side of the Equator. I hope everything is great back home and I'll talk to you tomorrow!
Greg
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Days 7-8 Machu Picchu. Epic.
I am writing in one of the greatest moods, after one of the most *unique* experiences in my life. This weekend a bunch of friends and I took the long trek to one of the most famous places on earth, a UNESCO World Heritage site, one of the 7 "new" wonders of the world and the single most visted site on the continent: Machu Picchu.
After reflecting on this weekend, I truly believe only one word is able to describe it: Epic. Everything about it.
First, lets meet the team. We had Greg (me) from the USA, Alice, Lindsay and Lynn also from the USA, Peter from Great Britain, Nikki from New Zealand, and Sylbia a local from Peru.
One would think that with it being the single most visited site in South America it would be rather easy and accesible to get to. Unfortunately, as is often the case in Peru, this was simply not true. The 7 of us met here in Cuzco at 8:45 on Saturday morning and walked to a bus stop where we caught a Combi (a public minivan/bus) that would take us the two hours East to the town of Ollantaytambo, a small pueblo located in the Andes mountains that housed the train station that would take us on the next leg of our trip. The Combi is extremely affordable; we only paid 10 Soles ($3.33) for the entire two hour trip. Of course, less money means less service, and in turn we were crammed about 20 deep into a minivan that was probably supposed to seat around 12.
The trip to Ollantaytambo was the beginning of the amazing scenery. The Andes mountains are majestic. They rise from all angles, many to heights high enough to warrant snow-covered summits (remember, it's summer here) and green perimeters. Of course, I was only half-able to enjoy the scenery since the Combi driver was careening around 60 degree turns at about 80 miles an hour.
When we arrived in Ollantaytambo we had a quick lunch and then boarded our train, PeruRail to head to the town of Aguas Calientes (literally "Hot Waters") which serves as the main jumping-off point for Machu Picchu. This train ride was by far the most incredible experience I've had traveling. While most trains are on a "Standard" 4ft 8.5inch gauge (the distance between the two rails), The train between Ollantaytambo and Aguas Calientes is on a much smaller 3ft gauge. The reason is evident immediately, the entire ride between the two towns follows entirely through a canyon with the train riding narrowly next to the fierce Urabamba river. The train rides unbelievably close to the river, at times the cabin hanging a few feet over the water with the tracks just inches from the edge. All the while, through the trains ceiling windows, you can see up in either direction the mountains thousands of feet up that form the canyon through which you ride. It was sensory overload.
The town of Aguas Calientes is accessible only through rail. There are no roads in or out and the helipad was recently closed indefinitely. The town exists for the sole purpose of getting people to Machu Picchu... and what it lacks in unique character it makes up in its almost mystic placement at the mouth of the Urabamba river. I remarked to my friends that it felt like we were in Kathmandu or some amusent park made to look like a mountain town. Small buildings rose on either side of the river, wedged between the mountains just a few hundred yards on either side.
Goal one was to find a place to sleep and get our tickets for the next day. We got the tickets rather quickly and then found a place to sleep. El Hostel Mirador was so incredibly gross and cheap (15 soles = 5 dollars per night) that I joined a few of the others and found a slightly nicer place (40 soles = 13 dollars per night). This newer place, unlike the first, had rooms in which you didn't think someone had been murdered the night before.
We did the standard requirement for visiting Aguas Calientes and visited the hot springs for which the town is named. Even as a very optimistic guy, I am telling you the hot springs were absolutely terrible. They were luke warm, smelly and probably 99% bacteria filled. I dipped my toes into the thoroughly disappointing water and then said goodbye. That night, unfortunately our dinner was just as bad as the hot springs. The guide books were not lying: Aguas Calientes leaves a lot to be desired. But, as I reminded myself over and over, we weren't there for the town. We were there for what was a few thousand feet above us.
--
Sunday morning began at 3 AM. We were down at the Machu Picchu bus station at 3:30 AM where we waited for approx. 90 minutes before boarding the bus. Our reason for being so early was to be one of the first 200 people there and thus afforded the opportunity to climb Huayna picchu (pronounced "wanna peechoo"), the mountain closest to Machu Picchu. It was drizzling and densely foggy all early morning and we all knew the reality that we may get to MP without ever having seen the beautiful sights around it.
When we entered the park at 5:30 our worst fears were coming true. It was pouring down rain and so foggy we couldn't see more than a few feet in front of us. Still, we couldn't control the weather, and so with our rain jackets on we started walking around the ruins, unable to see much, and then walked toward the beginning of the trail up Huayna picchu. We climbed... and climbed... and climbed. The path up was steep and within a few minutes we were taking off layers to stay comfortable. It was raining harder and harder which we welcomed as we were soon drenched in sweat from the hike. The steps got steeper and steeper, and finally after 45 minutes (Dad took 46 when he did it) we reached the summit.
The summit of Huayna picchu was beyond any words. It was cloudy, yes, but I was soon standing in awe at what I was looking at. Through the clouds were pieces of mountains, higher than us, lower than us, in all directions. I heard a river far in the distance... and even though we couldn't see everything at once it was the most mysterious and wonderful view. As we sat up there, letting the rain wash us off, clouds shifted this way and that revealing different parts of the scenery. It was incredible.
2 hours later we were back at Machu Picchu walking around the ruins. We were cold and wet having finished the hike and began to walk around the ruins. i would be lying if said we weren't slightly disappointed because we still had yet to see a full picture of where we were, and it was looking more and more like we never would. I, for one, was getting cranky as I began to shiver from the cold wet weather. Sylbia pushed us on, though and soon we found ourselves on a ledge over what we assumed to be overlooking an otherwise cloudy Machu Picchu.
And then it happened. At 10:45 a light wind came, and suddenly everybody . below us was, finally, the town of Machu Picchu. A metropolis built 500 years ago on the top of a hill. We suddenly realized the gravity of the location... it sloped off in either direction thousands of feet to the canyons below. Ahead of us, Huayna picchu, the mountain we had just climbed. I am not lying when I tell you that the 7 of us couldn't have said a word as the curtain was lifted off of the place that we had spent so much time, money and energy to see. And just like that our moods went 180 degrees. We smiled, we laughed, we took 400 pictures. We jumped up and down and laughed at how down we were just a few moments prior. I couldn't make this up if I tried.
When I tell you that it was amazing... it was truly amazing. It was everything I expected and so much more.
We learned that MP was a town created by the Incas nearly 600 years ago and abandoned when the Spanish conquered the area hundreds of years later. Being there, I can't imagine how such an incredible town was built on such an impossibly difficult place to reach. The ability of the Incas to imagine, and then to construct a city in such a place literally boggles my mind.
We left the mountain all smiles. Though it started out a little rough, the experience proved to be incredible. Funny how that works out, huh? Like I said... Epic.
Back in Aguas Calientes I convinced the innkeeper at our hostel to permit me a room and hot shower so that I could get more comfortable for the ride back. 5 hours later, the lights of Cusco came over the hill and I remarked to Lindsay that I had a new appreciation for this area. I now know what lays beyond the mountains surrounding the city of Cusco, and I can't wait to go back and explore them some more.
With love from Cusco,
Greg
p.s. I will load amazing pictures tomorrow (I am so tired I'm going to sleep now :-) )
After reflecting on this weekend, I truly believe only one word is able to describe it: Epic. Everything about it.
First, lets meet the team. We had Greg (me) from the USA, Alice, Lindsay and Lynn also from the USA, Peter from Great Britain, Nikki from New Zealand, and Sylbia a local from Peru.
One would think that with it being the single most visited site in South America it would be rather easy and accesible to get to. Unfortunately, as is often the case in Peru, this was simply not true. The 7 of us met here in Cuzco at 8:45 on Saturday morning and walked to a bus stop where we caught a Combi (a public minivan/bus) that would take us the two hours East to the town of Ollantaytambo, a small pueblo located in the Andes mountains that housed the train station that would take us on the next leg of our trip. The Combi is extremely affordable; we only paid 10 Soles ($3.33) for the entire two hour trip. Of course, less money means less service, and in turn we were crammed about 20 deep into a minivan that was probably supposed to seat around 12.
The trip to Ollantaytambo was the beginning of the amazing scenery. The Andes mountains are majestic. They rise from all angles, many to heights high enough to warrant snow-covered summits (remember, it's summer here) and green perimeters. Of course, I was only half-able to enjoy the scenery since the Combi driver was careening around 60 degree turns at about 80 miles an hour.
When we arrived in Ollantaytambo we had a quick lunch and then boarded our train, PeruRail to head to the town of Aguas Calientes (literally "Hot Waters") which serves as the main jumping-off point for Machu Picchu. This train ride was by far the most incredible experience I've had traveling. While most trains are on a "Standard" 4ft 8.5inch gauge (the distance between the two rails), The train between Ollantaytambo and Aguas Calientes is on a much smaller 3ft gauge. The reason is evident immediately, the entire ride between the two towns follows entirely through a canyon with the train riding narrowly next to the fierce Urabamba river. The train rides unbelievably close to the river, at times the cabin hanging a few feet over the water with the tracks just inches from the edge. All the while, through the trains ceiling windows, you can see up in either direction the mountains thousands of feet up that form the canyon through which you ride. It was sensory overload.
The town of Aguas Calientes is accessible only through rail. There are no roads in or out and the helipad was recently closed indefinitely. The town exists for the sole purpose of getting people to Machu Picchu... and what it lacks in unique character it makes up in its almost mystic placement at the mouth of the Urabamba river. I remarked to my friends that it felt like we were in Kathmandu or some amusent park made to look like a mountain town. Small buildings rose on either side of the river, wedged between the mountains just a few hundred yards on either side.
Goal one was to find a place to sleep and get our tickets for the next day. We got the tickets rather quickly and then found a place to sleep. El Hostel Mirador was so incredibly gross and cheap (15 soles = 5 dollars per night) that I joined a few of the others and found a slightly nicer place (40 soles = 13 dollars per night). This newer place, unlike the first, had rooms in which you didn't think someone had been murdered the night before.
We did the standard requirement for visiting Aguas Calientes and visited the hot springs for which the town is named. Even as a very optimistic guy, I am telling you the hot springs were absolutely terrible. They were luke warm, smelly and probably 99% bacteria filled. I dipped my toes into the thoroughly disappointing water and then said goodbye. That night, unfortunately our dinner was just as bad as the hot springs. The guide books were not lying: Aguas Calientes leaves a lot to be desired. But, as I reminded myself over and over, we weren't there for the town. We were there for what was a few thousand feet above us.
--
Sunday morning began at 3 AM. We were down at the Machu Picchu bus station at 3:30 AM where we waited for approx. 90 minutes before boarding the bus. Our reason for being so early was to be one of the first 200 people there and thus afforded the opportunity to climb Huayna picchu (pronounced "wanna peechoo"), the mountain closest to Machu Picchu. It was drizzling and densely foggy all early morning and we all knew the reality that we may get to MP without ever having seen the beautiful sights around it.
When we entered the park at 5:30 our worst fears were coming true. It was pouring down rain and so foggy we couldn't see more than a few feet in front of us. Still, we couldn't control the weather, and so with our rain jackets on we started walking around the ruins, unable to see much, and then walked toward the beginning of the trail up Huayna picchu. We climbed... and climbed... and climbed. The path up was steep and within a few minutes we were taking off layers to stay comfortable. It was raining harder and harder which we welcomed as we were soon drenched in sweat from the hike. The steps got steeper and steeper, and finally after 45 minutes (Dad took 46 when he did it) we reached the summit.
The summit of Huayna picchu was beyond any words. It was cloudy, yes, but I was soon standing in awe at what I was looking at. Through the clouds were pieces of mountains, higher than us, lower than us, in all directions. I heard a river far in the distance... and even though we couldn't see everything at once it was the most mysterious and wonderful view. As we sat up there, letting the rain wash us off, clouds shifted this way and that revealing different parts of the scenery. It was incredible.
2 hours later we were back at Machu Picchu walking around the ruins. We were cold and wet having finished the hike and began to walk around the ruins. i would be lying if said we weren't slightly disappointed because we still had yet to see a full picture of where we were, and it was looking more and more like we never would. I, for one, was getting cranky as I began to shiver from the cold wet weather. Sylbia pushed us on, though and soon we found ourselves on a ledge over what we assumed to be overlooking an otherwise cloudy Machu Picchu.
And then it happened. At 10:45 a light wind came, and suddenly everybody . below us was, finally, the town of Machu Picchu. A metropolis built 500 years ago on the top of a hill. We suddenly realized the gravity of the location... it sloped off in either direction thousands of feet to the canyons below. Ahead of us, Huayna picchu, the mountain we had just climbed. I am not lying when I tell you that the 7 of us couldn't have said a word as the curtain was lifted off of the place that we had spent so much time, money and energy to see. And just like that our moods went 180 degrees. We smiled, we laughed, we took 400 pictures. We jumped up and down and laughed at how down we were just a few moments prior. I couldn't make this up if I tried.
When I tell you that it was amazing... it was truly amazing. It was everything I expected and so much more.
We learned that MP was a town created by the Incas nearly 600 years ago and abandoned when the Spanish conquered the area hundreds of years later. Being there, I can't imagine how such an incredible town was built on such an impossibly difficult place to reach. The ability of the Incas to imagine, and then to construct a city in such a place literally boggles my mind.
We left the mountain all smiles. Though it started out a little rough, the experience proved to be incredible. Funny how that works out, huh? Like I said... Epic.
Back in Aguas Calientes I convinced the innkeeper at our hostel to permit me a room and hot shower so that I could get more comfortable for the ride back. 5 hours later, the lights of Cusco came over the hill and I remarked to Lindsay that I had a new appreciation for this area. I now know what lays beyond the mountains surrounding the city of Cusco, and I can't wait to go back and explore them some more.
With love from Cusco,
Greg
p.s. I will load amazing pictures tomorrow (I am so tired I'm going to sleep now :-) )
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Off to MP!
Hey friends!
I am literally walking out the door about to head on my 2-dy trek to Machu Picchu. I will wrote all about it when I return on Sunday.
Love Greg
I am literally walking out the door about to head on my 2-dy trek to Machu Picchu. I will wrote all about it when I return on Sunday.
Love Greg
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Day 5. Falafel Deux!
Such a fun day!!!
Had clinic this morning and had even more responsibilities than yesterday. I was in charge of weighing, taking heights and examining all of the pediatric patients who came through the door. After the 35th time that they called me El Doctor, I finally confirmed to one of the nurses in spanish that I am not yet a doctor. She said she knew but said that it would make the patients feel better if they thought I was a doctor.
I traveled to the clinic with Lynn, a new volunteer and a first-year internal medicine resident from the US. It is nice going to clinic with her, and she even gave me some tips on the way for things to listen for while checking the kids with my stethoscope. After our volunteering, we walked about a half a mile to El Molino, the black market here in Cusco. You could literally buy anything you would ever want, from a toaster to a flat screen TV (but good luck getting it back to the states). For 3 Soles (1 dollar) each, I bought a few new pirated DVDs so that I could watch them later.
At 2 I had my spanish class and it was a lot of fun. We tend to review one part of grammar or vocabulary for an hour and then just talk in spanish for another hour. It is such an amazing opportunity to converse with a local and develop my spanish skils. So much fun!
Every Thursday we have a volunteer meeting where all of the volunteers from all of the different placements come together and talk about their weeks. At 6 we all met at Máximo Nivel and met for an hour, talking about all of our experiences during the week. At the end of the meeting, we all went out to the Israeli restaurant again. It was my second time in two days and the ladies recognized me haha. After an amazing falafel we went out to one of the bars nearby, "Indigo" and enjoyed a few drinks together. Some of the guys from my house are leaving for the states tomorrow and we were celebrating in their honor.
In other news, I have learned that I will be switching to another clinic come Monday of next week. Both doctors at the cinic where I have been working will be absent for a few weeks, so I am going to be placed in another location. More info to come tomorrow!
Alright... very tired... going to get some sleep so I can wake up early, go to the clinic and then get some planning done for Macchu Picchu this weekend!!!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!
Love,
Greg
Had clinic this morning and had even more responsibilities than yesterday. I was in charge of weighing, taking heights and examining all of the pediatric patients who came through the door. After the 35th time that they called me El Doctor, I finally confirmed to one of the nurses in spanish that I am not yet a doctor. She said she knew but said that it would make the patients feel better if they thought I was a doctor.
I traveled to the clinic with Lynn, a new volunteer and a first-year internal medicine resident from the US. It is nice going to clinic with her, and she even gave me some tips on the way for things to listen for while checking the kids with my stethoscope. After our volunteering, we walked about a half a mile to El Molino, the black market here in Cusco. You could literally buy anything you would ever want, from a toaster to a flat screen TV (but good luck getting it back to the states). For 3 Soles (1 dollar) each, I bought a few new pirated DVDs so that I could watch them later.
At 2 I had my spanish class and it was a lot of fun. We tend to review one part of grammar or vocabulary for an hour and then just talk in spanish for another hour. It is such an amazing opportunity to converse with a local and develop my spanish skils. So much fun!
Every Thursday we have a volunteer meeting where all of the volunteers from all of the different placements come together and talk about their weeks. At 6 we all met at Máximo Nivel and met for an hour, talking about all of our experiences during the week. At the end of the meeting, we all went out to the Israeli restaurant again. It was my second time in two days and the ladies recognized me haha. After an amazing falafel we went out to one of the bars nearby, "Indigo" and enjoyed a few drinks together. Some of the guys from my house are leaving for the states tomorrow and we were celebrating in their honor.
In other news, I have learned that I will be switching to another clinic come Monday of next week. Both doctors at the cinic where I have been working will be absent for a few weeks, so I am going to be placed in another location. More info to come tomorrow!
Alright... very tired... going to get some sleep so I can wake up early, go to the clinic and then get some planning done for Macchu Picchu this weekend!!!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!
Love,
Greg
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Day 4: What a difference a day makes!!
Wow. What a day!
For starters, I began en la clinica in a completely different department- pediatrics. There, I learned about how the babies and children in the area come in for exams every month or so to get vaccinations and for check-ups. We had about 30 patients between 8am and noon. Even though I kept telling the nurses that I was not yet a doctor (“Soy estudiante de medicina, no soy doctor!”), they referred to me as “el doctor.” Within about 10 minutes, they had me performing physical exams on all of the children, listening to their heart and lungs through the stethoscope and weighing and taking their height. Even though, as I have said, I have zero formal training in performing exams, I guess they figured that I would notice anything grossly abnormal and report it… which I did when I saw crazy rashes or enlarged lymph nodes, etc. Really a lot of fun, and a lot of work trying to communicate with los niños who were unsure who this giant gringo was trying to touch and examine them.
I have to say that it was truly a bit emotional for me to see some of the children. These are poor people. They have little and ask for even less, and it shows. Many of the children, as I have mentioned before, are malnourished and less than healthy. Many were dressed in dingy and odorous clothes that clearly hadn’t been changed or washed often. And still, despite these obvious negatives, there was a tangible sense of love and concern between the mothers, the fathers and their children. More than once today parents asked me if their child’s height and weight were okay for their age. A quick glance at the growth charts indicated that they weren’t… they weren’t receiving enough to eat… and yet I couldn’t bring myself, in broken Spanish, to explain this unfortunate fact to them. Still, their love for their children inspired and touched me, it was often both heart breaking and heartwarming all at once.
After the clinic, I returned to Máximo Nivel for Spanish lessons, which were great. I am conquering concepts and tenses that I remember but have forgotten. I really think this will help me immensely. After Spanish ended, I made a great decision. While I love the local food, which I eat 3 times a day thank you very much, I have yet to truly feel full and satisfied since I have arrived. I had heard a rumor about an Israeli restaurant in town that caters to the large Israeli tourist population. After about 20 minutes of searching the alleys around La Plaza de Armas… there it was. A beautiful Israeli flag hanging over the doorway. “El Sueño Azul,” as it was called was an amazing retreat. Inside it was 100% Hebrew, with many Israelis sitting in chatting in a language that I will always be able to recognize. I made conversation with a few of them while ordering- and then immensely enjoying- a falafel pita with hummus, Israeli salad and fries. It was so amazing. I left that restaurant happy, re-charged and ready to turn around and order another.
Now comes the great part of my day: as I alluded to yesterday, it has been tough for me to find my niche, and specifically a group of people to hang with. Through Spanish classes and Máximo Nivel, I became friendly with a nice group of people, and we all decided to travel together to Macchu Picchu this weekend! We booked tickets on a train which leaves from a town about 2 hours away. Saturday morning we are going to take Un Cómbi (a mini-bus) to the town and then ride the train to Aguas Calientes, the town closest to Macchu Picchu! I am so excited, I’m beyond words.
To celebrate, we met some other friends for drinks in the plaza, which was great for me because I had yet to convince any of my housemates to join me for drinks heretofore. So much fun out with everyone… and as I said from the beginning… it’s amazing what difference a day can make.
Funny note: I found myself weeping while sitting and eating lunch. Didn’t know what was wrong with me, turns out the cook was cooking a massive pot of onions.
Also, apologies to Dave and Steve, whom I had a skype date with. I blew them off the enjoy going out with my new friends. Forgive me!?
Goodnight everyone!
Greg
For starters, I began en la clinica in a completely different department- pediatrics. There, I learned about how the babies and children in the area come in for exams every month or so to get vaccinations and for check-ups. We had about 30 patients between 8am and noon. Even though I kept telling the nurses that I was not yet a doctor (“Soy estudiante de medicina, no soy doctor!”), they referred to me as “el doctor.” Within about 10 minutes, they had me performing physical exams on all of the children, listening to their heart and lungs through the stethoscope and weighing and taking their height. Even though, as I have said, I have zero formal training in performing exams, I guess they figured that I would notice anything grossly abnormal and report it… which I did when I saw crazy rashes or enlarged lymph nodes, etc. Really a lot of fun, and a lot of work trying to communicate with los niños who were unsure who this giant gringo was trying to touch and examine them.
I have to say that it was truly a bit emotional for me to see some of the children. These are poor people. They have little and ask for even less, and it shows. Many of the children, as I have mentioned before, are malnourished and less than healthy. Many were dressed in dingy and odorous clothes that clearly hadn’t been changed or washed often. And still, despite these obvious negatives, there was a tangible sense of love and concern between the mothers, the fathers and their children. More than once today parents asked me if their child’s height and weight were okay for their age. A quick glance at the growth charts indicated that they weren’t… they weren’t receiving enough to eat… and yet I couldn’t bring myself, in broken Spanish, to explain this unfortunate fact to them. Still, their love for their children inspired and touched me, it was often both heart breaking and heartwarming all at once.
After the clinic, I returned to Máximo Nivel for Spanish lessons, which were great. I am conquering concepts and tenses that I remember but have forgotten. I really think this will help me immensely. After Spanish ended, I made a great decision. While I love the local food, which I eat 3 times a day thank you very much, I have yet to truly feel full and satisfied since I have arrived. I had heard a rumor about an Israeli restaurant in town that caters to the large Israeli tourist population. After about 20 minutes of searching the alleys around La Plaza de Armas… there it was. A beautiful Israeli flag hanging over the doorway. “El Sueño Azul,” as it was called was an amazing retreat. Inside it was 100% Hebrew, with many Israelis sitting in chatting in a language that I will always be able to recognize. I made conversation with a few of them while ordering- and then immensely enjoying- a falafel pita with hummus, Israeli salad and fries. It was so amazing. I left that restaurant happy, re-charged and ready to turn around and order another.
Now comes the great part of my day: as I alluded to yesterday, it has been tough for me to find my niche, and specifically a group of people to hang with. Through Spanish classes and Máximo Nivel, I became friendly with a nice group of people, and we all decided to travel together to Macchu Picchu this weekend! We booked tickets on a train which leaves from a town about 2 hours away. Saturday morning we are going to take Un Cómbi (a mini-bus) to the town and then ride the train to Aguas Calientes, the town closest to Macchu Picchu! I am so excited, I’m beyond words.
To celebrate, we met some other friends for drinks in the plaza, which was great for me because I had yet to convince any of my housemates to join me for drinks heretofore. So much fun out with everyone… and as I said from the beginning… it’s amazing what difference a day can make.
Funny note: I found myself weeping while sitting and eating lunch. Didn’t know what was wrong with me, turns out the cook was cooking a massive pot of onions.
Also, apologies to Dave and Steve, whom I had a skype date with. I blew them off the enjoy going out with my new friends. Forgive me!?
Goodnight everyone!
Greg
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Day 3. The gravity of the trip.
There's no need to sugarcoat it: today was an up-and-down day. At the end of it, I can honestly say that for better and for worse I had no idea what I was getting myself into.
I awoke early for my first day in the clinic. I am assigned to El Centro de Salud de Manco Copac, which translates to Manco Copac Heath Center. La Clinica is located in a part of Cusco called la Margin Derecha, which means "The Right Margin" in English. It is so named because it is the right-most part of town, bordered only by mountains. It is one of the most impoverished areas in Cusco. As I told many of you before I came down here, Cusco is a city of polar opposites. Due to the large tourist presence, there are a few nice, private hospitals that cater almost exclusively to rich travelers and the small amount of well-to-do Cuzequeños. On the other hand, the locals are mostly disregarded medically. 50% of Cuzequeños live on less than US $2 a day, and over 25% of children are clinically malnourished. Access to healthcare for these individuals is sparse and stretched to the max. I learned this first hand this morning.
Arriving in the clinic at 8:15, I found a mass of patients waiting outside. Within a minute the security guard opened the gates and people poured in. While I was supposed to be working with Doctora Monica, one of 2 docs in the clinic, it was discovered that she was away until next Monday. Instead, I was told to head toward the laboratory where I would remain for the next 4 hours. Without being too dramatic, the clinic is in desperate need of supplies and help. Each of the 4 of us in the blood draw, urine and feces lab were allotted one pair of gloves for the whole day. The three other ladies in the lab knew absolutely no english, and I was happily surprised with my ability to communicate all day long. I was taught about the methods of examining blood and urine samples and then promptly thrown into the deep end to do it myself. At one point, devoid of a working centrifuge, me and one of the ladies swirled a vial by hand for 8 minutes. It was interesting, depressing, enlightening and scary all rolled into one. I am extremely curious for what will come next in the clinic.
At 2, I began my spanish lesson with my teacher and one other student, Nina. It is an intermediate/advanced class and it was really interesting and challenging. The 2-hour lesson was conducted entirely in Spanish without a drop of English. We conversed and then reviewed the 4 preterite tenses. It is so good for me. I remember all of this stuff vaguely from when I used to take classes, and now I am able to both re-learn and immediately apply my skills 24 hours a day. After thinking about it, I truly think that 90% of my day is conducted in Spanish. It is a tough, unforgiving, but amazing classroom.
After class, I met my tandem conversation partner, Magnolia. She is a 28-year-old Peruvian who is currently studying English. She and I talked for about 30 minutes in about 50/50 Spanish/English and then walked around Cusco talking about all the things I have to do while I'm here. We set a meeting for Thursday afternoon at a pizza place so that we can continue our conversation. I am really excited about this because this type of cross-cultrual friendship and understanding is what I truly thrive on.
3 Days in, I can honestly say that this experience will be different than any other I've had. Loneliness, for instance, is an emotion that I am only vaguely familiar with, but it is one that I think I will get to know quite well while I'm here. While the language barrier is certainly conquerable, it makes comprehension quite difficult. I'm often left feeling quite confused and inadequate. Such is the plight of a gringo trying to conquer spanish, I know, but it doesn't make the challenge any easier. Over the next few days, I hope that I will develop more friendships and get in more a of a solidified routine. But I must be true to myself and admit that these things may never happen fully to my liking. I remind myself constantly that I came here to help in a community that needs it and at the same time work to develop more understanding of a culture and people with which I am unfamiliar. Doing both of these things requires improvisation, flexibility, and knowing that you can never anticipate everything (or anything). If I wanted an easy, planned, problem-free trip... RoyalCaribbean.com has some amazing deals.
I am excited and optimistic, and truly curious for what lies ahead. I can't wait to find out.
Gotta get to work on my homework from Spanish class (one page essay on my past)! Love you all!
Greg
I awoke early for my first day in the clinic. I am assigned to El Centro de Salud de Manco Copac, which translates to Manco Copac Heath Center. La Clinica is located in a part of Cusco called la Margin Derecha, which means "The Right Margin" in English. It is so named because it is the right-most part of town, bordered only by mountains. It is one of the most impoverished areas in Cusco. As I told many of you before I came down here, Cusco is a city of polar opposites. Due to the large tourist presence, there are a few nice, private hospitals that cater almost exclusively to rich travelers and the small amount of well-to-do Cuzequeños. On the other hand, the locals are mostly disregarded medically. 50% of Cuzequeños live on less than US $2 a day, and over 25% of children are clinically malnourished. Access to healthcare for these individuals is sparse and stretched to the max. I learned this first hand this morning.
Arriving in the clinic at 8:15, I found a mass of patients waiting outside. Within a minute the security guard opened the gates and people poured in. While I was supposed to be working with Doctora Monica, one of 2 docs in the clinic, it was discovered that she was away until next Monday. Instead, I was told to head toward the laboratory where I would remain for the next 4 hours. Without being too dramatic, the clinic is in desperate need of supplies and help. Each of the 4 of us in the blood draw, urine and feces lab were allotted one pair of gloves for the whole day. The three other ladies in the lab knew absolutely no english, and I was happily surprised with my ability to communicate all day long. I was taught about the methods of examining blood and urine samples and then promptly thrown into the deep end to do it myself. At one point, devoid of a working centrifuge, me and one of the ladies swirled a vial by hand for 8 minutes. It was interesting, depressing, enlightening and scary all rolled into one. I am extremely curious for what will come next in the clinic.
At 2, I began my spanish lesson with my teacher and one other student, Nina. It is an intermediate/advanced class and it was really interesting and challenging. The 2-hour lesson was conducted entirely in Spanish without a drop of English. We conversed and then reviewed the 4 preterite tenses. It is so good for me. I remember all of this stuff vaguely from when I used to take classes, and now I am able to both re-learn and immediately apply my skills 24 hours a day. After thinking about it, I truly think that 90% of my day is conducted in Spanish. It is a tough, unforgiving, but amazing classroom.
After class, I met my tandem conversation partner, Magnolia. She is a 28-year-old Peruvian who is currently studying English. She and I talked for about 30 minutes in about 50/50 Spanish/English and then walked around Cusco talking about all the things I have to do while I'm here. We set a meeting for Thursday afternoon at a pizza place so that we can continue our conversation. I am really excited about this because this type of cross-cultrual friendship and understanding is what I truly thrive on.
3 Days in, I can honestly say that this experience will be different than any other I've had. Loneliness, for instance, is an emotion that I am only vaguely familiar with, but it is one that I think I will get to know quite well while I'm here. While the language barrier is certainly conquerable, it makes comprehension quite difficult. I'm often left feeling quite confused and inadequate. Such is the plight of a gringo trying to conquer spanish, I know, but it doesn't make the challenge any easier. Over the next few days, I hope that I will develop more friendships and get in more a of a solidified routine. But I must be true to myself and admit that these things may never happen fully to my liking. I remind myself constantly that I came here to help in a community that needs it and at the same time work to develop more understanding of a culture and people with which I am unfamiliar. Doing both of these things requires improvisation, flexibility, and knowing that you can never anticipate everything (or anything). If I wanted an easy, planned, problem-free trip... RoyalCaribbean.com has some amazing deals.
I am excited and optimistic, and truly curious for what lies ahead. I can't wait to find out.
Gotta get to work on my homework from Spanish class (one page essay on my past)! Love you all!
Greg
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