Well, Irma and I just got back from a medical mission trip to Guatemala, and I've just gotten the photos up on my website. Since Irma's a nurse, she actually did a lot of good, circulating and scrubbing in. I basically washed and sterilized instruments, did odd jobs, and helped cook and clean up after breakfast. So, in typical TT format, here's the HL/LL list.
Highlights:
-Helping as many people as we did. The OB/GYN doctor did 17 operations, the general surgeon probably did 1 1/2 to 2 times as many, and a family practice doctor went around to rural clinics every day helping people.
-Finding a practical use for my ability to speak Spanish, and actually having most of it come back to me to near fluency.
-The skill of our bus driver who was able to maneuver through the tight streets of towns, several times with only an inch or two of clearance.
-The beauty of the country side - Guatemala is a really beautiful country.
-Dinner. We had a local lady cater it every night, and it was awesome.
-Lunch in Antigua - possibly the best meal I've ever had in a restaurant.
-Gallo beer - it was pretty good.
-The market in Chichicastenango was pretty cool. Full of Mayans going about their normal lives, and not as influenced by tourism as the market in Antigua.
-I got to scrub in on 3 operations, which is something I'd never get to do here in the states.
-Not having to pay for any meals in Antigua because everybody kept treating me once they found out it was my birthday. And I got a birthday cake the last night there.
Lowlights:
-Hurricane Stan - it didn't hit us directly, but it made it rain the entire trip, and caused all those mudslides, which made us lose power in the hospital off and on. On top of that, Thursday night, the roads were still blocked and we weren't sure if we were going to get out on time, and when we did get out, it was slow going waiting for the road crews to clear the fresh mud slides. Not to mention all the destruction the mudslides and flooding caused to the local communities.
-Poverty - just plain sucks.
-Lazy people. Honestly, why go on this type of trip if you're just going to sit around on your ass the whole time?
-Having one lady follow us around in the market for half an hour trying to sell us a blanket. We never did buy it.
-Every other beer besides Gallo.
-Getting sick one night along with 3 other people, probably from food poisoning.
-Not really getting my fluency back in Spanish until the day we left.