No Monkey Business -- OK, Maybe A Little

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I.  The Pursuit of Medicine
Upon returning from my vacation down south, I once again started working daily in clinics and hospitals; although I´m getting a bit burnt out on the clinical aspect of the trip (I´m definitely a bit homesick, and very much ready to move on to the next part of my adventure), I definitely got to see and do some pretty neat stuff over the course of the last week. Last week in the Archidona hospital, I got to observe two surgeries: first, there was a woman with two ovarian cysts (one was the size of a golfball, the other larger than a baseball); and second, a kid with a compound fracture of his arm (the bone was sticking out at his wrist), along with a dislocated elbow). It was very interesting to note the differences as compared to what I have seen in the U.S., namely regarding sterile technique. For example, whereas pretty much everything in the States is disposable (gowns, equiptment covers), everything here is reusable. Also, at one point the surgeon dropped his gown on the ground, and then picked it up and used it anyway -- something that would never fly back home. Last but not least, I also had the opportunity to put a catheter in a patient in Archidona, another new experience for me.

Rather than working in a clinic or hospital on Monday, I spent the day at a place called Pedihabilidad, which is a physical therapy rehabilitation clinic for kids. It was started several years back by an American physical therapist. It is completely free, and pretty much the only one of its kind in this region. It is a really great program, and it was interesting to spend a day checking it out. Most of the kids have some sort of congenital condition or developmental disorder; I saw patients with cerebral palsy, hydrocephalis, artrogriposis, etc. This is the same place that is currently building a playground, to which we contributed a few days back.

II.  The Hunt for Adventure
On Saturday evening we spent another night on the town -- in Tena, that is. At first I wasn´t too excited about it, since bars and such aren´t really my scene. But in the end it turned out to be ok. We hung out for a while at a bar, playing a family game of Kate´s where you sit in a circle and one person, the headhunter, tries to make other people laugh. Whoever laughs first becomes the headhunter. There were some outrageous charades and hilarious sound effects throughout the night, and it was an all around good time. Later we went to a discoteca, which is a type of dance bar that is really popular in Latin America, and Spain as well. I really wasn´t looking forward to this, especially for fear that everyone would want to stay super late and I would get stuck there. But alas, it wasn´t so bad. If nothing else, it was definitely worth checking out for the experience alone.

The next morning, we slept in a bit and then got some breakfast from the midwives, as per usual. Then we all hopped in a taxi and headed over to do a waterfall hike near the town of Misahualli. Chris, Natalie and Michelle had done it previously, and it had been rainy and muddy; it was optimistic that this time around it would be better conditions, especially considering that it was nice and hot outside during the cab ride over. Unfortunately, it turned out that it was muddy nonetheless. Later it started to rain on us, and toward the end it started pouring. This was all fine and dandy. I had my trusty hiking boots on, which had thus far served me well (think Cajas). In fact, I even commented at one point on how they had such incredible traction (Hey Indi -- foreshadowing?). I managed to stay pretty dry and clean right up until, right at the end, with the waterfall in sight, I slipped on a rock (we had to make our way over a series of boulders to reach our destination) and banged my knee bad. I feel with my feet into the water, but couldn´t even get out for more than a minute because I couldn´t move my leg. So yeah -- that sucked. My biggest fear: that I banged it up so bad that I would have to forego Macchu Pichu. But worry not, my faithful companions! Unlike the mighty Goliath, it will take more than a mere rock to bring this hero down. My knee is much better already, albeit a little bruised. The waterfall was really beautiful, though I think it would have been more enjoyable had it not been raining so much. But still, definitely worth it. Everyone else went swimming around under the waterfall while I took pictures. Then, on the way back down, we encountered quite the interesting surprise: though the rain had stopped, the path we had walked up had itself turned into a mini flowing river. So, once again, what I thought was a simple day´s hike turned into a relentless thrashing of my precious shoes.

After our hike, we hopped (soaking wet) on a bus to the nearby town of Mishualli. Here we had lunch -- some at restaurants, other at food carts (see below) -- and then headed to see the main attraction for this town: the monkeys. That´s right, monkeys. Misahualli is known for them. In fact, there is little else there, other than some shops and vendors. Upon first glance, the town itself seems rather normal and quaint. It isn´t until you venture down to the beach that you find it´s true, hidden charm. It really is a very intersting dynamic -- down at the water´s edge, only right outside of the town proper, exists the strangest intermingling of monkey and man that you´ve ever seen. Right there next to the town, primate and...well...primate pass the afternoon together in harmony. And when I say harmony, this is to say that the two species are not directly harming eachother; this is not to say that it isn´t utter chaos. Indeed, the monkeys have a reputation of stealing backpacks, waterbottles -- really whatever they can get their hands on -- from unsuspecting passerbys. They jump from tree to tree over head. They steal food from children. They chase and taunt dogs, pulling their tails and hopping on the backs. It truly is a sight to see, both unbelievable and aboslutely hilarious. Taylor at one point tried giving a monkey some of his beer (he poured it into an empty plastic water bottle). The monkey didn´t really seem to like it, but did succeed in hitting Taylor on the head with the bottle when he least expected it. I think a sign I saw in the middle of the town pretty well sums up the whole experience. It read: take care, monkeys are a part of life.

III. The Quest for Gluttony
As always, I have continued my quest (really it´s a lifelong endeavor) to find the most delicious foods possible. After the last few days, I definitely have a few more foods to add to my list. In Misahualli, while most people ate at a restaurant, I partook of the local street vendors. I started off with a nice maduro con queso--a grilled ripe plantain filled with cheese (and typically mayonaisse, though I requested mine without), which is one of the more popular street foods in Ecuador. I´m not sure what cheese they use -- it looks a lot like feta or bleu cheese, but tastes more like a mozzarella. Next I found a guy selling some tortillas de choclo -- the incredibly delicious corn tortillas I first experienced in Riobamba; these ones weren´t quite as good, but definitely still tasty, and this time I know they had cheese melted inside. Finally, I found a guy selling tortillas de yuca (yuca is potato-like vegetable that, like plantains, is ubiquitous (yu-biquitous! ha ha ha) down here. According to wikipedia, it is apparently the third largest source of carbohydrates worldwide. Wowza. Down here, it´s used in soups, eaten fried or grilled, made into tortillas, breads, etc. Now, I had heard tell of an infamous yuca bread from Aaron and some of the other students; they had encountered it in Tena. At first I thought that´s what this was, and was suuuper excited as I had been long hoping to try it. Alas, it was not, though the tortilla was still pretty good. However, much to my later and greater satisfaction, I have since found the famed yuca bread myself (from the same street vendor in Tena), and boy is it FAN-FLIPPIN-TASTIC. The first thing that hits you is the smell -- it´s delectable. The bread itself looks like a little yellow roll, almost like a one of those bisquick ones. You buy them hot off the grill, four for a dollar. The outside is nice and crisp, while the inside is gooey, warm and delicious. I can´t even begin to describe the flavor. I´m drooling just thinking about them. Definitely up there as one of the best foods I´ve had the pleasure of meeting during my time in Ecuador.

IV. The Trek Through The Unknown
And finally, a few words about what is to come. Tomorrow, Wednesday, we are going to take a half day (as I chose to do today since, as I mentioned previously, I´m getting a bit burnt out). However, tomorrow´s half day has a greater purpose: we are going to go on a white-water rafting adventure with a local tour company. This should be a lot of fun. On Thursday we are working a full day, and then being visited by a traditional shaman in the evening. I think this will probably be a lot like what we saw at Jambi Huasi, possibly even with yet another cuy...experience? Extravaganza? Horror-fest? (see: Day 2: Parasites, Crafts and Disemboweled Rodents). The second group didn´t get the...opportunity to experience Jambi Huasi, so I think that´s the idea behind it. It should be another intersting evening. Then on Friday, we are doing a cultural exchange with several local midwives. It will be sort of like a little party -- 15 midwives are going to come to Amupakin, and 2 of them are going to be doing a presentation on various topics surrounding their practice of medicine. Afterwards, they have requested that we provide some more information regarding our profession, namely Western medicine. This is going to last until around lunch time, at which point we are going to hop on a bus up North. I´m going to head to Quito, and I think the others are going to go to Otavalo for the night. We might stop at a hotsprings along the way.

And lastly, you´ll be happy to hear that -- after significant struggle and deliberation -- I have finally booked my flights. ...Well, a part of them, at least. I purchased my ticket to the Galapagos; I´ll be flying out on the 24th. Unfortunately I couldn´t find a reasonably priced ticket for the 23rd (I waited waaaay too long to book the flight), which is the day I really should be leaving. However, my current plan is to head to the airport early Saturday morning to get my name on the waitlist with hopes to exchance my ticket for a same day flight. If not, I´ll just have to make due with what I have. Right now I have only scheduled a one-way ticket to the Galapagos. I´m thinking I might wait until I get there to schedule the rest. That way I´ll know exactly when my cruise will be over. The hardest part about scheduling all of this is the fact that there is still so much uncertainty -- I don´t know exactly when my cruise will leave, when it will get back, how many days I will need to hike Macchu Pichu, etc. But, the ball is rolling, and thankfully it´s finally picking up some momentum. Everything should work out fine. All I can say is that I am super excited. I just wish I had done one week less down here in the clinics; that way I wouldn´t have been so homesick heading out to the Galapagos. Then again, what better than a tropical cruise to cure a bit of homesickness...?

...Tortoise riding, perhaps?

Just wait, it´s totally happening.