The one-year mark

It is official; I have lived in the Ecuadorean jungle for over a year!   

As I look back on the year that has flown by I am so grateful for this experience. I know that this has been an important year for me, personally and professionally.  I have learned a lot about myself while learning about a new culture, pace of life, climate, language, and new area of practice in my career.  Coming here was a dream come true, one that I’ve had in my imagination since I was about 10 years old and learning Spanish in School. I was never sure when or how I would get here, or even where exactly here was, but I knew someday I wanted, needed, to live in Latin America in a way that wasn’t just as a traveler or student passing through.  Studying abroad in Spain was instrumental in helping me realize I could live far away and learn to navigate around a new and different way of life.  Being in the salsa dancing community in San Francisco kept me exposed to the language, music and variety of people within the Latin culture, which allowed me to open my eyes to the possibility of living (nearly) anywhere in Central or South America.  All these elements, mixed with the right timing, support from all you, a lead from a friend about CMMB and their programs, and a little bit of courage to quit my job, pack up my cute apartment, and take the leap of faith, brought me to this path, and I am so glad they did.  It has not been easy, or tearless, but it has been exciting, challenging, inspiring, emotional, rewarding, and humbling. I have been fortunate to travel around Ecuador, have my family visit me, go home to see family and watch my best friend get married, and to meet up with friends in different countries like Colombia, Bolivia, and Brazil.  I have made friendships that will last beyond the miles that may separate us in our next adventures (thanks to Facebook and the internet).  I’ve discovered and confirmed my interests in pediatrics and am certain I want to continue to pursue this path wherever I am working.  And I’ve even fallen in love!  I know many of you are thinking “I knew it would happen”- but I’ll be honest and say I did not! Romantic relationships in this culture are NOT easy to navigate as a foreigner, so I was pleasantly surprised when I found a good one. J  

So as any good blogger must do, I have compiled the compulsory “what I love vs. not my favorite” list. Please enjoy!

What I love…

• Amazing thunder and lightning storms
• Rivers and waterfalls and swimming holes
• Juices and batidos on every corner
• Walking through town and always recognizing at least one person
• Walking through town and feeling safe
• Hot humid weather- which resulted in clear naturally moisturized skin, soft hair, and no allergies!
• Never needing a coat, layers, sweater, scarf, but ALWAYS needing an umbrella just in case.
• My kiddos at work who smile big when they see me or wave to me when I see them in town
• The guy at the corner market who asks about my latest travels or adventures, and gives me advice on where to go next
• My family! Watching my little sister and brother growing up right before my eyes. Playing UNO in English with Juan, and lying on my bed playing with my stuffed bear with Rafa.  Hanging out in the kitchen with Gaby, sharing food and stories, and her correcting my Spanish.
•           Walking home from work with my best friend Alexandra, stopping along the way for jugos or ice cream
• The way Alexandra’s son cuddles with me, tells me stories, beats me at puzzles. 
• Seeing how grateful parents are when we fix up a piece of equipment for their kid. 
• Our one discoteca, and one cocktail bar. 
• Being able to jump on a $0.25 bus to go to my favorite swimming spot on a hot afternoon
• $1 taxi, anywhere in town.
• Free or $1 BailoTerapia classes in the plaza (Ecuador’s version of Zumba)

I'm so lucky to be a part of this family! Juan, Gaby, and Rafaela (who just turned 3 this week). 

Not my favorite

• Mosquitoes
• Waking up to rain pounding on my tin roof, thinking this time it’s going to cave in for sure!
• Nothing is as easy as it seems it should be
• Mosquitoes
• Ants immediately invading any appetizing food left out for even 5 minutes
• Not ever being sure you can rely on someone’s word
• Coming back from time away and finding mold on my shoes, bags, and clothes.
• Construction on our neighbor’s house starting at 7am, everyday.
• Mosquitoes
• Limited choices in food, shopping, entertainment
• Working with the less-than-appreciative hospital administration
• Luke warm water (at best) and bucket showers (although I always felt proud of myself that it was no big deal when the water ran out and I had to haul the bucket up from the water reserve downstairs). 
• Parasites and intestinal problem
• Mosquitoes

As most of you know, I am not ready to come home yet. I still feel my role here hasn't been completed, I still have more room to grow as a therapist (but then again, maybe I will always feel that way) and I still feel like I have something to contribute to the people I am working with here.  The latest project has been creating a protocol for the student/intern program, which means I've been working with both the therapists and students in more of a teaching role, and I'm really enjoying it.  

Needless to say, this journey isn't over yet! I do get to go home for Christmas next week, which I am VERY MUCH looking forward to! Stay tuned for the next entry coming soon about the Fiestas de Quito, which involve a first place medal in the soccer tournament, second place in the 40 tournament (a card game), and being crowned Queen of the Chiva (with my King, of course!).  

Happy Holidays to everyone!! 

These smiles are my reminders

I see it´s been a month since I last wrote. And the truth is I have been avoiding it intentionally.  I remember before leaving for this trip I thought about what purpose my blog would serve and I wanted it to be a way for me to show all of you where your support (emotional and financial) was being put to work. What fruits were being labored with my work and your love.  And of course to share the wacky moments that fall into the category of “only in Ecuador”.  What I didn’t want was to taint the image I was painting for you with rants or venting sessions about the hard stuff.  Obviously it exists, but it’s not what people want to read about. I am sure you get where I am going with this- it’s been a hard couple months at work.  There have been a lot of changes and not very good ones, in my opinion. I have been struggling to keep my focus on why I am here, who I am here for, and what it is I want to accomplish while here.  Easier said than done some days… BUT this afternoon I was blatantly and refreshingly reminded of all those things, so my inspiration to write to you all came flooding back in.  And as I sit here typing in the main plaza, there is a rainbow forming above me (which probably means I’ll get rain dumped on me shortly- but for now it’s perfect). 

So on to the good stuff. Due to a variety of circumstances, I saw two kids today who I haven’t been able to see in a while. First one is Oscar.  He is an 8 year old boy who has been coming to PediHabilidad since he was very little.  He is a shy guy and takes a little while to warm up to new people, but once he does, he is a sweetheart full of creativity and such adorable love for his little sister who never leaves his side during therapy.  Today was an average therapy day for us, nothing too profound, other than teaching him and his sister how to play tic-tac-toe. But for me, my heart was fulfilled to be working with him again.  When the three of them came into the clinic and we all met eyes, I think everyone’s faces lit up equally. I was certainly glad to see them, and I think the feeling was mutual.   That feels good!

And the second one- Remember Marlon? The super tear-jerker entry about the kiddo and the wheel chair we delivered to him that brought on a smile I will never forget? Well, I saw him today too!  And what a joy he was! He was a little shy for the first 2 minutes, and then it was game-on! Once his mom put him on the mat and I asked him what he wanted to play with, that Kodak smile immediately came across his face and he said “blocks! I want to build a house!”  We spent the next hour laughing, playing, smiling, and working, of course. But he would not stop giggling and chatting away.  A year ago he was cute, smiley, but quiet. Not anymore! This kid wants to move, explore, throw, climb, laugh, topple over things, and live! It breaks my heart to think of the low he experienced a few months back, but I can’t help but think I did, in fact, partake in something that had a profound impact on this kid’s life.  And his mom said he’s going to school, which is major success around here. Lots of these kiddos aren’t going for a variety of reasons (accessibility, misconceptions regarding their cognitive abilities, resources in schools, to name a few), so to know that the wheelchair that we provided this little guy allows him to participate and play with his friends (which he told me he has a lot of!) makes all the work drama seem so trivial. Thank you Marlon, for being a light in my life!

It's faint, but the rainbow is there. 

ps. that's the entrance to our one cocktail bar, with the black sign... looks inviting doesn't it!?

Life has a funny way

Change is inevitable- exciting and scary. And seems to be the only “normal” in my life in the past 13 years.  Today I figured out that since leaving for college, I haven’t lived in one physical place for more than 2 years.  Guess I keep getting the 2-year itch and find the need to keep my parents guessing “what’s next”.  Since coming back from a whirlwind and wonderful trip home for Maggie’s wedding, many people asked me “is it weird to be back?”  They asked in both directions of the trip, when I was “home” and when I came back “home”.  My only response was “it’s weird, because it isn’t weird”.  Things back in California were as I remembered, except not.  My parent’s house is not the house I grew up in even though it’s all the same furniture rearranged in a new place, and my parents could not be happier there.  My brother and sister in law are the same, except now they are parents to a 15 month old son who is hands-down indisputably the cutest toddler that exists.  My friends are still as great as ever, except now they are getting married, having children, traveling, moving, living their dreams. Hell, I got to be in my childhood friend’s wedding, where my family was represented three generations deep (my mom played music, I was a bridesmaid, and George was a ring-bearer).  That’s pretty special. 

BUT I knew my stay was temporary, and I knew I was coming back to this other place I call “home”.  Coming back felt as normal as normal can be when you live somewhere so unlike anywhere you have ever lived, and impossible to explain to people back home.   Whenever I talk to people about my experiences living abroad (wow, now a plural statement- that’s cool), I always say that it should somehow be required and that it should be for at least a year.  Walking down the street now I feel like I fit in (as much as a tall gringa can), and I try my best not to look like a tourist, because I am not. Someone at the river the other day asked me “are you here traveling” and my answer was a confident “no, I live here”.  Even if it’s temporary, I live here. 

I am not sure where I am going with all this, except to say that I’m feeling quite contemplative today as I realize my 1 year anniversary is in 6 short weeks.  I decided, on my way home from work, that I need to soak it all in and really appreciate where I am because it will be over before I know it and the next change will come.  I've realized that I haven’t taken nearly as many pictures this year as I did during my year in Spain (which is ironic because I had one film SLR camera then, and now I have 3 digital devices), but this year has felt different.  In college, I knew it was only a year- long adventure with some studying sprinkled in (still not sure how I pulled that off), but this adventure is just as much about my professional development as it is personal growth with no particular plan once the year-contract is complete. I think I always knew at some point in my life I HAD to live in South America, and I wanted to feel like I live here, not just passing through. (Mom and Dad, it’s still your fault, ya know- had it not been for Olinder and my bilingual education, I probably wouldn't be here). 

So in my effort to “soak it in”, today I took the back streets home. One block up from the main street that’s paved with sidewalks and buses and taxis zipping up and down, I walked the gravel, uneven roads filled with chickens and potholes, unattended kids playing in the streets (which would never fly in the states), abandoned cars, wood shack homes, the central market teeming with life. I walked behind the bus terminal where diesel-spewing seemingly nearly broken-down buses come zipping around the corner. I walked along the river where corrugated metal roofed homes line the bank, asking to be swept away in the next rainstorm.  I took some pictures, but I mostly just held the camera in my pocket and did my best to instill it all in my memory bank.  

After a year here, things feel normal. But stepping outside of my usual routine for a moment and really taking a good look around me, and comparing it to the week spent home, nothing is normal. And that’s what makes it all meaningful. Not to be confused with easy, but definitely exciting, interesting, and worth the journey.   

Now, I’m sure your next question is going to be “so, what’s next?”  And for those of you who I haven’t seen or talked to recently… I don’t know! And that’s the beauty of it all.  Here I am, back where I was a year ago, not sure what exactly was ahead of me, and look where I ended up. Not bad at all.  So here’s hoping the next adventure is as good as this one has been.  

Click HERE for some pictures of life around Tena. 

Doctorita Emily, orthopedic surgeon.

Hello again dear friends! This time I am writing to tell you I have decided on a career change.  I recently participated in yet another medical brigade, and had the rare experience to assist some surgeries, and based on my performance, I will now be doing surgeries in the jungle of Ecuador.  Ok, so not quite. Not at all actually, but wouldn’t that be amazing!? J Okay, so here’s what really happened…

In July, my birthday weekend, to be exact, a group of doctors/surgeons/techs/dentists/everything came from the big private hospital in Quito to do a philanthropic trip to the jungle for 2 days at the local Catholic hospital in Archidona, the next town over from Tena.  This hospital is where Nicole made her start here in Ecuador, so she is in with all the docs there, and arranged to have some of our kiddos checked out by the pediatric orthopedic surgeon.   Here is a perfect example of when you are probably assuming that it was a smooth, uneventful process to have our kids seen by the docs… and yet again, you’d be wrong. Besides, that doesn’t make for a very interesting story, does it?  See, since the last time we talked, our clinic in Tena was moved to a new location (I’ll explain that later), which means some of our kids haven’t been coming to therapy- Some of whom we had hoped to get hooked up with this brigade.  But since Tena is a fairly small town, and Nicole has been closely involved in these kid’s lives for the past 7 years, we spent a couple days driving around town, trying to track down some of the kids to give their parents the information on where and when to show up.  Again, it would have been a lot easier if everyone had cell phones, to which they provided us the number, but AGAIN, wishful thinking.   One of the kiddos was the little sister of Marlon (remember the tear-jerker entry about the kid and the wheelchair?), whose name is Maite and she has club feet so she isn’t able to walk.  Thankfully for that amazing experience with Marlon, I knew where they lived, so one day, Nicole and I jump in her car and head off for an adventure. J As we were getting closer, I was starting to doubt that my memory was going to serve correctly. What I remembered was that it was the first road after passing Archidona, then follow the road passed the soccer field after it curves left.  I know what you’re thinking. “Yea right, you’re never gonna find it”.  But as I have always been pretty good with directions and visual memory, I did in fact lead us the right way. And seriously, folks, that’s as good as directions get around here. No one knows street names, and why should you when they are rarely posted anyways.  All directions are given by landmarks and geographical references.  Just another example of how I am more and more “Ecuadorean” as the days go by. ;)

Okay, back to the story. The good news is that we arrived and Marlon’s parents were both home. We told his mom to hop in the car with Maite since we could take them down to the hospital now to be seen. The idea would be to have Maite admitted that afternoon so that she would already be there to have surgery first thing in the morning.  Mom was eager and willing, so with Maite in tow, we were back on the road heading back to the hospital. Great, success… for now.  On the way to the hospital Maite’s mom informs us that they have a type of social security insurance and, in order to get the costs of the surgery covered,  we needed to go to their hospital in Tena to get them to “transfer” Maite as a patient to the Archidona hospital. Well, this then lead us on another chase around town to figure out which place was the correct place to get the correct paperwork for all this to happen.  Somehow, still unclear to me, it all got worked out and Maite was ready for surgery the next morning when we arrived at the hospital for the big day.

Okay, so here’s where it got fun! J Since this was not our brigade, one of the questions I had for Nicole before all this was, “what is our role in this brigade, particularly, today?” she just informed me that we got the kids there (about 10 of our kids got checked out, and 4 kids had surgery), and after that we could just hang out and observe the surgeries, if possible.  Great! I’m in! Since I went to a junior college for my prerequisite classes, I never did get to do any cadaver work in my anatomy classes, so I’ll admit, I didn’t know what my physiological response was going to be to seeing someone actively cut open, but my curiosity was far too peaked to skip out on this chance! As usual, we were on Ecuadorean time so by the time our first kiddo was prepped and being put under anesthesia, Nicole had to leave to pick up her daughter, leaving me to stay and watch the surgery.  Let’s be really clear here, my understanding was that I would just watch, but I didn’t know what any of the procedures or protocols are for this kind of thing. My closest relatable experience would be watching Grey’s Anatomy on tv…. And in that OR, everyone scrubs in.  So here’s how it goes: we’re all standing around chatting, and then the surgeon says “ok, let’s scrub in”. Well, I didn’t want to be the ass who didn’t know what to do, so I just followed everyone over to the sink, imitated their techniques the best I could and scrubbed, scrubbed, scrubbed.  Walked back into the OR and was dressed and gloved by the surgical tech. Man, this is cool. It’s just like on TV, I’m official! Now what?! Well, once I was all gowned up, I just stood where I thought I would be able to see but also stay out of the way. At this point I realize that there are still people coming in and out of the room, standing around, there to observe… who aren’t scrubbed in. Uh oh.  Then I realize they are a gown-set short. Double uh oh.  Well, it’s too late at this point (and the tech sent someone off to get another gown-set), and then the surgeon is asking me “are you going to help?” to which I respond “whatever you would like”.  Triple uh oh.  “Come stand here”, he says, and motions me to his right side between him and his assistant (an actual med student, who actually does know what he’s doing, of course).  Now I’m nervous. My plan to gracefully exit if I start to feel queasy is no longer an option.  The gum I am chewing in hopes that it will supply me with small amounts of sugar to keep me on my feet is starting to lose its flavor.  I just watched one my kiddos be put under anesthesia, flipped over, legs put in tourniquets, body covered in sterile drapes, all with such detachment from the fact that this is one of my little kiddos.   I do my best to look comfortable and confident, and inside I am telling myself, keep breathing, slow and steady, this is a chance of a lifetime, don’t mess this up!   Ok, everyone’s ready and it’s go time… I hear the surgeon so that infamous word, “scalpel”. 

It. Was. Amazing.

Here’s where I am going to get a little bit graphic, so the queasy folk may want to skip on down to the next paragraph.  This particular kiddo had clubbed feet, which basically means that the ankle joint is malformed and the muscles and tendons surrounding the joint have adapted accordingly. So my job during his surgery was to hold his feet in whichever position the surgeon needed.  Thanks to the tourniquets, there wasn’t much blood, but I got an up close and personal view as they sliced, cut, clamped, repositioned, screwed and re-sewed nearly all parts of the joint.  3 hours later both feet had big screws sticking out of them to hold them in their new found correct position and the muscles could accommodate. 

And the best part of it all… I didn’t faint!! I didn’t even get queasy. I was far too distracted by how incredibly strong and intricate the human body is, how accurate and precise the surgeons were, how smooth the whole choreography of the surgery was between these 5, now 6 thanks to me inviting myself in, people.  When it was all done, the surgeon turned to me and said “so are you a med student?” To which I responded, “no, I’m just his occupational therapist”, pointing to the kiddo whose feet I had just man-handled with all the strength I had, “and I’m proud of myself that I didn’t pass out”.  “Wait, have you ever been in a surgery?” Gulp.  Turns out the surgeons knew I was a volunteer, and that I worked with Nicole in some capacity, but that was the extent of their knowledge of me.  “Well, you were a natural. You did well” he concluded.  Perhaps it was only flattery, but I’ll take it. Only in Ecuador.  

The big event!

Okay, so I knew event planning was a lot of work- but medical brigade planning trumps all girl scout/dance recital/birthday party I have EVER been a part of.  And I can’t even take all the credit for these events; I was merely the assistant coordinator.

Let’s begin with preparation. Here was the beginning of my to-do list as soon as I got back from vacation:

-          Paint parking lines for handicap spots in our parking lot (measuring and remeasuring lines as the rain washed them away overnight)

-          Make a plethora of Copies/banners/tshirts

-          Follow up on lunches, snacks, tables, chairs, transportation, shade tents, internet connectivity, printer set ups- all coming from different people and places. No one-stop-shop here in the jungle!

-          Order cake and refreshments- pick up cake and refreshments, don’t spill or drop cake or refreshments while getting in and out of taxis!

-          Make invitations for our park inauguration and closing dinner

-          Make more copies, and copies of copies.

-          Etc, etc, etc

One thing about Ecuadorean culture that is charming is that they want to please everyone and no one wants to say no to your request. Very noble and all, however, when you’re trying to plan something and figure out who’s word you can rely on, it’s exhausting.  There were many things that were “promised” one day, but then the next were not, so we had back up plans for our back up plans and learning to remain calm through it all was a challenge. But in the end, the day arrived and we were off and running, with or without an amplification system!

First event was the Sin Barreras Parque Infantil Manos Unidas inauguration. This is the park that Nicole has been working on for the past year, getting local authorities (like the Mayor) to provide financial support, and getting equipment (like adapted swings) donated from the states. In preparation for the big opening day, we asked the parents to come one day to help with the finishing touches. As luck would have it, it POURED rain that morning, but cleared up enough around 10am to get to work.  I was humbled as I watched mothers with babies strapped to their backs crouched down scrubbing the algae off of the slippery brick walkway.  I think this will be one of the images that will forever stay with me after I leave this country- people here are always willing to help, and don’t make a fuss about it. There is such a sense of community sharing amongst everyone. 

As for the party- All the important local people were present and I think we may have even been on the news.  It was just as much of a political event as it was a community event since some government folks showed up and everyone had to thank all the right people to make the hospital look good.  Needless to say, we got to cut the ribbon and serve cake and guayusa tea to everyone while the kids could finally play around in the park.  See my pics for some ridiculously cute action shots. J

Now it was time to start the Neurological Brigade! In the group were 6 doctors from different parts of the US, including Harvard, NYU, and the International Epilepsy Group (they are all pretty big deal!), and 9 non MD volunteers (2 EEG techs, and some family members).  They each had a consult area and an interpreter (as needed, 2 are actually native Ecuadoreans and 2 Puerto Rican). We had a triage station with local medicine residents and nurses to help us move people along and get them to the right specialist. My job was to be available to anyone, at any time, for anything. Basically running around answering questions, delegating tasks, resolving glitches, multitasking at my best! I actually really enjoyed being pulled all over the place because I got to see more of what was going on and interact with everyone involved. 

Here are the stats: 220 patients (52% men, 48% women), 105 with epilepsy, 14 with non-epileptic seizures. Other diagnoses included cerebral palsy, developmental delays, hemiplegia, hydrocephaly, migraines, and other neurologic pathologies. 56% of the patients were under 12 years of age, and 9% elderly. 3 children who were presently hospitalized with seizures were seen in their hospital room. 83 CT scans were performed. 

Besides the fact that we were providing this “state-of-the-art care to those who need it most”, the most feel good parts were the small details- The fact that some parents understood for the first time why their child isn’t like their other children, and whether or not they are going to “be cured”. Sure, some of the stories (okay, most of them) are sad, tough, often depressing cases, but doctors had never been direct with them before, and these are not people who would question or probe doctors for more information. They simply sit quietly while the doctor speaks gibberish to them that they don’t understand and walk away. So many parents would say they’d seen doctors who said their child was “sick”, but had no idea that there was such a thing as being born with brain malformations, or no brain for that matter. Although, perhaps we can’t “fix” brain malformations, a large majority of the cases were positive in that the doctors could prescribe seizure medicines to prevent further brain damage. And the good news is that the hospital has now agreed to keep these meds in stock so that they can get refills as needed.

The most memorable moments from the whirlwind three days was when the US docs would take the CT scans to the lightboard and hover around to check them out. The light board is in the middle of the clinic, so as one doctor would approach, everyone would crowd around to check it out (no HIPPA laws here!).  At one point, one of the pediatric neurologists said “I’m not sure about this one, let me take a picture and send it to my radiology friend back in Boston”, and CLICK. Just like that, from the middle of the Ecuadorean amazon, technology delivered a picture from his iPhone halfway up the world to a colleague in some sterile office somewhere so that this Ecuadorean who had been waiting all day to have her child seen could get some professional help.  Yea, amazing. I know.

This event was truly an international, interdisciplinary event that I am so proud I got to be a part of. These doctors, who are the best in their fields, were humble, flexible, caring, and passionate about their work. It lit a spark in me as I realize that my time here is only getting shorter!

As usual, all my pics are on Google.... so click HERE to see them! 

Vacation blues turned rosy

Something unexpected happened after I came home from vacation. I will admit, the day before getting onto that bus for my 5 hour ride back to Tena, I was not looking forward to it. I was dreading going back to the daily grind after having spent 2 weeks with my parents, being reminded of what a great family I have back at home, hearing stories about life back in Cali, and having one of those weeks being spent in an unbelievably beautiful part of the world filled with snorkeling, animals, amazing food, and meeting some incredible people from all over the world. 

But what happened was that I was greeted with big smiles, hugs from co-workers, my kids, and my "little brother and sister".  Even though I had spent the 2 weeks speaking mostly English, for some reason I started to feel that my Spanish felt better.  I was able to slip back into my routine that I had created here without realizing it. Over the two week vacation I did a lot of thinking about "what next" and upon coming back was surprised by an overwhelming feeling of not being ready to leave Tena yet.  What it means as far as decision making, I am not sure. But for now, it feels good.  

Now back to the vacation- The first half was spent being tourists in Quito, trekking around the historic district, shopping til we dropped at the indigenous market, and all while trying to squeeze everything in to 2 days and keep 3 adults with different likes/interests satisfied. Not an easy task, and we only scratched the surface! Next stop: Tena!!

I was definitely feeling anxious but excited about having them come to Tena. I wasn't sure what they would think of it. Would it be what they expected? Better? Worse? More/less developed then they had hoped/pictured? Would the weather hold out for us to be able to enjoy the rivers I had talked about so much? When the taxi arrived and had a few other passengers, I thought, oh this is not what I had promised my parents, but they were troopers and piled into the van. We had a nice drive through the mountains, admiring waterfalls, landscape, landslides, and close calls of cars passing each other on windy (often unfinished) roads.  At our midpoint pit-stop, my mother looked at me with tears in her eyes as she said “I keep imagining how you must have felt the first time you took this drive. And now I’m getting to have that same experience”. Of course, like mother like daughter, I couldn't help but tear up.  Anytime she would look back at me during the rest of the drive, of course my eyes would well up again. Thanks mom, gosh! ;)  I’ll admit, it was a surreal drive the first time (and really every time, let’s be honest), but it was that much more powerful to watch my mom take it all in.  Meanwhile, dad slept through the first half… but then once awake, we watched as the terrain changed from high sierras to cloud forest to rain forest.  I liked hearing him comment on the homes and traces of life tucked up in the rolling hills.  We admired streams where I could imagine him fly fishing. Mixed in were comments like “I can’t wait to take George fishing”.  It melted my heart. 

3ish hours later, we arrived to Tena where we were greeted by the humid heat I had promised, and some of the sweetest people I have met so far in Tena.  Gary and Michelle are the owners of the hostel/residential hostel where we were going to be staying the next 3 nights- he a Tena native rafting/outdoors extraordinaire, and she an RN who came to Tena a few years back as a volunteer. They now are married, with 3 kids, and have just opened this hotel with the help of Michelle’s parents, who also live on the property 6 months out of the year.  I decided we should stay here since Michelle is a good friend of my director, but I didn’t know just how perfect it would be for us.  First of all, it is, by far, the nicest place I’ve stayed in Ecuador (besides my host family in Quito)! And I’m not talking 5 star hotel nice, white towels, mint on pillow, or room service kind of nice… but really well built, all the amenities you would need, without all the extras that you don’t, and 4 incredibly kind and friendly people to greet us and hang out with! Comfortable and low key, just our style. Gary and Michelle helped us figure out what to do and when (since again we had a lot of ideas but not very much time), Gary even drove us out to my favorite swimming hole, and Michelle’s parents chatted it up with mom and dad (and nearly had them convinced that they should live half the year in Tena). 

Probably the best part of our time in Tena was being able to head over to see the hospital and the clinic.  My mom was beaming as she got to carry in all the gifts and supplies that she had lugged over in an extra 50lb suitcase. As everyone thanked her, she made me translate to all of them about how grateful she was to know that they were the ones taking care of me every day. They got to see a couple of my kids who were there that day, and see all the equipment modifications I have been working on, so that was special for me.  Dad even chatted with Nicole (my director) about his suggestions for some outstanding jobs we had on our kids park outside.  They were both so in their element since they both spent the last few years (many years, really) in a big public hospital.  As I took them through the hospital for a quick tour, I was certain my dad would have some thoughts on the condition of the place- but surprisingly, his only remark was that the ceiling tiles were in better condition than the ones he had seen at his hospital back home. Not sure if he was just keeping the rest of the thoughts to himself.  Either way, it felt so good to take them to where I have been spending the majority of my time, and to introduce them to the friends I have made while here.  Everyone was so happy to meet them, and still, a month later, keep asking how they are doing, and remarking how sweet and happy they looked to be there.  

All in all, Tena was a success! We swam in beautiful water, experienced a major rainstorm (or two) from our rooftop, and saw monkeys, chickens, dogs, and ducks all on the same beach, at the same time.  I took them to some of my usual places to eat, and walked them through town so they could have some visual references to things they’d only heard of and imagined.  It was hard to leave after such a short visit, but now it was on to the next stop- Galapagos Islands!

But wait- before we get to the islands, I have to tell you about our trip back into Quito.  First, we had to take the 3 hour trip back in the taxi, which this time, was even fuller than the first trip- especially when we had to accommodate 2 more passengers that we picked up from the side of the road. I wasn’t sure how my parents would feel about this, but what can you do while your luggage gets strapped to the roof, with impeding rain clouds making their presence known in the distance, then to just say “well, I hope they stay up there” as my mother did? “Yep, I hope so too, mom, guess we’ll find out.”  Then about half way through the trip, we come around a bend to a road block- of beer!  A delivery truck had lost its load on the highway and beer bottles and crates were scattered across the right lane. People were gathered scavenging whatever bottles were still intact and taking them to-go.  One of our passengers jumped out to snag two and gave one to our driver. Don’t worry, he tucked it away to enjoy for later.  Then we were back on our way. J

Tragedy.

Okay, NOW we can get on to Galapagos.  Since the idea first arose of me coming to Ecuador, (and after she was done having her fit about me going away AGAIN) my mother talked about wanting to go the Galapagos, and I certainly wasn’t going to argue against this one.  But I decided to let her do the planning so that she could pick out whatever itinerary/details she wanted. This is all to say that I had no expectations going into this part of the trip, other than that I’d heard it was nice.  Nice doesn’t do it justice. Nice is a cold drink on a warm day. Nice is someone complimenting your new shoes. Galapagos, on the other hand, is the coldest, most delicious cocktail you’ve ever had when you’ve just trekked across the hottest dessert in snow gear. Galapagos are the Prada heels you can only dream of strapping onto your little footsies as you walk the LA strip. Neither of those scenarios I would even want to do, but you get my point?  Picture every animal you’ve seen in one zoo/aquarium, and put them on a volcanic island surrounded by crystal blue waters, take away the cages/fences/retainers (and maybe the lions, and tigers, and beers), and add a swanky 16-passenger yacht, one ridiculously intelligent tour guide (and pretty good looking, if I might add) and a group of exceedingly interesting tourists from all over the world. That, my friends, is the list of ingredients that best describes our week in the islands.

Our dining group was particularly interesting, and is really what made the trip that much more fun and entertaining.  At our table were Stefano and Debi (a spunky young Italian couple who are so in love it’s tangible, and who currently live in Paris), Claus and Candy (a seriously intelligent, nerdy German man married to a giggly sweet woman from Hong Kong who live in Germany), and Marius (a 20-something bachelor, class clown, instigator, anything goes, Swiss banker, trapped in a 40-something year old’s body).  Compared to them, we were ignorant boring Americans! These 5 could talk politics, history, and pop culture about ANY country, all with a completely reasonable tone, straight face, with a better English vocabulary than I have, and a genuine interest in everyone’s opinions and points of view.  To add to the fun, our senses of humor were all uncannily compatible.  Each meal we would rotate to have a new president sitting at the head of our table, everyone was able to poke fun at each other and laugh, and we taught each other games that would keep us at our table well after dinner was cleared away.  This trip would not have been the same without them.  

International Island Hoppers

Each day on the boat was an early rise followed by a hike on a new island. Then, on to snorkeling in the clear salty waters, full of life. Would you believe me if I told you that I snorkeled in shark-infested waters, with MY mother?! Well, I did! The first time we jumped in and immediately looked down, 3 sharks swam just below us. 3! And every time there after there were more! We even found ourselves swimming faster TOWARDS the guide when he told us he found some sharks hiding under a ledge of a rock and to come check it out. They were all typically about 5-7 feet long, and usually 20ish feet away, but sometimes much closer. We saw reef sharks, Galapagos sharks, and hammerheads- and many many fish and rays who all tended to stay in large schools. I’m talking 100-fish schools, it was incredible.  Sea turtles and sea lions were still my favorite to watch since the turtles are so peaceful, and the sea lions are playful, graceful, and fast!

To top it off, my mom had planned for us to stay an extra day on the main island so that I could do a dive trip- and what a treat that was! Although I will say it was the most difficult diving I’ve done since I have never been in current that strong before.  But never in my life did I EVER think I would be gripping on to the coral, my hair being blown back by the force of the current, and being surrounded by at least 20 reef sharks… and smiling! Unforgettable. Here are the pictures and videos to prove it!  

Now do you see why I was nervous about going back to “real life”?

Needless to say, this was a trip of a lifetime, and I am lucky to have gotten the opportunity to spend it with my parents.  Thank you, Mom and Dad!! 

Here is the photo album of our amazing two weeks. 

There was definitely no down time to recover from this whirlwind vacation, since I immediately met with Nicole who handed me a sizable to-do list to get ready for our big Neurological Brigade and park inauguration that was scheduled to happen in two weeks… so I had no time for vacation blues! Hit the ground running and get ‘er done! Busy, busy, busy, just how I like to be. So since returning and between rain pours I have been painting lines for handicap parking spots (which included making a big stencil of the handicap symbol, and re-measuring the spacing every time the rain washed away my chalk lines), planting flowers, organizing a work party to have the parents help finish up the last touches on the park, and ironing out all the details on the lunches, transportation, supplies, making copies/flyers/invitations/tshirts/banners for the brigade, the list goes on. Obviously I was not doing all of this alone, but was doing my best to help take as much off of Nicole’s plate as I could since she has done nearly all of the work leading up to all of this in the past 7 years that she has been here. The work she has done is impressive, and she deserved all the help I could give her.  Bit by bit, we were getting closer and closer…. And now the big event has arrived!!

Stay tuned for the next chapter to hear all about the inauguration of our barrier-free kids park and the 5^th Neurological Brigade where we expected to see ~300 patients coming from all over the county of Tena!

Settling in

Happy Labor Day, May Day, and start of month 8!! What!? I take full responsibility for leaving you all feeling neglected, my sincerest apologies for lack of blog posts. I guess after the last post, I figured I needed something substantial to report to trump that emotional story.

Truth is, most of the month of March was spent having a never-ending going away party for Tamara as her 6 months were coming to an end.  There were many trips to rivers, pools, the local cocktail bar, karaoke, watching soccer games and dancing at the discoteca.

Clinic going-away party at a nearby hosteria/pool

Had to say goodbye to these 3 girls. From left to right, Jenny , 18 yr old on a gap-year , Vero, Ecuadorean PT who moved to Peru to study, and Tamara, my travel-buddy, partner in crime. 

Tamara's lovely family. They treated me as their own.

Hammock break during our hike

Ecuador vs Does it matter? Qualifying game for the World Cup

Apart from the festivities, Tamara and I took our last weekend trip together to head into the jungle to a reserve called Laguna de Limoncocha.  This was another example of something I probably would not have done without her pushing me to, and yet again, she was right that it was a good idea. :) Here are some of the pics to prove that we did, in fact, fish for piranhas, which we then ate for dinner, saw caymans, did early morning bird watching, and trekked in the jungle both during the day and at night.  

Otherwise, not too much has happened besides life moving forward. I am over the midway-hump, which I can't believe! It has me thinking a lot about what is next.  To be honest- I have no idea! I change my plans just about every day from the idea of traveling solo in South America to staying in Tena to close out some outstanding projects (since my director here is trying to move back to the states as soon as her house sells), or taking a different job/volunteer gig somewhere.  Who knows!

In the meantime, I keep going to rivers, hanging out with my family here, or with friends that I've made in the last 7 months.

Got to see a soccer game in Quito, too bad our team lost 3-0 :( Still definitely a "cultural experience". 

My little brother celebrated his 9th birthday. Love this little man! 

Me and my family cooling off at a local river, my favorite thing to do here in Ecuador. 

Next thing I am looking forward to is a visit from my parents! They arrive this Friday and we plan to venture around Quito and Tena before heading to the Galapagos for a week! Doesn't sound like much fun, huh?! ;)

This is why I'm here!

As most of you know, one of my favorite parts of my job while here in Ecuador is to help sort out the equipment in our big donation that came by the truck load through the hard work of Nicole (my supervisor) and CMMB.  I have done a handful of home visits and refurbished, revamped, sewed, glued, hammered, and scrubbed about 8-10 wheelchairs/seats/standing frames by now, and the donation pile still has more in store for me. With each delivery or piece of equipment that goes home with a kiddo comes an incredible sense of accomplishment and pride in knowing that my manual labor is rewarded by the fact that this kid has a new opportunity for mobility and participation in their life.  But this day and this particular wheelchair was beyond words. I wanted to share it with you all.

Marlon is 5 years old and has cerebral palsy. He is not able to walk and has poor motor control of his legs. But he has a heart of gold! At first he is shy and is overshadowed by his big family that always accompanies him to therapy. There is always mom, dad, his little sister (who also comes for therapy for some deformities in her legs), and the older brother who helps care for the little sister. Once Marlon warms up to the situation, he is a character. He gets chatty and is very clear in what he likes and what he wants to do.

December and January were slow months at the clinic because of all the holidays, and February brought more rain than the past 4 months, which also means fewer kids make it to the clinic. But Marlon hadn't come to any sessions for over 2 months.  There are times when kids don't make it in for a few sessions because medical issues come up, family emergencies, or lack of transportation (depending on where they live), so we just waited patiently to see if Marlon and his sister would come back.  While I was away on vacation in Colombia, they did indeed come back and when I got back to the clinic I was told to fix up a wheelchair for Marlon to take home.  Sure thing! Wheelchair- coming right up!

We had one that was a perfect fit for him, almost. :)  "Perfect fit" meaning I could make reasonable modifications for it to work for him.  All we had to do was.... attached lateral trunk supports, remove the head rest, remove the armrests so he could reach the wheels to propel himself, somehow rig the footplates up higher so that his feet would reach (also meant extending the plates backwards since they were too far forward, and asking maintenance to help us saw off rusty screws that would not budge!), attached an abductor wedge so that his legs don't cross while he's sitting in the chair, cut foam for a back cushion, sew material for the back cushion, and cut/sew/attach a seat belt.  Totally do-able!

This project took me a couple weeks to get together but when we finally did, it was so worth it.  Marlon came in on Thursday and was able to take his new ride for a spin! The physical therapist was teaching him how to propel himself, do turns, and even go up and down the ramp. The smile on his face and the giggles coming out of him were priceless!

During lunch that day (before Marlon and his family had come for his therapy), we were talking at lunch about how excited we were that the chair was ready and how we were looking forward to giving it to him.  Only problem was that it was a bummer that they wouldn't be able to take the chair with them since they travel by bus and a taxi would be too expensive for them.  Well, it just so happened that also sitting at the same table with us was a doctor friend of ours who I knew drove his car to work.... thinking I'd better make use of the resources around me, in my oh-so-effective charmingly sarcastic way mentioned what a shame it was that we didn't know anyone who had a car to be able to help us deliver the chair, wink-wink. Without much fight, he bit the bait! :) I should try this more often!  Our plan was working out great! He was available at 4 pm, which is when Marlon's session was, so we figured we teach him how to use his chair then give the family a ride back home with the chair in tow.  

Sure enough, 4pm came around and Dr. John Delgado showed up with his car. We jerry-rigged it into the trunk of the car, piled the family of 5 (plus Tamara, myself, and John) into the small sedan and off we went.  The smile on Marlon's face never left the whole ride home.  He was beaming!! He kept looking out the back window to make sure the chair was still there. With salsa music playing, a beautiful sunny day, and a happy family along for the ride it became crystal clear that this is where I am meant to be!  

When we arrived to the house we carried the chair down the pebble path to their humble two-bedroom cement home. We put Marlon in his chair, and immediately he was rolling around with an inspiring new sense of freedom! We watched him wheel HIMSELF into his bedroom, at which point he then turned the chair around and said "me voy!" which means "I'm going". He was ready to head out into the streets and wanted to explore! For the first time in his life he had some control of where he could go and when.  I have chills writing this.

Here's the real tear-jerker though (as if that wasn't enough).... on the ride back into Tena, while Tamara, John and I are on cloud-9 because we know we were just part of something amazing, Tamara informs me of a small but mighty detail. The reason that Marlon had not come to therapy for those few months was because he had become incredibly depressed and had stopped eating.  Basically, this small bundle of joy was trying to starve himself because he didn't want to live anymore.  How could a life so innocent come to such a profound conclusion?! At 5 years old! And to think that something as seemingly simple as a donated wheelchair from the US that we discard as old, rusted, and disposable has now made such an impact on the lives of this child and his entire family! 

This is why I am here. 

The whole family, including the toucan on Marlon's right shoulder 

This place I call home

Hello friends! As I'm finally sitting down with my laptop open, I am thinking about how much has gone on since last month.  Although it means I have not been able to write you and keep you up to date as frequently as I would like to, I am actually pleased that I haven't been spending very much time on my laptop. I also feel like I'm not taking nearly as many pictures as I did when I lived in Spain, which is ironic because now I have a digital camera.  This time feels different, though. This time I feel much more like I live here, even though I know it is temporary.  I suppose being 10 years older and with an actual job makes it feel less like a vacation. Don't get me wrong- I am fully aware that I have had lots of vacation/adventures while here, but I guess I'm trying to just live each moment rather than worry about capturing the photo. Man, I sound old. ;)

Medical Brigade

Okay, so now on to the fun stuff... One of the main things I was hoping to accomplish while here was to be able to go out into the smaller, harder to reach communities to work, and in January I got that opportunity.  I got connected to a group called Timmy Global Health and they were hosting a medical brigade to provide general medical care to the indigenous communities around Tena.  There were 6 doctors, 2 pharmacists, 6 nurses, and a group of 30 college students that came from the states to participate.  I was one of the 6 translators, comprised mostly of peace corp volunteers who have been here in Ecuador for a year and half.  Besides being an amazing opportunity to connect with the local people, it was so inspiring to be surrounded by such amazing energy and passion coming from all the volunteers and the staff running the brigade. My main function was to be a translator,  but the doctors knew I was an occupational therapist and allowed me to chime in where my expertise was relevant.  I also felt that I could provide a little insider perspective since I was able to recognize some cultural and local issues that someone from the outside may not have recognized.  

My favorite moment from the whole experience came at the end of day 3 when were down to the last patients of the day.  A woman approached our "consult area" holding her son's hand. He was about 4 years old and throwing a bit of a tantrum, clearly he did not want to be here.  He had the physical characteristics of a boy with Down's Syndrome, so I was excited that they were coming to us since I have been working with a lot of kids with Down's here at out clinic. When the mom sat down on our bench, she was attempting to get her son to sit calmly and quietly on her lap, but that was not his plan. He did not want to be there, did not want to be held down. Instead of asking the doctor what he wanted to say, I asked him if I could start by talking to the mom.  I sat down next to them on the bench and told the mom to let the son wiggle around on the bench or floor if he wanted to, but to not try to hold him down. I asked her why she had brought him in, and my heart melted with her response. Basically, she just told me "the doctor said my son has a disability, but I don't know what's wrong with him. He always gets upset like this, and hits the walls or floors.  He isn't talking either, snores a lot at night, and doesn't like to eat certain things."  While we were talking, I held out my hands to him and he climbed right up on my lap and was wiggling around.  I started to use a technique that we OTs like to use, which is to apply deep pressure (basically bear hugs, or firm patting on the back, or squeezing legs and arms) as a way to help the child calm down. Granted he was also pulling at my hair a little bit, but that is what told me that this kiddo just needed some help to get some sensory input to help his brain organize and tolerate his environment. After a few moments of giving him some good hugs and rubbing his back and legs, he calmed down and sat on the bench in between mom and I.  During this time I was also able to explain to her that all the things she was describing to me were typical traits of Down's Syndrome. I explained to her what I was doing while we were talking and gave her some tips that she could try when he gets upset.  Maybe it's not the same as being able to see a kid every week for an hour, at least I know I gave that mom some useful information, and hopefully a little comfort in knowing that what she is experiencing with him isn't out of the ordinary for children like her son.  

The 5 days I spent on this medical brigade were full of little moments like these that reminded me why I decided to move to this country to work.  As a bonus, I have since become good friends with the peace corps volunteers and Timmy folks who are living here in Tena, and hopefully there will be more brigades in my near and distant future.

Over the course of the entire 10 days of the Brigade (I was only there for 5 days), the team visited 9 communities (some as far as 2 hours away by pick up truck, through rivers, and via canoes), saw 820 people ranging from infants to 91 years old.  The most popular meds that we distributed where Ibuprofen and Albendazole (an anti-parasite drug). 

Click HERE to watch a video that some of the students put together about their experience. 

Click HERE for the link to the pics I took. 

Colombia!!

As many of you know, in the middle of January I met up with two friends from SF, Heather and Laurie, and we traveled through Colombia together for 10 days.  We started in Bogotá where we rented bikes to ride through town on Sunday when the streets were closed off for "ciclo-via", tasted as many different empanadas as we could so that we could compare which ones we liked best, and rode a gandala up the hillside to watch a beautiful sunset from the top.  We also went to a place called Andres Carne de Res (google it) that we all decided was Colombia's Las Vegas. It was sensory overload since the place was filled with lights, decorations, music, people in costumes, people dancing on tables. But the food was delicious, as were the cocktails!

From there, we flew to Cartagena where we stayed in an apartment just up from the beach. It was a beautiful town known for it's colonial old-town that is surrounded by a huge wall to protect them from pirates.  Although it was beautiful, we were not the only ones that thought so, since it was FILLED with tourists.  Cruise ships stop here and dump their passengers off for two days to wander the cobble stone streets. We joined the masses and took a tour boat out to the beautiful white sand beaches of Baru, and submerged ourselves in a old volcano crater now full of gravity lifting mud.  Both were fun and beautiful, but way overly touristy.  We spent our evenings walking through old town, trying new foods, and doing some shopping.  One of the highlights in Cartagena (besides stumbling across the most delicious vegetarian meal, dancing salsa with some mexicans in a gay bar, and night swimming in the ocean) was drinking a glass of wine at sunset from a bar on top of the city walls, with an amazing view of the ocean.  Just as the sun was beginning to set, a group of kite surfers appeared and put on a show for us all, doing flips in the air and soaring with ease across the red sky.  The bar provided a soundtrack of some light jazz in the background that just made the moment that much more spectacular. There was something truly magical about it all. 

Although Cartagena was fun, we were happy to move on to our next destination since we were headed to Tayrona National Park along the north coast of Colombia. On our way to Santa Marta where we had to catch a bus into the park, we met an Argentinean doctor named Luciano who was traveling by himself and was also headed to the park but wasn't sure how to get there.  We told him he could stick with us as we all figured it out together.  Then once on the bus to the park, we met another young Colombian kid named Manuel who was heading in to meet up with some of his friends. You would have thought the 5 of us had all known each other for years the way we all got along, helped carry each others gear, and chatted all along the 1.5 hour hike into the park (in retrospect, Luciano is gay and Manny is 22 years old which is probably why we all got along so well- no sexual tension there!)  Manuel helped us find a spot to stay for the 2 nights, and even offered to share his tent with Luciano that they set up right near the hammocks that the girls and I slept in. We wanted to be able to say we slept in hammocks on the beach in Colombia- but we didn't really plan out the details very well.  Since we had hiked in we tried to bring as little as possible which meant we did not have sleeping bags, or very much warm clothes for that matter.  As a result, we were awake for some beautiful sunrises over the ocean- and surprisingly the boys left their warm tent to join us to celebrate Heather's birthday and go for sunrise swims in the ocean. Another benefit to being up so early was that we got first dibs on the freshly baked arequipe (dulce de leche/caramel) and chocolate filled breads from the little panaderia next door to our camp.

From Tayrona, we made our way to a house that is owned by an Irishman who has taken residency in Colombia. He owns a hostel in Santa Marta, which is is where we stored our bags while in Tayrona and he arranged for us to stay in his "farm house" for our last 2 nights.  To get there we had to take a taxi to the next town over, then he called some friends and they took us up the dirt road on motorcycles.  Pretty sure we were a sight to see. 3 blonde white girls on the back of motorcycles cruising up into the hills. I had a grin ear to ear on the ride up. The house we stayed in was such a treat! it felt like our own personal retreat, since meals were cooked for us, and we had a beautiful river running right outside the front door where there was a perfect swimming hole to jump in to cool off. Up the road a little further was a cacao farm that we walked to and got a tour of the farm and bought some homemade chocolates. The family that has the farm were the sweetest people, and were so proud of what they do.  Another 45 minutes up the road was a big beautiful waterfall where 2 rivers merged and created another perfect swimming hole.  It felt like such a happy accident that we got hooked up with this house. Great way to end our vacation with tranquility, nature, and relaxation time.  All in all, the three of us traveled well together, and we had a good mix of adventure, tourism, and down time.  It was hard to say good bye to them, but I am very grateful we made the trip happen. 

Carnaval

Two weekends ago was Carnaval, and it was definitely a bigger deal than I expected.  I kept going back and forth about whether to travel for the long weekend or just stay in town to see how Tena celebrated the holiday.  In the end, I stayed in Tena, and I'm very glad that I did.  As you Facebook users may have noticed from my posts, they set up a mini carnival out on the old airport runway and it's been there since the beginning of the month.... and is still there. At first it looked like it would be fun to have, but I'm ready for it to be taken down now. It's been 2 weeks of listening to screeching rides, kids screaming, and really really loud music being blasted until about 11pm every night.  Okay, that's enough of me being grumpy about it. :)  I did actually go on some of the rides with some friends and we had a good time joining the fun.

More importantly though, I need to tell you about the traditions of Carnaval here.  The week leading up to the holiday weekend my co-workers  kept saying that we were going to "play Carnaval" on Friday at the end of the day and that people would be "playing Carnaval" all weekend long.  What this meant was basically that it was going to be one big water fight, with water guns, water balloons, buckets of water, people pouring water off of roof tops to unsuspecting passer-bys, handfuls of flour being thrown at you or rubbed into your hair, and cans of spray foam in every child's hand.  As long as you knew what to expect, it actually was pretty fun. One day we went to the town of Misahualli (where the beach is with the monkeys), and they had live music, and THOUSANDS of people crammed on the beach partying and "playing Carnaval".  We met up with a group of friends and had a blast dancing on the beach, running in and out of the river to either reload amo or rinse of foam, paint, and flour.  I didn't carry anything of value with me all weekend, which unfortunately means I have no pictures to show you, but I'm sure if you google "Carnaval Misahualli" you'll find some gems. 

Besides the water fights, I spent a lot of time with the friends I made on the medical brigade, and that has connected me to more Americans who are living here in Tena.  In one weekend, my circle of friends expanded and they welcomed me in with open arms. We all got together to play ultimate frisbee a couple times, followed by jumping off rope swings into the river, sometimes done in our underwear.  Scandalous I know- but being "extranjeros" (foreigners) we can get away with it. :) Otherwise we were just hanging out at the house where a couple of the Timmy guys live, and it was a retreat in itself.  They have a have a rooftop with a couple of hammocks that overlook the river, surrounded by beautiful trees, and birds chirping. It was such a nice escape from the craziness of the carnival outside my house, so we spent our down time there cooking meals and reading on our kindles.  Even though I stayed in town for the weekend, it felt like I has away from home :).

Fruits of my labor

As I've mentioned before, one of the main things Nicole, my boss, has done was to gather up a huge donation of equipment from the states, and we are STILL working on distributing all of it.  One of my main roles since getting back from Colombia was to start pulling stuff out, cleaning it up, and getting it set up to give to the kids who need them. We have wheelchairs, activity chairs, standing frames, adapted bikes, and walkers of all sizes. Being that I like working with my hands, pulling things apart, and don't mind getting a little dirty, I have been having so much fun working on this project.  This last week we took a stander to a kids house, got it all set up for her to use, and taught her parents how to use it.  It was such a rewarding feeling and they were so grateful for the gift.  Afterwards I looked at Nicole and said "wow, that feels good! Can we do more of that?!"  We already have 3 more visits scheduled to kiddo's homes, so I am looking forward to them!  I think the most rewarding part of this experience so far has been to be able to go out into the communities and provide knowledge or equipment to people knowing that it will truly be helpful and to their child's benefit.  What a treat that I get to be a part of this! 

Elections

Okay, I know this has been an extremely long post- but I had a lot to share this time! The last thing I wanted to tell you about are the national elections that happened last weekend.  For the past few months propaganda has been showing up slowly around town, but in the past couple weeks it had been impressive.  Instead of just 2 main parties, like we have, I have NO idea how many parties Ecuador has. All I know is that they are listed by number and the most popular ones I have seen are 3, 8, 17, and 35.  They like to wear their party's t-shirt, pile into the backs of taxis, trucks, cars, motos and drive through town honking their horns, waving their flags, and handing out fliers.  I have taken a few pictures, so you can see what I'm talking about.  BUT the most impressive part is that the weekend of elections, starting Friday, was totally dry! Meaning, no bars, no discoteca, no beer, no booze.  It's illegal! And it is mandatory to vote. You can get fined for not voting. I don't know what happens if you're caught drinking, but I was not willing to find out (even if I wasn't voting).  So there was no dancing for me last weekend. :( 

Here are some pictures of the equipment, scraps and tools I've been using to get our donations together, and of the home visit we did.  Also, a few that I took of the carnival here by my house, and some of the crazy campaigning that's been going on leading up to the very dry elections. :)


Okay, I think that about covers the past month.  Time continues to go quickly, and I am doing my best to take it all in.  I am so glad that I took the leap to come here, and I am so very grateful to have all of you supporting me, sending emails, pictures, even packages!!  I appreciate all of it and all of you! Until next post I'll probably be at the river swimming, at the discoteca dancing the night away, or off on the next adventure!