Charque

La Cantonata

Two nights ago, while the Oxford group was moving into the CEA, Alexa, Joyce, and I walked around the parades and street vendors for a while. 

We saw some cute babies:

This baby is being carried the traditional way here. The mom wraps the baby in the blanket and then swings it over her shoulder - I'm sure it's very safe, but it looks a bit scary for the kid:

We then met up with Nate for dinner at an Italian restaurant in the city. We had wanted to eat along the Prado, but everything was very loud, and we wanted to get away from the parades a little bit. (After all, they'd been going pretty much since we arrived.)

The food was AMAZING, and a nice break from all the potatoes we've been eating. I got spinach ravioli with a bolognese sauce, Joyce and Alexa got pasta with prosciutto and mushrooms in a cream sauce, and Nate got lasagna. 

I forgot to take a picture until I was done, but here's the plate if you're interested:

We all just went to bed after a long chat and a lot of food.

Hospital Viedma

Yesterday morning, Blanca took me, Joyce, and Alexa to visit Cochabamba's largest public hospital. We met a doctor who works at the nearby university, and the chief of staff of the entire hospital! Basically, since Joyce is an anesthesiologist at home, they wanted to talk to her and share experiences. She was also interested in seeing what sort of equipment is most needed here for the hospital, so we got a quick tour. 

Our first stop was the dialysis unit, which was my first really sad experience since being here. We learned that, due to a lack of equipment and a long list of patients, people who come in for four hours of dialysis are only able to stay for three at a time. When some of the patients heard that I speak Spanish, they motioned me over to talk. They were all very friendly, but they just kept saying, "Help us. Help us. We need equipment. We need money. We don't have enough." I couldn't do anything but tell them we would try, and that we are sending what we can through Mano a Mano. 

This is me talking to some of the patients and a nurse:

We then went to the oncology unit and met one of the nurses there. She showed us a hallway that had been turned into a nursing center, because there simply wasn't enough space for it anywhere else. They have patients as young as 18 years old who come in with lymphoma or breast cancer, and they just don't have the resources to see everyone. Also, in the patients who travel from rural areas to this hospital, the cancer is often too far advanced for any treatment, because the rural farmers simply don't know that they need to come sooner. 

We saw the room where they make the medications for the oncology unit, and the nurse told us that she has to make them herself. She's been working there for about 6 years and never had any formal biochemistry or pharmacy training, but she's the only person who can make the medicines. She optimistically said, "Practice is the best teacher."

The hospital only has 194 beds, but serves over 4,000 people in Cochabamba and Potosi, a neighboring province. Right now, they only have four surgeons, and only one available for emergency service at all times. They need space, they need supplies, and they need training for their staff. All in all, a very powerful, but very sad, morning. 

Mano a Mano Bolivia 

After the hospital, we went to meet the Oxford group and Nate to tour Mano a Mano Bolivia. It was really cool to see the place where all the planning gets done!

This is a map of all the projects:

And the wall of brochures! This is 

While we were there, we even saw some people come in to pick up orthopedic supplies!

We even got to visit one of the clinics that is just outside Cochabamba! We met the doctor in charge and saw the different things they do there. 

Llama Meat

After visiting Mano a Mano Bolivia, we went to a popular restaurant which serves empanadas and ice cream. Everyone tried an empanada de charque,  which means it was made of llama meat! It was pretty dry and similar to turkey in taste - I'm glad I tried it, but I don't think I'll ever get it again. 

Here's a picture of the menu:

Mano a Mano Nuevo Mundo

After lunch, we took a quick break and then went to the offices of MMNM. These are located on the first floor of the building where I'm staying!

This is the secretary's desk and some posters depicting a few of the projects MMNM has done. 

Mano a Mano Apoyo Aereo

Our last stop on the Mano a Mano tour was the aviation program. We saw the hangar and the planes, and even got to watch Ivo Daniel (the pilot in charge of the program) check the engine of one of the planes!

Here's the airplane hangar - anyone flying into Cochabamba can see the URL for our website!

Here's a picture of one of the planes:

And the view from the hangar:

Food Court

On the way back from the hangar, we all stopped at a food court for dinner! It was really funny to see something that seems so quintessentially American in Bolivia!

Everyone there was watching a soccer game. The two teams were the Peruvian national team, and a team called "The Strongest." It was pretty funny. 

Also funny was this menu, which lists a bunch of Bolivian food as well as "Hot Kid."

And we all got a kick out of this advertisement for pizza cones - who wouldn't want to look just like this girl?

After dinner, the Oxford group went to the grocery store next door to get some groceries for their time at the CEA, and the Americans went back to the city. I wasn't feeling the greatest, so I went to bed at 7 pm and didn't move until 7 this morning!

Hospital Viedma Otra Vez

This morning, we returned to the hospital to observe an operation! The patient was getting a kidney transplant, but was actually in dialysis at another hospital because there wasn't enough space for him to receive it at the same hospital. Eventually, he arrived, and Alexa and I stood outside peeking through the windows. Joyce actually went into the operating room!

After that surgery, we got to see the pediatric/maternity ward, the medical school, and meet the director of another neighboring hospital. 

This is a picture of the medical school:

Tomorrow, Joyce is giving a presentation for some of the staff and medical students on patient safety, and I have to translate! Luckily, I'll be able to look at her slideshow before so I can practice. 

Right now, the three of us are eating lunch at Caffeina. We all needed a break from traditional Bolivian food, so we're eating burgers and chicken!

To conclude, here's a cute puppy we found at Mano a Mano Bolivia!