It’s crazy to think that Ajay’s six week stay here has already come to an end, but as we parted ways, said our goodbyes, and promised to keep in touch, I realized it’s even crazier to think about how it’s been 9 weeks since I last saw the airport here. Without delving into a reflective monologue about how much I feel I’ve grown and matured, I can only hope that over the next three weeks I’m able to continue to enjoy my time here as much as I have the past two months, and ensure that the next time I visit the airport, it’s with no doubt in my mind that my journey here was worth it and that I’ve made a change in the lives of those around me anywhere near as great as they’ve made in mine.
In the past week since I last had a chance to update my blog, life here has been full of excitement. Ok, ok, again, excitement probably isn’t the best way to describe everything that has gone on since we last touched base, but since I have finally finished with imputing all data into my computer for my research, have plotted the growth of the children in comparison to the WHO standards, and will now only need to interpret the results, excitement, relief, and a bit of exhaustion, are really all I feel.
Along the lines of excitement though, last weekend was spent in the Amazon jungle. Saturday morning we woke up early to meet one of Jorge’s workers who kindly ensured we boarded the right bus, and as we waited for about an hour or so, we were quickly brought up to date about the local soccer clubs, animals to keep an eye out for in the jungle, and learned just about everything about Jorge’s jardinero (gardening) business. The bus ride was hot, crowded, and about 5 hours long- at least until the first stop. Since we hopped on mid-trip in Tumbaco, instead of starting out Quito, I spent the first hour or so standing, reading a book Caity’s brother gave me, and listening to the pleas of people who would come on and off the bus trying to sell anything from candy to DVDs (which, by the way, I´ve now seen Inception, Shrek 3 & 4, and a discovery channel collection on “the Universe”). When we finally descended to sea level, the humidity greeted us warmly. Within the first steps off the bus I was already sweating profusely, and the noises, smells, and brightly painted stores encompassed a livelihood and dynamic that I hadn’t seen since visiting Moroccan marketplaces last fall. In between catching our next bus to the dock closest to “Liana Lodge” (the best/ best bargain for travelers according to Juan Fernando- the Duran’s son who runs a tour business) Ajay and I delved into the local gastronomy, ultimately picking a traditional restaurant to satisfy our hunger after Ajay turned down my numerous offers to try the local street vendors grilling skewers of, well, for lack of certainty, miscellaneous meats and vegetables. After another bus ride, this one a little shorter, we arrived at a small stop in the middle of dense greenery. Immediately we were greeted by a shoe-less indigenous guide, who woke up as a result of our bus driver honking and speeding off down the unpaved road as soon as we stepped out the door.
In short, our journey was much briefer than I think either of us wanted. We only spent the night in jungle after getting a call that we were direly needed in the clinic Monday, but even with only a little less than 24 hours amongst canopies of trees, canoeing tributaries of the Amazon river and turning 22 to the singing of exotic birds and monkeys shouting, the jungle was everything my imagination anticipated and more. One of the interesting things about Liana lodge, other than the whole, no electricity, tri-lingual staff, and 4-star hotel service, is that it is only part of a larger project designed to protect the rain forest and increase indigenous involvement in the tourist industry. As such, associated with the lodge is an immense animal reserve that’s home to animals I’d only seen from watching Jungle Book; as you can imagine, it was any easy choice to decide what we’d fill our precious time pursuing. Since we made it to the lodge just before night fall, the first evening was spent relaxing around the communal fire and drinking an array of fresh juices and Pilsner.
Once we got back to our pitch black lodge, I ended up having to take the bed closest to the giant spider web due to Ajay´s fear of arachnids. Somehow the roosters around our cabana were louder than at home, and I probably slept less than normal, but with the pressure of enjoying every second we had, when the sun was finally out, we sped through breakfast and threw on knee-high rubber boots to explore the jungle. With the help of a guide who pointed out everything from termite burrows to meter long snakes, we slithered through the jungle, reaching a look out that, although was a bit laughable in comparison to Cotopaxi, gave an amazing view of the extensively flat and never ending reaches of green vegetation that spread out from the river we rode to reach the lodge, and faded into an indeterminable haze of clouds and tree-tops at the horizon. Following a short rest, we headed down to the wildlife reserve. Below I’ve included some pictures of my favorite animals there.
Being short on time we quickly left the reserve running back through the jungle and catching a canoe towards to the lodge. All of the haste was worth it, considering that we made it to the bus on time, but since we reached the stop about an hour before the bus (running on Ecuadorian time…), it’s hard to say that the running part was entirely necessary. Looking back on it, we spent as much time on the bus as in the jungle, but even the few short hours there were a great way to start being 22.
The week in the clinic was spent preparing for a dentistry brigade that would be visiting from the United States. In all, this process involved doing inventory, once again reviewing the translations of the hundreds of pieces of dental equipment that would accompany the group, and basically following whatever demands the staff could think of. The hectic nature of this kind of grueling work was alleviated a bit when I came home Monday night to a chocolate mousse cake that Elsa had baked for me; which, after eating some of the most delicious crepes I’d ever had the pleasure to taste (garlic shrimp with a gravy that deserved to be found in a professional cook book somewhere), was the perfect way to end the meal.
After singing happy birthday to me in English with Spanish verses at the end to wish me many more years, I made a wish, blew out the candles, and enjoyed the rest of the night with my make shift family. It goes without saying, that even though I went to bed full, that I night I missed home, my real family, and my friends, a little more than the usual.
The rest of the week, as I began to explain and then got side tracked thinking about chocolate cake, was mainly full of working in the clinic. Other than a 7.2 earthquake that I’m pretty sure didn’t even occur (well, ok, it did occur, but it was so deep in the earth, and significantly far away that it only shook the chandeliers a little bit), until Thursday and Friday when the dental crew arrived, I basically spent every waking minute entering data into my computer and trying to sneak left over pieces of my birthday cake. Sharing the clinic with the group of dentists was a fun, and interesting experience. I’d never really felt any sort of special intrigue toward dentistry, but after watching hundreds of teeth extractions, in the very least I gained a newfound appreciation for the profession, and at times though it might be kind of fun; yet, now that I’ve had more than a day to think about it, it’s nothing compared to the way I feel about medicine.
But speaking of medicine, the rest of this week is probably going to be a bit more action packed than the last. This Thursday I will be leading my final group meeting for the High Blood Pressure Support group, and hopefully, by covering the topics of exercise and diet a little more in depth, I can leave the group with the motivation to change their lives in a tangible, productive way. Included in this though, means that I have to once again experience what it feels like to be a telemarketer and make another few hundred calls or so over the next two days… It’ll be alright though, one thing I’ve learned since being here is that no matter how arduous, or difficult it may be to try and make a difference, no matter how insignificant the consequent change may seem, it’s still a change that wouldn’t have existed otherwise.
I hope that the final days of summer treat you all well, and before I go start working on my presentation, I also want to send a special thanks to all of you who have made a change in my life and given me the motivation to continue on this path. hasta luego
drew
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