So after 2 days in the hospital I´m now on holiday! A clear benefit to living in a Republic/ ex-colony is you have an Independence day and a clear benefit to being Peruvian is you get 3 days off instead of just 1! Yesterday we (the Salazars and the 4 girls staying here) went to their country house in a village called Nina Rumi. The house was amazing- they built it themselves and it´s wooden, on stilts with a roof of leaves and open windows. But it also had 2 floors, a shower and flushing loo, full kitchen and a huge garden with lots of fruit trees. And it looked out over the river Nanay which joins the Amazon in Iquitos.
We spent most of the time lounging in hammocks, playing cards or at the beach- a canoe ride away on the other side of the river with gorgeous sand, lovely views and water you can swim in. It was heaven! Last night Sara and I slept in hammocks downstairs which were really comfy. I didn´t want to leave but tomorrow morning we 8sara and I again) are off to the jungle for 3 days!
Thursday 29 July 2010
Tuesday 27 July 2010
Days 1 and 2 in the hospital
Scary Stuff! It turns out that whilst I can speak Spanish and I do know at least some medicine, when I try to do both together it gets hard! I've spent the last two days in the neurosurgery department with Dr Ernesto Salazar so that I can get to know the hospital. He's the only neurosurgeon in this region of Peru and the nearby parts of Brazil and Colombia. My neurology is rather rusty. It's been a bit of a baptism of fire! We've seen some interesting stuff though. There are almost no cars in Iquitos and so every travels by motorbike or "motocarro"- kind of like a rickshaw but with an engine. Probably more than half of the patients I've seen have back or head injuries after an road accident. It's crazy. You see Mum, Dad and three kids all on one motorbike. I've also seen spinal TB which I was then told to write a presentation on. However Ernesto then spent last night teaching me about head CT scans so I didn't have time to finish it. Panic offer at least for now until he remembers I still need to do it!
It's Peruvian Independence day tomorrow and so we have the rest of the week off! If the weather's ok all of us in the house are going to the Salazar's beach house for 2 days. Very excited! Then Sara and I are going on a trip into the Amazon from Friday until Sunday. I can't wait! Hopefully I'll then start paediatrics on Monday :-)
It's Peruvian Independence day tomorrow and so we have the rest of the week off! If the weather's ok all of us in the house are going to the Salazar's beach house for 2 days. Very excited! Then Sara and I are going on a trip into the Amazon from Friday until Sunday. I can't wait! Hopefully I'll then start paediatrics on Monday :-)
First day in Iquitos
I'm in Iquitos! Sorry I haven't written sooner, I've been pretty busy. Left Lima on Sunday morning and had the most gorgeous flight across Peru. We flew all the way over the Andes to a place called Tarapoto. For ages there were just huge brown mountains, some with snow on top and then slowly they started getting greener as more and more trees appeared until we were flying over the beginnings of the rainforest- so amazing! We stopped in Tarapoto for about 45 minutes and then flew on to Iquitos. The first thing I noticed was how hot and humid it is compared to Lima.
I'm staying with Dr Salazar who arranged the placement and his wife. They were out having lunch so I went to join them. They were in their club by the banks of a small tribuitary but right next to the Amazon river. The views were so amazing!
After lunch we went back to the house where I met the three other girls staying here, Lucy, Sara and Erin. None of them are medics but Sara is doing work experience at the hospital so we are together the whole time. They are all really nice and it was such a relief to find out I wasn't alone!
I'm staying with Dr Salazar who arranged the placement and his wife. They were out having lunch so I went to join them. They were in their club by the banks of a small tribuitary but right next to the Amazon river. The views were so amazing!
After lunch we went back to the house where I met the three other girls staying here, Lucy, Sara and Erin. None of them are medics but Sara is doing work experience at the hospital so we are together the whole time. They are all really nice and it was such a relief to find out I wasn't alone!
Saturday 24 July 2010
Lima!
Hello from Lima! It´s cold and very polluted but it´s fun to the back in South America. I´m staying in a friendly hostel in an area called Barranco and have spent the last couple of days getting up early and going exploring and then coming back early and falling asleep! Think I might be a bit jet-lagged... I´ve met some nice people though and might meet up with a couple in Salvador.
Off to Iquitos tomorrow :-) Have heard lots of good things about it so am excited!
Will try to write more when I´m there. There´s a queue for the only computer here so I´d better go!
Off to Iquitos tomorrow :-) Have heard lots of good things about it so am excited!
Will try to write more when I´m there. There´s a queue for the only computer here so I´d better go!
Wednesday 21 July 2010
Ready to go!
It's 11.30 on the night before I head off and I'm finally totaly packed. Am staying at Tom's in London ready for an early start to tomorrow! Very excited!
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