Día 7

Today has been the biggest let down of the trip, by far. 

Getting up at 6:30, only to find out that it's 'Academic Day' and I'll be spending most of my day in a classroom, is a really sucky feeling. We get to el hospital a las siete y media, and are hustled into a classroom for more case studies. They are pretty boring to say the least - just medical school students reading off of Powerpoints and diagnosing more kids with sickle cell anemia or nemonía (pneumonia). I dozed off for about 20 minutes...oops. We head upstairs towards cirugía (surgery), and I get overly excited. I was ready to head back in to the operating rooms and watch some more kids get cut open and fixed up. Just as we're approaching the swinging double doors, we make a quick turn a la derecha (to the right), and are whisked into yet another classroom. Naturally, the only available seat is at the front of the room, and I find myself directly in front of the doctor who is head of surgery. Awesome. Two hours, and a few small naps later, I see that it is 10:30 and we have yet to see anything exciting in the least bit. While coming in and out of consciousness, I remember hearing bits and pieces of a conversation regarding sarcomas, carcinomas, malignancy, and many other cancers of the sort. Hmmm, we did see a kid down in Urgency with some sort of brain tumor...maybe this is him? Maybe he needs surgery? Maybe we'll get to watch? I really hope so..not today though. Ugh.

We finally get released from the confines of this awful room, and find out from one of the residents that we can expect the rest of the day to be very similar. More classrooms, more case studies, and no patients. No thanks. We briskly head down to radiology and spend the rest of our day (which is only like an hour), following the radiologist around the hospital. Ayer (yesterday), he promised he would show us a place to eat that's only about a one minute walk away. It's finally time to eat, and he shows us this little restaurante, very similar to the one from yesterday, and equally as cheap. 130 pesos, and a full plate later, we dig in to more rice, beans, and carne. Jose (the radiologist), excuses himself and comes back with two bottles of El Presidente - the best beer in the country..both of which are 1 liter. Is he for real? Apparently..he starts pouring glasses for us. And come on, it's rude to say no when someone has so generously bought you a gift like this. I must admit, this has been the best part of our day thus far. Is that bad? Ehh, maybe. But, I feel like it's only appropriate for me to thoroughly embrace the culture while I'm here. And la cerveza is most certainly a part of that.

It's one o'clock and our ride is waiting. Off the grocery store - we made an executive decision to buy bread/peanut butter/jelly...it's much cheaper than going to buy lunch somewhere every day. The rest of my afternoon consists of napping, running, eating...and the best part - lounging by a pool. Jose (our cab driver), is a member of a country club and he invited us to go whenever. So, we spend a few hours lounging around and enjoying the rest of our day in the sun. It really takes it out of you though, I must admit that I am thoroughly exhausted and ready for some sueño muy necesario (much needed sleep).

On that note, it's time for me to go. Tomorrow, we are under the impression that we'll be en los quirofanos otra vez (in the operating rooms again). I'm trying not to get my hopes up too high just yet, but I really need some blood and guts. Hasta mañana y duerme bien (and sleep well)!!