Vacation and Internship

Wow, it's been a while since I last updated! I apologize for that, and I hope that you can make it to the end of this post! The past few weeks have been quite a ride for me! I finished the class portion of my program, and not a second too early. It was time for a change! Unfortunately, on Thursday the 12th I was pickpocketed on the trolley bus and they took my phone. It was very disheartening, but fortunately it was easily replaceable. I came here knowing that it was very likely that I would be robbed at some point, and so far I feel fortunate that it wasn't serious, or dangerous.

That same night my parents and cousin Ted arrived in Quito for a 10 day vacation. Susan came in the next night. I really enjoyed seeing them! The first few days they were here we stayed in Quito and saw some of the touristy things like the Centro Historico and the Mitad del Mundo (literally translated to mean "middle of the world"-the equator). We also had dinner with my host family, which I really enjoyed. That Monday we got up early and took a 9 hour bus to Guayaquil, which is on the southern coast of Ecuador. It might seem a little crazy to take a 9 hour bus ride, but I absolutely LOVE driving through Ecuador because the scenery is so breathtaking, and diverse. Although they wouldn't (and didn't) take that long bus ride again, I think everyone was happy we did it. It's a good way to get to know Ecuador. In Guayaquil we did some touristy things, the highlight of which was a city tour in a double-decker bus. We stayed at a homely hostel that we all really enjoyed. Wednesday we took a bus to Montañita, a small town located directly on the beach. It's a very tourist-oriented town, but at a local level. It remains untouched by Hilton hotels and TGI Friday's! We all really enjoyed the beach. Ted and I rented bikes and took a leisurely ride along the shore, enjoying the scenery. I also took a surfing lesson, but that didn't turn out so well. It was fun, but man, it's hard! Of course, we all took the opportunity to lay out and soak up the sun, too. The downside of the coastal part of Ecuador is there are lot of mosquitoes and cockroaches. We could have done without those, but overall we really enjoyed this part of the trip. When we got back to Quito (by plane...haha) we were exhausted and just relaxed and watched the NCAA tournament.

This past week I started my internship! I am working in the Emergency Room at the Hospital Pablo Arturo Suárez. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT! The doctors and residents are so nice and the patients are too. I haven't ever worked in a hospital, so it's interesting to learn how an ER is run, and see the differences between Ecuador and the US. Here the atmosphere in the ER is relatively calm, even when it's full (or overflowing). And the hospital, because it's public, has very little resources to work with. They don't have the space or technology that most hospitals in the US have, and their supplies are limited. Generally when a patient comes to the ER, they are examined initially, and if necessary, the doctor will give their family members a list of the medical supplies and medicine that they need to treat the patient. Once the family member brings the supplies, they are able to begin treatment. This is obviously a very different process from what we have in the US, but it's what they've got and they make it work. This week I mostly observed how things work there. I do rounds with the doctors in the morning and sit in on exams. This week I will start participating a little more, though I'm not exactly sure what that means. And my supervising doctor told me that my last week or so I'll be able to do things in the ER here that I wouldn't be able to do in the US. I am very excited and a little nervous to find out exactly what that means, but I'm looking forward to it. I am very fortunate to have such a great internship! I'll keep you all updated as it progresses.

This weekend was a busy one for me. On Friday night I went to a fashion show/modeling competition at the TelefériQo, which is a touristy place in the mountains in Quito. One of my sister's friends was in it, and he won Mr. Photogenic and Mr. Glamour. They had some good entertainment, including an incredible belly dancer and some local music acts. It was pretty fun! On Saturday I spent some time with friends from my program, and then at night I went to the disco to celebrate the birthday of one of Ale's friends. It was a good time. The highlight of my weekend, though, was today. I went to the Ecuador vs. Brasil world cup qualifying match! It was an intense game and I really enjoyed the atmosphere. People here live and breathe soccer! I enjoyed watching the game with some friends, drinking cold Pilsener, the local beer, and eating an empanada. This is the life! They tied 1-1.

As always, I hope all of you are doing well. Look below for links to the pictures!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2024353&id=1178730191&l=3e8460b33f
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2024177&id=1178730191&l=714f468bc7