Day 3

Today we visited the hospital here in town. The staff graciously welcomed us, and the nurses provided a detailed tour of various departments within the hospital. We split into two groups with a professor, a translator, and a nurse in each. Our group began our journey in the post-operation ward of the hospital. The nurse was very honest about the different problems each section of the hospital faces in order to educate us and raise our awareness to the specific issues they encounter. We also traveled to different pediatric and adult wards, including post-op, ER, and maternity. The other group visited pharmacy and surgery; don't they look sharp in their surgical gowns!

The last area of the hospital we were able to spend time in was radiology. Here we learned about different equipment problems, including parts that needed replacing. We spent a great deal of time conversing with one of the maintenance workers who explained the problems that ward faced when it came to replacing or repairing broken machinery.  Dr. Northrup documented the parts that needed replacing and also spoke with the man about possible solutions for the interim. This experience, was very eye opening. Living in the States, we are not often aware or informed of the problems other countries face and I am grateful and thankful, as I think everyone is, to be able to have this experience. I admire the optimism and spirit of the medical staff. Despite challenging circumstances, they are doing great work.
-Alyssa

When we left the hospital, we headed to our new favorite lunch place (Cafe Corazon de Sagrado) for some much needed hot soup. We have had two great lunches at this same restaurant around the corner from our hotel. After lunch we went to the market near the restaurant where we went shopping for some Guatemalan souvenirs. We spent a few hours there, and I’m sure we could have spent the whole day going from shop to shop and talking with local shop owners. After some debate due to the rainy weather, we traveled to the cemetery in town. Some of us were hesitant, but when we arrived I think we were all pleasantly surprised by how beautiful and festive the tombs looked.

Almost every tomb was an above ground monument painted in bright colors in order to celebrate the life of each person. Even through the rain, the visit was very enjoyable and just one of the many authentic experiences we will surely remember about our visit to Xela.
-Maureen