Day 3

The day began with the noise of city bustling about as stray dogs bark over territory or food (it is unclear which from the bedrooms). Breakfast was fairly American this morning with hot corn flakes followed by pancakes (served with corn syrup of course) and melon. 

From there everyone proceeded to the bus and we began our departure not too far off from our predetermined goal of 7:30 am. The bus ride for the most part was pleasant with the exception of my poor attempt at continuing my journal (I’m thinking about publishing it as a comedy; be on the lookout this coming fall) on such bumpy roads making my poor handwriting horrendous.

At around 10:30 am we arrived at the hospital. The first thing that struck all of us was the oppressive humidity and heat making even the worst New England summer day seem more like a bitter winter evening. We all proceeded to apply our respective insect repellants and wait for Dr. Rust to greet the head of the hospital while many decided to visit the restrooms. I myself stayed in the shade and attempted to prevent the insect repellant from melting off of me.

While the hospital that we saw yesterday might have been some of the best outside of Guatemala City, it was apparent this one has a lot more challenges. Overcrowding of every ward left each room feeling oppressively humid and crowded. Even as we all divided into two equal groups, it was evident that even this effort meant little to subside this overwhelming feeling. From what I have heard from Dr. Rust, the care provided here has been improving over time. While small victories have been achieved, it is still not enough to give the care that the people of Guatemala need. This visit in particular opened all of our eyes to the work that is needed in this area and beyond.

The rest of the day was rather relaxed with a visit to a Pollo Campero (better than KFC but not quite up to par with Chic-Fil-A in my opinion). It was a relief to all when we returned to Xela as the humidity no longer clung to our bodies like a second skin. By the time we returned (5:10pm) we only had a limited amount of time to visit the market and purchase souvenirs. I myself purchased a rather cool hat. From the market we had a quick ice cream cone and then a lighter dinner at a Texas themed restaurant (owned by an authentic Texan). After a quick stroll around the block, some bad jokes from Dr. Northrup and myself, and one non pet-able good dog later, we all turned in for the night. Until next time...

-Brendan