Hospital de Apoyo Victor Ramos Guardia

Alas! I'm working in a Hospital! I had the great opportunity of getting to help out in the emergency room on my first day. I will spare you all the gruesome details of the day for now. Doctora Benitez, the jefe of the hospital, has been so accomdating and welcoming, and she has yet to even glance at my resume! Everyone, the laundry room employees, patients, families, nurses, and doctors have been so kind and patient with me. One doctor has given me the new nickname of "Rebeccita". Trying to communicate in Spanish has been a big challenge for me and now I have a whole new set of medical terminology to decipher. I work Monday through Saturday 8AM to 1PM, which gives me enough time to climb at some of the local crags in the afternoons, weather permitting. This week I'm working in pediatria and next week emergencia again. The facility is a bit old and is in desperate need of, well, a lot of things. There isn't even any soap in the emgergency room bathroom for the nurses to use. Gloves are only used when absolutely needed and the hospital doesn't provide them; the patient buys them at the pharmacy. The pediatric clinic is actually much nicer than the rest of the hospital. It was remodeled this year and is a bright, clean, nice facility. They even have foam soap there.

I went climbing after work today, but after about an hour, dark clouds rolled in and once the thunder started I packed up. While hiking back on the road I got a ride with a collectivo (minivans packed with about 20 locals. . . no exaggeration) back into Huaraz. Rain, thunder, and lightning followed for about an hour or two; the rainy season has begun.