This week we have been at a Jornada in the municipal building of San Francisco La Union. It is a relatively smaller town and more rural than La Esperanza where we were last week. The previous UTMB students were there last month so we have had a pretty easy stream of patients. Most of these patients are impoverished and the town does not have a great relationship with its Centro de Salud. This means that many of these patients are coming for their primary medical needs. Most of our complaints are pretty simple. However, we have had our share of "go to the hospital now" situations and some interesting cases. In addition, we have a vast supply of medicines thanks to our (UTMB group) own donations in addition to a huge amount of support from the mayor of the town.
In regards to our adventures in Guatemala... this past Sunday we got to go to the Fuentes Georginas hot springs in a nearby town. After a mesmerizing drive up the mountains, we arrived in a small alcove that housed several bungalows and a beautiful hot spring coming out of the mountain. After a week of never really being warm it was such a relief. Every day this week we have been trying different foods and cafes in Xela. Our favorite so far is Xelapan, a local chain that sells the worlds most delicious bread, called shekas. They are super light and fluffy, some have fillings. All are delicious. Our original plans of losing weight on this trip have been cruelly dashed by shekas and Sarita ice cream.
Hasta luego,
Elizabeth
