Alright, so I may have slacked a bit on updating my travel blog. By slacked a bit I mean I let a semester go by without writing one word. So with this entry I will finish up Panama and give a summary of the Dominican Republic. Oh yeah, I went to the DR over spring break. I was a little enthusiastic with my travelling this year.
So the hike to the second community, Cuteva, was gruelling, hellish and the most difficult hike I’ve ever been on. I’m talking about mud up to our knees. We were off to a late start that morning and the afternoon only got warmer and sunnier. It was about a 5 hour hike…for the fast team. There was a time or two I was close to losing the will to live. I could feel a tinge of fear for the extreme conditions and the toll it was taking on me and my team. By a miracle we all made it to the community and no one complained. That hike together only strengthened our bond (and tested our most intense limits). I could not believe how much I could physically push myself. It felt marvelous. The nap afterwards helped a lot too.
We were spoiled after returning to the city after our work in the countryside. The other teams could not believe our trip. While they slept in beds, we were in tents and hammocks. I won’t say I envied them, I loved the hammocks. We were all thrilled to simply have real bathrooms and beds. I never thought I could love clean white sheets as much as that first night back. It was hard saying good-bye to Jairo and the doctor. Plinio cheered us up by taking us out on the town. Our last day was wonderful (minus not getting to play Mafia one last time), spending time together and recounting stories from an adventure we’ll never forget.
1/1/12
There is still music playing in celebration for New Year. Last night’s festivities made for a full night of sleep without any wakings. We were treated to a special dinner that included turkey and gravy, karaoke and some drumming. I still need some practice to find some rythm.
We missed the town party sadly, but our consolation was to chill with an awesome, drooly dog. On our way back we stopped to play some soccer on a basketball court with some locals. We all learned that it is much more difficult to play on a hard surface like that during the hottest part of the day and will hills the ball rolled down every so often.
The game ended when a stray firecracker set a tree ablaze near the court. Only we seemed concerned so we guessed it would be alright. We got back to the hostel and hung around and talked until dinner. The director of ISL, Mike, came and he is such a chill guy. He has a log house off the grid in Washington. He joined us for dinner and a few drinks afterwards. I love how laid-back he is and how reasonable he is about having college kids in a foreign country. No worries, no one made a fool of themselves.
We ushered in the New Year with plenty of music and a bright display of fireworks all around us. I caught a rare glimpse of the stars for a few precious cloudless minutes. It was my first New Year away from home and it was incredible.
Today we are heading to the river to ride to another community. Breakfast is ready now so I’ll continue when we return.
It’s 10 now and I am sure I’ll sleep like a baby again tonight. Not going to lie, the constant humidity and dampness is not winning Panama my favor. Just had to get that out.
The river trip was one of my favorite parts of the trip so far. We took 3 long, motorized canoe like boats 40 min down river. We travelled through a few rainstorms (like that’s news). The cool relief was a welcome and wearing a bathing suit under my clothes was one of my few good ideas.
Everyone hiked to the first community together. There were plenty of steep hills and mud to satisfy our thirst for a challenge. Our plan today was to visit homes in these communities by the river and assess what they needed from future teams. The boys, Queena, Edwin, Jairo and I travelled to the other side of the river to assess more families. During this trip I had an orange that tasted like a lemon, a banana (it could have been a plantain), a fresh cut coconut (ended up having 2 actually) and some grapefruit.
The trip back was much slower and sunnier. Our seasoned river man got us back safely up through the rapids. I’m actually burned and am not used to this strange sensation. I don’t like it. When we got back, Blair, Sharon, Will, Ryan, Steve and I hopped into the river. It felt so nice.
After dinner we went to a New Year’s party in town (for real this time, we even had admission bracelets). I think just about every girl on the team was hit on by a very intoxicated man. I was a bit concerned when a guy grabbed my arm to talk to me, but luckily we had the guys and Plinio. We left at when 9 when it started getting crazy. Everyone was off to bed early because the hike tomorrow is supposed to be our toughtest yet.
12/31
If another rooster crows in the middle of the night, I’m going to kick it off a cliff. Ok I’m kidding, that’d be too many roosters to kick. I slept in a hammock last night hoping it would be more comfortable than the floor. It was. We took our time getting ready this morning and I discovered that fried plantains were my favorite way to have plantains so far.
We set off around 9 AM, not long after it had rained so the road was nice and muddy for us. The trek back, though quite muddy, seemed to go by faster than going to the community. Yes there were several slips and falls and stuck shoes, but the rain held off thankfully.
Will and I were the first ones back and the rest of the team joined us soon after. Plinio (our team leader) informed us that we were goig to a party later this afternoon followed by another one here at the hostel. I had almost forgotten it was New Year’s eve! The daily fireworks that go off everywhere now and then make a bit more sense.
The shower I was finally able to take felt like a gift from heaven. At this moment I am perched on top of a play set letting the gentle and much appreciated breeze dry my hair. All is well and tonight we party.
12/30
Ok I am just going to have to learn to write before the sun sets. So to finish off the first day, we arrived at the hostel around noon. After having lunch and bringing in our bags, we took a few hours to explore the property. There was a small obstacle course and rope bridge. Of course a few of us had to cross the precarious “bridge” hanging just a few feet above danger infested water. Alright fine, it wasn’t danger infested, but it would have sucked to have fallen in.
Finally we made our way over to the play ground where Will, Ryan and I climbed things and the others attempted to play an ever-changing game that sprung from the active imagination of the sweet, yet bossy daughter of the hostel owner.
Perched on top of my rope wall structure, I was able to enjoy such a beautiful sight. The mountains off in the distance, a cool breeze offering sweet relief from the day’s heat and everyone all smiles and laughs. It was a perfect ending to a long day of travel.
Dinner was served at 6, followed by our orientation (we only had electricity from 6 to 10:30). There we learned some general information about what to expect, how to take blood pressure and had quite an amusing skit of the set-up between patient, students, doctor and translator. Let’s just say I would have been fine if they were French patients. Unfortunately not and my 4 ½ years of French are of little use.
Since we didn’t have any light, everyone went to bed soon after orientation. It would be the last bed we slept in for 2 nights.
It’s 6:30 AM now and I have to start getting ready so again… I will continue the next chance I get.
It’s 5:30 PM now and I can start again. I’m determined to at least catch up to this morning; now to see if I can remember where I left off. I believe I left with our first and last night at the hostel. Around 8 we set off for Embarcadero. It was long, muddy and hilly. I’d describe more, but those three adjectives pretty much sum it all up. We started off carefully picking our route and finished beyond caring whether we added on another layer of mud or not.
It wasn’t over once we arrived. Oh no. A few hours of rest and Edwin (our translator), Blair (who I found out lived within walking distance from me in good ol’ Rocky Mount), Queena (who speaks the same language as me! It’s a small language so it was quite exciting), Sarah (the girl from JMU) and I set off to another community to do house visits.
Though the journey was long and arduous, we had plenty of fun along the way. I was not sure what to expect when we arrived to the houses. There was a mixture of uncertainty, anxiousness and excitement. I also learned I need to do more mountain hiking. Each family we met, though not all were able to walk/ride to the clinic the next day, was welcoming. Despite our mud covered boots and selves, they invited us to sit down or pulled out benches and chairs from inside for us.
The children were shy and some eventually came out…but just a few. Of those families we visited, and there were quite a few, less than half thought they could come the next day. Trying our best to get the information, with broken Spanish at best, we coaxed a few smiles out. My fears were allayed as we spoke to more families, with Edwin’s help of course.
Finally we trekked back to camp in record time. We were the last group back. The boys, who hiked an hour away, even beat us back. Tired and dirty, we walked down to the school for a late dinner and it was glorious. Not to mention it was SPAM in some red sauce, plantains and rice. I think it was so magical because we were exhausted, it was thankfully cool out, we could sit and the sun was setting. So perfect.
Oh, I forgot to mention that our first adventure at the hostel was a walk down to the river in Coclesito. We took some great pictures and had a relaxing break by the water.
Now for what happened today. We woke up early and had a quick breakfast. I woke up still tired since sleeping on a wooden floor did not lead to a restful night. After breakfast we grabbed our gear and walked down to set up the clinic in the school.
Honestly, I was plagued with fear when we started. How was I supposed to get over the language barrier? Fortunately I had Will and Blair in my triage. Our first patient came in with her two sons and we were off just like that. Our translators were lifesavers. I feel like I learned so much this first clinic. Though it was a bit uncomfortable to begin, my team and I transitioned into a routine and were doing quite well. It was amazing how much we were able to do. The doctor would come over once we finished the patient history and took the vital signs. Once she came over she would listen to our report and ask for a diagnosis. It was incredible how much we were able to accomplish. We collaborated with each other to come up with a diagnosis. Then the doctor would explain more about the illness and prognosis. There were many skin cases and respiratory related cases. I even got to use what I learned from shadowing Dr. Martin (an orthopedic surgeon) with a sweet older lady who had a skin infection and aching knees, which I diagnosed as arthritis.
Sure it was quite frustrating at first not being able to communicate with the patients, but gradually I picked up some key words and made it work. We worked throughout the day taking a lunch break until about 3. We didn’t actually leave until 5, spending about 2 hours playing with the kids. Will was our entertainer and distracter with his juggling show.
Right now some of us are playing Mafia and resting after a very long day. Our team has grown closer and with each day we just have more fun. Blair and Steve have just died in the game. So sad. Tomorrow we head out to the hostel and will celebrate New Year there. This adventure has been challenging, yet incredible so far.
12/28
Today was a day of hours in a van/bus (not really sure what it was) and exploration. So great. We left Panama City in the morning, picked up our translators and doctor and journeyed to our base in Coclesito in the Colon Province.
The drive was long, but unlike anything I have experienced so far. The city and countryside were two different worlds. Ok well Panama itself is a different world to me. Again, I’m seeing that life outside the US may not be as luxurious, but it sure is just as great in its own way. As in South Africa, life here (well in some parts) doesn’t seem as rushed, hurried. Sure there is more litter than I’ve ever seen scattered along the side of the road, but the houses and buses are colorful (I think Plinio, our team leader, explained the colorful buses to be called red diamond). Well, the electricity cuts off at 10:30 PM and it is now 10:31 PM, which means I am finishing this by headlamp being swarmed by a billion bugs. I shall finish this tomorrow.
Like my South Africa trip, I kept a journal of daily shenanigans and other events throughout my stay in Panama. So again I will be recounting my tales as they appear in my journal since there was no electricity much of the time let alone Internet. Panama is a fascinating country and I have a new found respect for those who call the communities only accessible by foot or horse on sometime hazardous mud roads home. It was a life-changing journey with some of the most amazing people I’ve ever met.
12/27
So another early adventure begins; 4:30 AM early. This time, after months of planning and preparation, we are off to Panama to embark on adventures backpacking through the backcountry and working in local clinics. Ok well that’s what I think I’m getting into as I sit on the runway preparing for take-off. I am incredibly thankful that flight time this go around is a bearable few hours compared to what felt like eternity flying to and from South Africa. Honestly, I am not sure what awaits Will (my travel buddy this time) and I when we land.
6/6
I’ve just said my good-bye to Kelly as she boards her flight to New York. It’s been a long and somber day. The farewell to everyone who accompanied us to the Hoedspruit airport was one of the most difficult ever. There was a full caravan of people and that made good-bye no easier.
I had a long time to think about my stay at Moholoholo. It feels as if I’v been there are ages, but at the same time the end came far too quickly. The amazing people I’ve met have made the experience far richer than I ever expected. We were all able to banter and beat one another up. I know though I can never have the same experience twice and it is a bittersweet thought.
While I went horseback riding on Saturday I got to know the owner, Kate, of Whipalong. She runs the horse rehab center and I grew quite fond of her. I am seriously considering volunteering there next year. Our ride through the bush was phenomenal. Just being back in an English saddle and on Edge the ex-race horse was enough for me.
Kelly and I had a marvelous last night and day Moholo. We pushed the common room tables together so we could all eat as a Moholo familiy. The cherry on top was Bessie’s incredible pudding she made earlier. The rest of the night was spent having crazy shinanigans which will remain undisclosed. Kelly and I explored the Jo Berg airport and had our own little adventure with the plentiful hours of our lay over. I had my first experience with a Duty-free store.
I have an 18 hour flight alone ahead of me and I am actually excited to be going home, though I wouldn’t object to returning in a week or two. Now that my head is filled with plans and adeventures for the future my heart races with the adrenaline of what life has in store for me next. I just know that this is not the final chapter.
6/3
So today was…for lack of a better word, hectic. We found out at dinner that all the boys were needed at Nhoveni to help set a leopard trap. This meant the girls were left behind to do rounds alone. This would have been fine had it not been for the fact that there was A LOT to do.
I stayed at the clinic to clean the klipspringer cage and the baby honey badger’s cage (Katrina, yeah like the hurricane because she’s so destructive). All I’ll say about that is I probably won’t be squeamish if I have to clean another cage.
Next I checked on the two pregnant servals with Jessie, who also got a baby serval to care for today. There are a ton of servals here. Finally at about 12 we finished. We were able to catch our breath until afternoon rounds. Of course we had Dela and Mazi sitting shifts as well.
Afternoon rounds were interesting. I helped Jan treat three birds, the vulture, fish eagle and giant eagle owl. It was amazing getting to be so close to those birds of prey, even if they were trying to bite my fingers off. Jan is teaching me how to inject an antibiotic for the giant eagle owl and it is intriguing. You have to do it right beside the keel, in the meaty part.
We finally get a chance to go horseback riding tomorrow at 10. Kelly and I will be in the advanced level, whatever that means. I’m so excited to be riding in South Africa!!
6/1
Today was normal, the end. Ha! Funny I know. I’m not even sure what is considered normal around here. We did rounds as usual and had wild dogs camp to clean, which had been left unclean for 2 weeks. For those of you who have no clue what that means, there was a horrific amount of mud and green gunk caking the sides of the pool they have.
What was interesting today was having a rocking horse race at dinner at Ya Mati and another race on small rubber blow up horses. Even was in stitches and I thought I was going to pee myself laughing so hard. I love when we all get together and can have a fun/insane time. It’s almost unatural how we all get along. Unfortunately for me this also includes taking the piss out of me every 5 minutes (the Brit form of picking on someone). Oh and the Nancy and serval show is a hit.
Yesterday’s adventure included a boat tour through the third largest canyon and the only green canyon in Africa. We had a peaceful ride down the Blyde river then stopped to see the dam and make a human pyramid. A quick trip to town afterwards and it was back to the rehab after a refreshing break from the routine.
5/29
Today’s stories of the crazy adventures at Moholo include capturing and relocating a 250 kg croc, a baby serval coming into the clinic and me taking over care of the sick Cape vulture. Quite the busy day. We’ve been so rediculously fortunate to be able to help so many animals and be exposed to so much.
The crocodile call came in yesterday and we spend hours darting, moving and driving the massive reptile to a bigger pond. Apparently Mr. Croc didn’t like his old place. The bug guy let us get pretty close. The loud hissing noise crocodiles make is quite scary, but still does not compare to the sheer terror felt when a leopard lets out a thunderous growl that shakes you to your very core.
Later that evening I took over helping to care for the sick vulture with an eye infection. I had to tube it in the mornings to get down fluids and medication. Then a wrestling match ensued to get eye drops and food in. It was quite a fun time. There’s a rush when you’re trying to help out this giant bird, but at the same time not have a finger taken off.
The last animal in need of assistance was a baby serval found by the side of the road. She was small, but Briant gave her milk and a mouse to eat. She’ll be raised so she can be returned to the wild. We can only hope now that she’ll find her own niche and survive when it’s her time to be released. I can’t believe the three servals I look after now used to look like a ball of fluff like she does now. I love caring for those mischievious servals and also the bush babies and vulture. Zachary, Betty and Butch are getting better around feeding time. Hannah has now dubbed feeding time the Nancy and serval show. Apparently it’s a hit. Even though they’ve scratched and hiss and scared the living daylight out of me during feeding time, they are quite sweet in the morning. It’s something else to be cuddling with servals…
