Equipetrol

Things have been busy down here in the last couple of weeks, so here are some highlights...

Last Friday one of our patients had triple bypass surgery, and I got to watch the whole thing! I actually watched two open heart surgeries that day since I had decided to stay in Santa Cruz and not go out to the rural site. The intricacy and teamwork were fascinating. I got pretty light-headed at one point while they were prepping the first patient, inserting IV's (to be expected), but then made it through the rest of the day with no problems. Phew! The last thing those surgeons needed was an unconscious gringa. One of the surgeons came back late from lunch for the second surgery. The surgery wasn't delayed and his absence wasn't discussed until he walked in late and got the silent treatment.

The other big event on Friday was that we got a puppy for the house, and he has been a constant source of amusement. He's a two-month old golden lab who is super clumsy and affectionate. There will be pictures pronto.

I finally got to go out dancing on Saturday. I've been itching for it since I got here, but the other gringos have been either busy or uninterested. I succeeded in convincing Lisa, my housemate, to come out, and we had a great time despite being the oldest people in the place. Everyone on the dance floor seemed to be paired off for the duration of the night which was kind of discouraging. A medical resident from the public hospital, Rodolfo, joined us at the club. Anyway, the whole scene was entertaining--there's a strip of bars/restaurants/clubs called Equipetrol where some people actually go into the establishments, but many others just park their cars, blast Reggaeton, and buy beers from people who are walking around with coolers. It was good to get out on the town, but I can't say I've found my scene yet.