South America: Hospital, Galapagos & on to Peru
Dear everyone,
We have been On the Road for the last two and half weeks -- so many sights, sounds, occasionally smells, and just fun experiences! Fun is the wrong adjective for The Hospital, how about interesting but not to be repeated. We did the Galapagos Islands with a stop on both sides of this trip in Guayaquil and Manu Reserve in Peru.
We arrived for our 8:00 Spanish lesson in Cuenca, Ecuador on a Friday with plans to take the bus to Guayaquil on Sat or Sun. But our teachers told us that after the last two days of demonstrations in Quito that the petroleum truck drivers were going out on strike and gas might be in short supply -- we cut our lesson short at 11:00, packed in record time, said goodbye to our friends at the hotel, hopped in a taxi and got out at the bus station. Had lunch at the bus station -- this is important, keep reading.
Our bus trip was great -- the scenery was incredible. Bus is very slow compared to flying but what you see makes it worth the time spent traveling. Arrived in Guayaquil, checked into our hotel, and had dinner at the hotel. Back to the room for a well earned rest.
But Nancy wakes up about 12:30 with incredible cramps. On the way from the bathroom to me -- to wake me up -- she passes out for a moment. Wakes me up and says, I think my intestine is twisted -- get me to a hospital.
I bounce out of bed and head for the front desk.In my best Espanol I tell the night clerk, mi esposa muy enferma y necessito doctor. The clerk looks in the rolodex and comes up with a doctor. I tell him I need this doctor, now. He tells me the doctor is available in the morning. I tell him I need a taxi and hospital. He gets out the phone book, confers with the guard at the door, and eventually tells me they will get a taxi.
I head back up to the room. Nancy in the mean time has tried to come downstairs, thinks she passed out, and returns to the room. Nancy is in serious pain. I grab my money belt, her belt and her and start toward the door.
We get downstair and into a taxi. Every bump in the road and Nancy asks if we are there yet. I am thinking maybe a burst appendix -- Nancy later tells me hers has been removed, and Nancy is saying -- hurry my insides are all twisted.
We pull into the hospital entry. As we are pulling into the entry I see about a dozen people sleeping outside in blankets, another dozen people at the door, two armed guards at the door, and just as we stop I hear an ambulance pulling in behind us. Nancy is moaning, the taxi driver is letting me know he needs to move, the guards are motioning for us to get inside and I decide we stay. I get Nancy out of the taxi and through the doors.
We are maybe ten steps into the hospital and I start to think back out the door and into a taxi! To my right are about 30 folding chairs or bench seats with people sleeping, sitting with sick or injured people, and everyone looking unhappy. I see what I believe is a registration desk, behind glass. About this time, Nancy starts to collapse and a very nice man grabs her. I get her back up and watch a gurney with a knifing victim being wheeled in. The victims family is with him and I believe they wanted to go back and get even with the knifer. Oh, did I forget to tell you this is the most filthy place we have been in during our trip. The walls were white -- once a long time ago. The floor -- I am not sure a pair of shoes will protect you from what is on the floors.
I get to the first window and am told to go to the next window. At the next window, Nancy is propped up on my arm at this point, they tell me in a little English and espanol -- the first English I have heard since waking up, to go into Room 2.
I head for this room which is 20 feet away. We walked by a couple of gurneys with people and their family next to them and enter the examination room. In the examination room are three other patients and various family members. The green tiled walls, the 8x8 asbestos tile floors and the ceiling are so dirty I would recommend dynamite and rebuilding rather than trying to clean. Later I realize that they have tried to paint over the green tiles with green paint. Remember Nancy is groaning, I know no real Spanish, we have been in Guayaquil for less than six hours, it is now 1 in the morning. AND, I am not pleased with the hospital but at this very moment not knowing what is wrong with Nancy decide to stay.
The doctor comes in -- no English. Nancy starts explaining where she hurts. The doctor has her lie down on one of the three and the only empty examination table. He starts pushing on her stomach, etc. Next thing I know a nurse is hooking up an IV. I watch and Nancy later tells me she watched to make sure the needle came out of a package and this was its first use.
During the next two hours two interns or doctors with limited English work with the original doctor. Everytime they need a medicine they write out the prescription on a piece of 5 x 5 brown paper, stamp it and hand it to me. I then make the walk through the entry area to the door. I knock on the door, the armed guards let me out, I take a look to see if it looks safe to cross the street to the 24 hour pharmacy and then cross the street. The pharmacy fills the prescription -- the second prescription was a urine sample bottle for 10 cents -- and I return to Nancy and the doctors. Oh yes, next to the pharmacy is a mortuary which is also open and I was able to check out the coffins.
We are directed to a bathroom for Nancy to fill the sample bottle I have returned with. I carry Nancys IV. We pass through a room about 20 feet by 20 feet. In this room are 11 gurneys with patients and 4 people sleeping on the floor next to a family member on a gurney. I could not tell if the sheets were provided by the hospital or by the family. No screens between patients -- just the gurneys and patients.
One of the English speaking doctors tells me that I need to go with her. I smile and follow. I did this with any doctor but especially those speaking English because I wanted then with us not another patient. We head back to the original window I had asked for help. The doctor hands me a piece of paper and says I must pay. I say ok and she leaves. I am thinking I have traveler checks, at least a $1000 in cash, med-evacuate card, etc. -- I do not care what it costs. I am told we owe $26 and I pay. I figure that this payment is just to get in the door. Wrong, it is the first and last payment.
Let me stop and say that each Doctor or intern was very nice and I believe we got the very best care they were capable of providing us. Nancy is definitely feeling better, the pain killer has kicked in.
The doctors tell us she has eaten something that did not agree with her. Remember the lunch in the bus station I started this email with. The whole time Nancy is very calm, working with the doctors, using her Espanol and her English-Spanish dictionary, and very carefully checking what they prescribe in the way of medicine. The advantage of being a medical librarian! Believe me that I felt better knowing Nancy was carefully following every move of her doctors.
Next up is a blood sample. I take the IV and we head out. Some one points to a door and tell us to take a left. We enter a very dark hallway that is also used for storage. We stop at the first window -- a pass through window with wire mesh on the outside. All the cabinets I can see have padlocks on them. The nurse comes up and reads the doctors prescription or directions. She leaves and returns with needle in a package and vials. Nancy sticks her arm through the opening and the nurse takes three vials of blood.
Nancy needs to use the bathroom and says no way is she returning to the last bathroom. I point to a bathroom next to where she has just given blood. Nancy enters and returns and says she will use the first bathroom. Back to the first bathroom and then we return to the examination room.
During the four hours we are there and because Nancys examination table butts up to the doctors desk we hear (1) about the movies the nurses and doctors have rented, (2) other patients problems, (3) watch as the original three patients leave and new patients enter and (4) listen as one of the doctors explains to a women that her son has a very serious head injury and probably will not live -- they were only interrupted twice during this conversation, once by the janitor with the mop. A janitor came in and swept the floor after we had been there about 3 hours. About 15 minutes later he returns with a mop and bucket. It smelled like ammonia and he did mob at least 90 percent of the floor.
The head doctor tells the English speaking doctor or intern we may leave after the last IV solution is empty. The intern with his very limited English starts talking to us about (1) the Canadian knifing victim last week, (2) his sisters interpretation business, and (3) why did we come to this hospital -- tourists very seldom use this hospital. Then he tells us that one of his favorite shows is ER -- he learns about alternative medicine by watching ER!
Again, let me repeat -- everyone treated us with all the care they were capable of giving. And when we left Nancy was feeling much better. It is know a little after 4 in the morning. We head for the door. The inside guard says good night with a smile and I return the good night. I knock on the door and the outside guard lets us out. We take one of the two taxis available back to the hotel.
We decided to sleep in and forget the sight seeing planned for Saturday morning.We woke up about 11 in the morning. We both agree that last night is not a night to repeat but will always be remembered. New travel rule, I check in both travel books for the best hospital in what ever city we are in upon our arrival at our hotel!
We decide to do an American breakfast. Take a taxi to one of the best hotels in town and sit down to pancakes and eggs. After breakfast we walk across the street to the park.
What a surprise -- iguanas everywhere. They are up to two feet long or longer. They chase each other, they accept food from people, they are sunning in the trees above you or the bushes next to you.
What a trip!Galapagos IslandsOur boat, actually a catamaran, was beautiful. It had only been in service two months -- it was spotless and kept that way our entire trip. The crew spoke espanol and our guide spoke alright English. Our room was great and included a private bath as did all rooms.
There are two types of boats touring the Galapagos (1) small, carrying 10 to 20 passengers or (2) large, carrying 80 to 110 passengers. If you visit the Galapagos I strongly recommend a small boat. Our trip was great.
The animals have no fear of man. You can walk up to a Blue-footed Booby bird and stand within a foot of it. Our guide identified 2 of the 15 Darwin finches -- the subtle difference in some of the species requires you to have the bird in your hand! Watching a marine iguana swim is a really strange sight. Went into the highlands of the Isla Santa Cruz to see the giant tortoises -- they are truly giants weighing up to 200 kilos. You have to be careful not to step on a sleeping sea lion. On one of the islands a sea lion came up to me and sniffed my pants, now that might not have frightened the sea lion but my pants smell should make her think twice about doing it do another human.
We also got within 15 feet of a waved albatross chick and later saw several adults up close. The adults are huge. Leaving one of the islands we say two dozen Red-billed Tropicbirds. They are gleaming white and very graceful. But the reason they stand out is they have streaming feathers that are about 20 inches in length. On Isla Seymour Norte we were within 30 feet of many roosting Magnificent Frigatebirds. About a dozen males had their inflatable red throat pouches inflated -- what a sight. Watched the Blue-footed Booby males do their foot stomping dance with their bright enamel blue feet to attract a female.
Each island is the peak of a gigantic undersea volcano. We walked on a lot of lava during our island visits. We were touring during the dry season so everything growing below a 750 meters was brown and it was only when we went tortoise hunting did we see green and I might add rain and mud.
We went snorkeling several times and passed on several other trips. Our second snorkeling trip was great. There must have been a half dozen large green turtles in the water with us. The water was cold and therefore everytime you found a warm spot you tried to stay in that spot.I officially became a tourist on this trip.
I bought a Galapagos baseball cap at the Darwin Research Station. We flew back to Guayaquil late Monday. We rested and ran errands on Tuesday.
On Wed. morning we took a guided tour of Cerro Blanco Forest Reserve. Cerro Blanco is a tropical dry forest. At the higher elevations is very similar to a rain forest in density and type of vegetation but not wet or even humid. At one point on the walk the naturalist pointed out a spider web on the ground. Nancy got down on her knee and I was bent over looking. We both saw what we thought was a very small spider. About that time, the naturalist touched the web and out jumps a 2 inch in diameter black spider -- what a joker as we checked each others pants for wet spots.
Later that evening we did an all night flight. Arrived at the airport at 8, checked in about 9:30 for our 11 flight which boarded about 11:30. Landed in Lima about 2. The Dunkin Donuts was open, we grabbed two seats and a table, ordered coffee and tried to stay awake until we could check in for our 6 o'clock flight that left at 5:45. You will note that airlines published times are not the time they fly.
Arrived at about 7 in Cusco. Took a taxi to our hotel and crashed. Cusco is beautiful and very charming. But we left at 6 the next morning for Manu Cloud Forest and then the Rain Forest.
Will write about Manu after our return from Machu Picchu but if you have a chance to do the Galapagos or Manu -- do Manu!
Today we visited Pisaq. Pisaq is about 45 minutes from Cusco by taxi. Explored the market and the Inca ruins. Hiked down from the ruins back into Pisaq. This is about a 90 minute hike that gives your legs an incredible workout. This is part of the Sacred Valley and is gorgeous. Tomorrow we will drive and hike, same the next day and then the train to Machu Pichu for 3 days and 2 nights.Hope everyone is doing well. Let us know how you are doing.
South America Nancy and Tom
We have been On the Road for the last two and half weeks -- so many sights, sounds, occasionally smells, and just fun experiences! Fun is the wrong adjective for The Hospital, how about interesting but not to be repeated. We did the Galapagos Islands with a stop on both sides of this trip in Guayaquil and Manu Reserve in Peru.
We arrived for our 8:00 Spanish lesson in Cuenca, Ecuador on a Friday with plans to take the bus to Guayaquil on Sat or Sun. But our teachers told us that after the last two days of demonstrations in Quito that the petroleum truck drivers were going out on strike and gas might be in short supply -- we cut our lesson short at 11:00, packed in record time, said goodbye to our friends at the hotel, hopped in a taxi and got out at the bus station. Had lunch at the bus station -- this is important, keep reading.
Our bus trip was great -- the scenery was incredible. Bus is very slow compared to flying but what you see makes it worth the time spent traveling. Arrived in Guayaquil, checked into our hotel, and had dinner at the hotel. Back to the room for a well earned rest.
But Nancy wakes up about 12:30 with incredible cramps. On the way from the bathroom to me -- to wake me up -- she passes out for a moment. Wakes me up and says, I think my intestine is twisted -- get me to a hospital.
I bounce out of bed and head for the front desk.In my best Espanol I tell the night clerk, mi esposa muy enferma y necessito doctor. The clerk looks in the rolodex and comes up with a doctor. I tell him I need this doctor, now. He tells me the doctor is available in the morning. I tell him I need a taxi and hospital. He gets out the phone book, confers with the guard at the door, and eventually tells me they will get a taxi.
I head back up to the room. Nancy in the mean time has tried to come downstairs, thinks she passed out, and returns to the room. Nancy is in serious pain. I grab my money belt, her belt and her and start toward the door.
We get downstair and into a taxi. Every bump in the road and Nancy asks if we are there yet. I am thinking maybe a burst appendix -- Nancy later tells me hers has been removed, and Nancy is saying -- hurry my insides are all twisted.
We pull into the hospital entry. As we are pulling into the entry I see about a dozen people sleeping outside in blankets, another dozen people at the door, two armed guards at the door, and just as we stop I hear an ambulance pulling in behind us. Nancy is moaning, the taxi driver is letting me know he needs to move, the guards are motioning for us to get inside and I decide we stay. I get Nancy out of the taxi and through the doors.
We are maybe ten steps into the hospital and I start to think back out the door and into a taxi! To my right are about 30 folding chairs or bench seats with people sleeping, sitting with sick or injured people, and everyone looking unhappy. I see what I believe is a registration desk, behind glass. About this time, Nancy starts to collapse and a very nice man grabs her. I get her back up and watch a gurney with a knifing victim being wheeled in. The victims family is with him and I believe they wanted to go back and get even with the knifer. Oh, did I forget to tell you this is the most filthy place we have been in during our trip. The walls were white -- once a long time ago. The floor -- I am not sure a pair of shoes will protect you from what is on the floors.
I get to the first window and am told to go to the next window. At the next window, Nancy is propped up on my arm at this point, they tell me in a little English and espanol -- the first English I have heard since waking up, to go into Room 2.
I head for this room which is 20 feet away. We walked by a couple of gurneys with people and their family next to them and enter the examination room. In the examination room are three other patients and various family members. The green tiled walls, the 8x8 asbestos tile floors and the ceiling are so dirty I would recommend dynamite and rebuilding rather than trying to clean. Later I realize that they have tried to paint over the green tiles with green paint. Remember Nancy is groaning, I know no real Spanish, we have been in Guayaquil for less than six hours, it is now 1 in the morning. AND, I am not pleased with the hospital but at this very moment not knowing what is wrong with Nancy decide to stay.
The doctor comes in -- no English. Nancy starts explaining where she hurts. The doctor has her lie down on one of the three and the only empty examination table. He starts pushing on her stomach, etc. Next thing I know a nurse is hooking up an IV. I watch and Nancy later tells me she watched to make sure the needle came out of a package and this was its first use.
During the next two hours two interns or doctors with limited English work with the original doctor. Everytime they need a medicine they write out the prescription on a piece of 5 x 5 brown paper, stamp it and hand it to me. I then make the walk through the entry area to the door. I knock on the door, the armed guards let me out, I take a look to see if it looks safe to cross the street to the 24 hour pharmacy and then cross the street. The pharmacy fills the prescription -- the second prescription was a urine sample bottle for 10 cents -- and I return to Nancy and the doctors. Oh yes, next to the pharmacy is a mortuary which is also open and I was able to check out the coffins.
We are directed to a bathroom for Nancy to fill the sample bottle I have returned with. I carry Nancys IV. We pass through a room about 20 feet by 20 feet. In this room are 11 gurneys with patients and 4 people sleeping on the floor next to a family member on a gurney. I could not tell if the sheets were provided by the hospital or by the family. No screens between patients -- just the gurneys and patients.
One of the English speaking doctors tells me that I need to go with her. I smile and follow. I did this with any doctor but especially those speaking English because I wanted then with us not another patient. We head back to the original window I had asked for help. The doctor hands me a piece of paper and says I must pay. I say ok and she leaves. I am thinking I have traveler checks, at least a $1000 in cash, med-evacuate card, etc. -- I do not care what it costs. I am told we owe $26 and I pay. I figure that this payment is just to get in the door. Wrong, it is the first and last payment.
Let me stop and say that each Doctor or intern was very nice and I believe we got the very best care they were capable of providing us. Nancy is definitely feeling better, the pain killer has kicked in.
The doctors tell us she has eaten something that did not agree with her. Remember the lunch in the bus station I started this email with. The whole time Nancy is very calm, working with the doctors, using her Espanol and her English-Spanish dictionary, and very carefully checking what they prescribe in the way of medicine. The advantage of being a medical librarian! Believe me that I felt better knowing Nancy was carefully following every move of her doctors.
Next up is a blood sample. I take the IV and we head out. Some one points to a door and tell us to take a left. We enter a very dark hallway that is also used for storage. We stop at the first window -- a pass through window with wire mesh on the outside. All the cabinets I can see have padlocks on them. The nurse comes up and reads the doctors prescription or directions. She leaves and returns with needle in a package and vials. Nancy sticks her arm through the opening and the nurse takes three vials of blood.
Nancy needs to use the bathroom and says no way is she returning to the last bathroom. I point to a bathroom next to where she has just given blood. Nancy enters and returns and says she will use the first bathroom. Back to the first bathroom and then we return to the examination room.
During the four hours we are there and because Nancys examination table butts up to the doctors desk we hear (1) about the movies the nurses and doctors have rented, (2) other patients problems, (3) watch as the original three patients leave and new patients enter and (4) listen as one of the doctors explains to a women that her son has a very serious head injury and probably will not live -- they were only interrupted twice during this conversation, once by the janitor with the mop. A janitor came in and swept the floor after we had been there about 3 hours. About 15 minutes later he returns with a mop and bucket. It smelled like ammonia and he did mob at least 90 percent of the floor.
The head doctor tells the English speaking doctor or intern we may leave after the last IV solution is empty. The intern with his very limited English starts talking to us about (1) the Canadian knifing victim last week, (2) his sisters interpretation business, and (3) why did we come to this hospital -- tourists very seldom use this hospital. Then he tells us that one of his favorite shows is ER -- he learns about alternative medicine by watching ER!
Again, let me repeat -- everyone treated us with all the care they were capable of giving. And when we left Nancy was feeling much better. It is know a little after 4 in the morning. We head for the door. The inside guard says good night with a smile and I return the good night. I knock on the door and the outside guard lets us out. We take one of the two taxis available back to the hotel.
We decided to sleep in and forget the sight seeing planned for Saturday morning.We woke up about 11 in the morning. We both agree that last night is not a night to repeat but will always be remembered. New travel rule, I check in both travel books for the best hospital in what ever city we are in upon our arrival at our hotel!
We decide to do an American breakfast. Take a taxi to one of the best hotels in town and sit down to pancakes and eggs. After breakfast we walk across the street to the park.
What a surprise -- iguanas everywhere. They are up to two feet long or longer. They chase each other, they accept food from people, they are sunning in the trees above you or the bushes next to you.
What a trip!Galapagos IslandsOur boat, actually a catamaran, was beautiful. It had only been in service two months -- it was spotless and kept that way our entire trip. The crew spoke espanol and our guide spoke alright English. Our room was great and included a private bath as did all rooms.
There are two types of boats touring the Galapagos (1) small, carrying 10 to 20 passengers or (2) large, carrying 80 to 110 passengers. If you visit the Galapagos I strongly recommend a small boat. Our trip was great.
The animals have no fear of man. You can walk up to a Blue-footed Booby bird and stand within a foot of it. Our guide identified 2 of the 15 Darwin finches -- the subtle difference in some of the species requires you to have the bird in your hand! Watching a marine iguana swim is a really strange sight. Went into the highlands of the Isla Santa Cruz to see the giant tortoises -- they are truly giants weighing up to 200 kilos. You have to be careful not to step on a sleeping sea lion. On one of the islands a sea lion came up to me and sniffed my pants, now that might not have frightened the sea lion but my pants smell should make her think twice about doing it do another human.
We also got within 15 feet of a waved albatross chick and later saw several adults up close. The adults are huge. Leaving one of the islands we say two dozen Red-billed Tropicbirds. They are gleaming white and very graceful. But the reason they stand out is they have streaming feathers that are about 20 inches in length. On Isla Seymour Norte we were within 30 feet of many roosting Magnificent Frigatebirds. About a dozen males had their inflatable red throat pouches inflated -- what a sight. Watched the Blue-footed Booby males do their foot stomping dance with their bright enamel blue feet to attract a female.
Each island is the peak of a gigantic undersea volcano. We walked on a lot of lava during our island visits. We were touring during the dry season so everything growing below a 750 meters was brown and it was only when we went tortoise hunting did we see green and I might add rain and mud.
We went snorkeling several times and passed on several other trips. Our second snorkeling trip was great. There must have been a half dozen large green turtles in the water with us. The water was cold and therefore everytime you found a warm spot you tried to stay in that spot.I officially became a tourist on this trip.
I bought a Galapagos baseball cap at the Darwin Research Station. We flew back to Guayaquil late Monday. We rested and ran errands on Tuesday.
On Wed. morning we took a guided tour of Cerro Blanco Forest Reserve. Cerro Blanco is a tropical dry forest. At the higher elevations is very similar to a rain forest in density and type of vegetation but not wet or even humid. At one point on the walk the naturalist pointed out a spider web on the ground. Nancy got down on her knee and I was bent over looking. We both saw what we thought was a very small spider. About that time, the naturalist touched the web and out jumps a 2 inch in diameter black spider -- what a joker as we checked each others pants for wet spots.
Later that evening we did an all night flight. Arrived at the airport at 8, checked in about 9:30 for our 11 flight which boarded about 11:30. Landed in Lima about 2. The Dunkin Donuts was open, we grabbed two seats and a table, ordered coffee and tried to stay awake until we could check in for our 6 o'clock flight that left at 5:45. You will note that airlines published times are not the time they fly.
Arrived at about 7 in Cusco. Took a taxi to our hotel and crashed. Cusco is beautiful and very charming. But we left at 6 the next morning for Manu Cloud Forest and then the Rain Forest.
Will write about Manu after our return from Machu Picchu but if you have a chance to do the Galapagos or Manu -- do Manu!
Today we visited Pisaq. Pisaq is about 45 minutes from Cusco by taxi. Explored the market and the Inca ruins. Hiked down from the ruins back into Pisaq. This is about a 90 minute hike that gives your legs an incredible workout. This is part of the Sacred Valley and is gorgeous. Tomorrow we will drive and hike, same the next day and then the train to Machu Pichu for 3 days and 2 nights.Hope everyone is doing well. Let us know how you are doing.
South America Nancy and Tom
posted by Rambling Tom at 5:32 PM
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