Buen Dia!

OMG, I was sick four 24 hours straight.  4 AM yesterday I was restlessly dreaming of throwing up...sure enough, in my waking world, I had to run to the bathroom.  What misery!  To be sick anywhere in the world just sucks.  You honestly can't understand how you will ever feel normal again.  I was down for the count all day...in bed and sleeping mostly.  My host family was so sweet - they went and got me electrolyte water and made me toast.  So, after sleeping for 36 hours, more or less, I woke up this morning feeling 100% better, and soooo grateful.  There is nothing like feeling sh*tty to make you grateful for your health!

Yesterday, a very sweet 28 year old Australian girl arrived at mi casa to stay for five weeks.  She has her own bedroom and kitchen upstairs (I didn't even know there WAS another bedroom and kitchen upstairs, turns out there are two).  She is a music journalist and has been traveling through Central America since January.  Anyway, the long and short of it is, I have a new friend. :)  She is here only to learn to surf and take Spanish lessons, so her day isn't quite so crazy as mine, but we talked about going to the beach together this weekend.  I also have plans for breakfast with an older Mexican women, Maria, at Dan's Cafe, and Dan (who owns a hotel and restaurant) is going to introduce me to his 30 year old daughter so I can make another friend.

I didn't go to the clinic yesterday because I was sick, but Tuesday and today were eventful.  Tuesday I observed a vaginal exam, and today a little old man of 92 years came in with a huge gash in his head.  He said he fell but the doctor suspects possible abuse in the house.  I got to watch as they cleaned and stitched the wound (Mary, you would have loved it!).  He was so cute, and his niece informed me he has many novias. :)  We had two kids today that had to have shots, and they both completely freaked out, the same as at home...nobody wants shots.  They were crying and crying.  The second one was being treated poorly by her mom, very harshly.  After they left the doctor informed me that the woman wasn't her birth mom, and that she thinks the father may have conceived the child during an affair, and the child's mom had died.  So sad.

Anyway, tomorrow is my last day at the Centro de Salud in La Barra.  Next week I will be in Bajos de Chila.  I can't believe already my first week has almost passed.  Thank God I have more, because my Spanish still needs some serious work.