Off to the Salar!

We are heading to the Salar de Uyuni today! These are the largest salt flats in the world and apparently are a beautiful must-see when in Bolivia! However, getting to the Salar from La Paz is quite a journey. We will be taking an overnight bus ride from La Paz to Uyuni ... 11 hours! Eek! Hopefully it will all be worth it, and I will have amazing photos to share with all of you.

We will be completely out of communication for the next few days as people on the Salar only have radio as means of communication! So until then, enjoy! ♥

Feliz Cumpleanos, Pedro!

Totally unrelated to Bolivia, but just as important ...

Happy Birthday, Peter!!!

Hope you have a very special, exciting, and happy birthday. Have an awesome time in New Mexico and enjoy yourself!! Miss you and love you! ♥

Heather´s Here!

Yayyy!! Heather is now here in Bolivia. We spent the weekend in Coroico, the Yungas jungle region in Bolivia. We stayed in a cute cabin on the mountainside. Here, we had two bedrooms, a full kitchen, and nice indoor/outdoor area complete with comfy couches and a hammock -- perfect place for rest and relaxation! It was so nice to have a weekend outside of bustling La Paz to read, sleep, and basically do nothing.

The town center was just as lazy as our weekend. With little more than a handful of restaurants and a few hippies selling some handmade jewelry, Coroico is really not an eventful town and left us wanting a little more.

Unfortunately, however, I was sick for most of the weekend, and spent the majority of my time laying on the above mentioned couch recouperating. Despite my illness, it is so nice to have Heather and Shirin here with me, as I think I was getting to the point where I needed to have family around <3.

Busy in Bolivia!

Ah sorry for the delay in posting! This last week has been crazy, then complicated by my mild illness, so finding time to sit down at the internet cafe has been tricky. But, I am so glad that I have time today to add some posts. And, as you can see, I´ve inserted some select pictures relevant to some of the posts!

So, I finished out the week at Servicios de Adolescentes finding more babies in uteruses, running around with the doctor to and from different places, and listening to the woes of local teenagers (pregnancy, STD concerns, school stress) -- very similar to those in the U.S.

Needless to say, sexual education is severely lacking in the lives of young Bolivians, and thus, many young women become pregnant and/or contract STIs prematurely and unnecessarily!Although I don't know how much of an impact we will make in our broken Spanish, my fellow CHFIers and I will prepare a presentation on safe sexual practices and the signs, symptoms, and treatment for common STIs here in Bolivia ... this should be interesting!

La Gymnasia

I joined a Bolivian gym today! The gym here is brand new and is located in the multicine (a complex with a movie theater, food courts, arcades, and a few random stores). The membership was expensive, at about half the price I pay for the gym at home in NY. However, I’ve always been a strong believer that exercising and taking care of my body is well worth the “splurge.” Even on a student’s limited budget, I always make allowances for a membership to a nice gym.

Due to the altitude, I was a bit nervous for my first workout. So I decided to take it easy today: 20 minutes on the elliptical, minimal ab work, and only 2 sets of exercises with the free weights. Although I must say, the altitude did affect my workout. After the first 15 minutes on the elliptical, I thought perhaps I should stop, but I powered through and did not pass out! My little 5 pounds weights also felt a little heavier here, but perhaps that’s because I have not been to the gym in about 1 month! Oops!

Overall however, how did it feel to work out again? Pretty darn good – yay for endorphins!

Erica and I are going to try out the pilates class this week, and if we are feeling really optimistic, we may even attend a spin class! Maybe we will be superathletes when we return home due to our increased tolerance for low-oxygen states?!

Servicios de adolescentes

Today I ventured away from Hospital del Nino and hiked up to El Alto for a rotation in an outpatient adolescent clinic. La Paz is surrounded by high mountains, which have homes built into the hillsides. These surrounding neighborhoods are known as El Alto. From La Paz, the homes in El Alto provide a stunning view, especially at night when the homes are brightly lit, almost like lit skyscrapers in New York. However, upon entering El Alto, I quickly realized that El Alto is the exact opposite of rich mountainside homes overlooking La Paz.

The clinic mainly serves pregnant adolescent females. Due to the lack of proper education about birth control and contraception, countless teenage girls end up pregnant, with no options other than to raise her child(ren) on her own.

I enjoyed my first day here. Annie and I got some basic hands-on experience including palpating for the fetal lie in the mother’s uterus, measuring the height of the mother’s growing belly, and even finding the fetal and placental sounds using a small portable sonography device.

The most challenging aspect of this clinic is the complete lack of ingles spoken here. However, la doctora would like us to prepare a 20 minute presentation on any topic related to adolescent health -- ack!! I will definitely keep you posted on how this plays out ...

Addicted to Pasankalla

We discovered a new treat in Copacabana called Pasankalla. Pasankalla is a traditional Bolivian snack made from corn. They are light, puffy, and slightly sweetened; think kettle corn popcorn crossed with rice puff cereal.

They are sold on the streets of Copacabana, in large bins, and for less than $1 (or 5 bolivianos) you can get a large bag to take with you. Although native to Copacabana, I know I’ll find Pasankalla somewhere in La Paz to satisfy my cravings, but I wonder where I can get some Pasankalla in New York?

La Estancia, Ecolodge

Although exhausted from a packed day of traveling, altitude, sunshine, and beautiful vistas, we had one more challenging hill to climb before arriving at La Estancia, a beautiful, romantic ecolodge situated on the hills of La Isla del Sol over Lake Titicaca. So, we dragged our tired bodies up the imposing hill, stopping frequently along the way to catch our breaths, only to realize that every fatigued step was more than worth it.

La Estancia is the kind of place that makes me realize how beautiful the earth is, and how fortunate I am to be able to travel and experience nature. Upon arrival, we promptly inhaled some coca tea and crackers and headed to our individual cabins for much anticipated hot showers. Then we headed to the lodge for another relaxing dinner, wine, and a few brief, cold moments of star gazing.

La Isla del Sol, Lake Titicaca, Bolivia

Before leaving Copacabana, we ate a yummy breakfast at our hotel and walked to the Church of Copacabana. Outside the church, local residents line their cars up, decorate them with flowers and brightly colored decorations, and wait for the priest to come out and bless their cars.

Once inside the church, there is a room to light candles for loved ones in exchange for protection from the Virgin of Copacabana. The walls of this room are covered in wax images of houses, cars, and people, which are sculpted by local families as form of prayer. I bought and lit five candles for my family in hope that the Virgin will keep us all safe J.

After our spiritual morning, we headed out on Lake Titicaca and took our motorboat to La Isla del Sol. Lake Titicaca is so beautiful, beyond what my words can convey here on this blog, so please check back for pictures, which I will post soon!!

Our first stop on La Isla del Sol was a quick visit to a local town. Here, we walked up a small hill and learned a little about their local “Fountain of Youth.” Although our guide encouraged us to take a sip from the three water spouts, we all kindly declined.

Next, we headed back out onto the water to our next destination where we visited some ruins and enjoyed Aptapi, a traditional lunch of the island. The lunch consisted of chicken, trout, dried sardine-like fish, 3 different kinds of potatoes, chocla (corn with kernals the size of dimes), beans, cheese, and fruit.

After filling our bellies with Aptapi, we headed to another part of the island to see the Incan Chincana Ruins. On this part of the Island, we walked for a few hours up and down hills to see a few temples and places of worship. The views and hikes were literally breathtaking – Isla del Sol is at slightly higher altitude than La Paz, and we definitely felt it! In addition to the altitude, the sun was strong and we mistakenly forgot to bring water along with us, so unfortunately, we had to cut our time at Chincana short, and head back to the boat a little earlier than planned.

Her Name was Lola …

This weekend, we said goodbye to La Paz and headed to Copacabana and Lake Titicaca! We left Friday afternoon in our private minivan and drove 3 hours through the beautiful Bolivian countryside to Copacabana, a small town on the coast of Lake Titicaca. The scenery was absolutely breathtaking!! The countryside consists of large rolling hills, but because of the altitude, there is not much greenery. The hills are brown and the soil appears very dry, but apparently this is the perfect climate to grow lots of different species of yummy potatoes! In the distance beyond the hills, huge, gorgeous snowcapped mountains rise out of nowhere, which makes the climate here a bit perplexing … during the day, we walk around in t-shirts, get a little sunburnt, but if we look up, snow covered mountains are not too far off in the distance. Then once the sun sets, it’s time to break out the scarves, hats, gloves, and llama sweaters!

Anyway, after driving for a few hours and taking a ferry across Lake Titicaca, we finally arrived in Copacabana, just in time to see the sunset! Unlike the song, Copacabana is actually a small, sleepy, religious town on the coast of the gorgeous Lake Titicaca. Before dinner, we walked around the town and had some traditional Bolivian treats – Api and Bunuello. Api is a hot, thick, sweet, purple drink made from corn. The taste of Api is reminiscent of hot apple cider with a starchy texture of thin yogurt. Bunuello is a cross between a zeppole and a doughnut, drizzled with a sweet honey-like glaze – sooo delicious!

After our pre-dinner treat, we headed back to Hotel Gloria and had a relaxing evening of dinner, wine, and stunning views of the lake. Tired from our travels, we hit the sack pretty early and rested up for our next adventures …

First Week of Spanish Lessons and First Week in Hospital del Nino!

Wow, speaking only in Spanish for two straight hours is taxing on my brain! After every Spanish class, I feel mentally exhausted, but also a sense of accomplishment. My Spanish teacher, Cynthia, is nice but very strict when it comes to the rule of “No Ingles!” Although the topics we cover in class are pretty basic, such as when to use Usted vs. Tu and how to congujate verbs in the past, not using any English is challenging!

However, compared to rounding in the hospital, Spanish class is a breeze! I completed my first week in Hospital del Nino with the pediatric nephrologist and let me tell you, medical Spanish is a whole other animal!!

When I first arrive in the hospital in the mornings, I attend rounds with all the doctors, nurses, residents, a nutritionist, and a social worker. Rounds in Bolivia consist of a crowd of the aforementioned people, walking from bed to bed discussing the progress and treatment plans of the patients in the unit. In addition, the resident pushes a little table on wheels and types the notes dictated by the attending physician on a typewriter (!!!). This is similar to rounds in the U.S., however in Bolivia, there is no such thing as patient privacy – not even curtains separate beds to provide the illusion of privacy. Here, everyone in the unit can hear every detail of every other patient.

In addition, this past week was the 37^th anniversary of Hospital del Nino, so I attended a special conference covering numerous lectures on various pediatric health issues. It was hard for me to follow the discussions as they spoke very quickly and used complicated medical terminology. I’m trying to remain optimistic that this will become easier with time, but unfortunately, I’m starting to realize that four weeks is not enough time to really get a handle on Spanish.

Random Post of Thanks! :)

Hi Everyone!

Just wanted to thank you all for following my blog! Keeping you updated makes me feel connected to home! :)

Also, muchas gracias for all your concern. I am happy to report that everyday, I am becoming more acclimated to the altitude:

• Day 1: Near fainting in airport, oxygen therapy, throbbing headache
• Day 2: Minor headache, tingling fingers from Diamox (altitude sickness med), short of breath when walking
• Day 3: Headache completely gone! Stopped taking Diamox (didn't like the tingles), only short of breath when walking up steep hills or walking too fast (like a New Yorker)!
• Day 4: Acclimated (mostly)! Considering joining a gym to work off these huge almuerzos!! :)

I have also noticed that my casual Spanish skills are improving day to day. I can now hold a basic conversation with my host family without getting blank stares in return!

Also, I hope to add some pictures soon, but I've been so busy running around the city, I haven't had many opportunities to have a tourist moment. But I promise, pics will appear soon!

Miss you all!!

♥ xoxo ♥,

Mallory (pronounced by Bolivians as "Mahl-yor-dee")

First day at Hospital del Nino!!

Wow, Hospital del Nino made quite an impression on me! I don’t quite know what I was expecting, but the hospital was a lot older and poorer than I imagined. I realize that may sound a bit elitist, but I want to give you my honest impression. The building is pretty old and the hospital units look like they are out of a movie from the 1920s. There are large open rooms, with beds in a row along both sides of the room. There are no IV pumps, no central lines (even for chemo), and even general supplies are very limited.

Regardless of the appearance of the hospital, however, the children are the same here and back home – they love to smile and play, and they also get the same diseases (for the most part). Also, the doctors and nurses here are very professional, very smart, and have excellent bedside manners!

I was assigned to a pediatric nephrologist for the week. After rounding on the floors, I went with la doctora to her out-patient consults. We saw a lot of children with recurrent urinary tract infections, kidney stones, a couple of cases of hydronephrosis, and a severe case of phimosis leading to secondary urinary tract and renal infections. (For those who are not medically inclined, those are basically problems with the kidney-urinary system). Despite my poor medical Spanish abilities, the doctor was very welcoming and even had me write some of the notes – in Spanish!

Orientation and Spanish Assessment

We had our orientation yesterday with Gonzalo. He gave us a mini tour of the area, handed out our clinic schedules, and then briefly talked about safety while in Bolivia – very short and sweet.

Later in the afternoon, we took our Spanish assessment, a test to determine our level of language classes. On the written section, I surprised myself and did better than I thought I would! I was able to read the passages and understand the written Spanish; however, I totally fumbled on the oral exam!! He asked me about past vacations and my future plans – I can definitely get my point across, but my verb conjugations definitely leave something to be desired! We were each assigned a teacher, and will have 2 hours of one-on-one Spanish lessons Monday through Friday.

After our Spanish test, we met our local Medical Director, Doctora Cecilia. She gave us a lecture on the insurance system in Bolivia – very complicated, but so informative. A major problem in La Paz, if I understand correctly, is children are only covered under the public insurance plan until age 5 years. After that, Bolivian children lack insurance until (and if) they attend college or start working and obtain insurance through their employers. Although public hospitals like Hospital del Nino will not turn away a child without insurance, he or she may not receive all the care they would if they could afford it. :(

Gooooooooool!!!

So, I have met all the other CFHI participants: Marissa, Erica, Joanna, and Annie. Last night, we went out for dinner at a local restaurant (a very cheap local restaurant) and got to know each other a little bit. Luckily, Marissa has already been here for a month with CFHI, and Erica has been here for a week taking Spanish lessons, so they have a lot of valuable knowledge to share – especially when it comes to navigating the city.

Everyone is very nice and enthusiastic about being here in Bolivia, so it’s great to have them around! Also excitingly, everyone is game for taking weekend excursions to different areas of Bolivia. So we have already started to plan a trip to Lake Titicaca for this weekend! We still have to iron out the details, but I am so excited!

Today, we went to a local futbol game at Estadio Hernandez Siles! The La Paz team, “The Strongest” beat the rival team, “Real Mamore” 3-0! I enjoyed experiencing the local culture, but I can see why Bolivia did not have a team in the World Cup ...

Anyway, I don’t know if it’s the altitude, or just the adjustment to travelling, but I’m beat and I’m going to hit the sack now (even though it’s only 9:30pm). So adios for now!

Almuerzo (lunch)!

In Bolivia, lunch is the main meal of the day. Almuerzo is the largest meal of the day and serves as time for families to spend together -- many Bolivians are able to go home from their jobs for almuerzo and even a brief siesta! As Senora explained, Americans are overweight because we eat large meals for dinner then go right to bed! Haha!!! – But sadly, she is correct.

For my first almuerzo, I was served a large bowl of sopa (soup), which I graciously slurped down, thinking that was the menu for the day. However, after finishing the sopa, the family brings out a full plats of rice, beef, fried plantains, and tomatoes – ack! I was pretty satisfied after the bowl of soup, but of course, this is my first meal with the family, so I eat every bit of it to avoid bad impressions.

I’m going to have to learn a polite way to kindly turn down offered food as I am not accustomed to eating that much midday!

Meeting the homestay family!

At the airport, when retrieving my luggage, there was another girl looking for her bags as well. I immediately recognized the CFHI letter that she was holding in her hand and introduced myself to Joanna. Together, we found Gonzalo and headed to our respective homestay families.

After dropping Joanna off at her lovely apartment, we pull up in front of a large gated house, where Gonzalo says, “This is you!” My host mother greeted us at the gate and gave me a kiss on the cheek – what a warm welcome! She seemed about my mother’s age and my first impression was that she could have been the mother of any one of my friends back home.

Once inside, I immediately noticed that they have the same area rug that Peter’s parents have in their living room back home in Long Island –haha!! I took this as a good sign and immediately felt a sense of home – yes, all because of that green rug (I'll try to sneak a pic of it at some point)!

As Gonzalo and Senora (as I call her) exchanged some pleasantries, I looked around at my home for the next month and was impressed by how nice it was! I told Senora about my little ordeal at the airport, so she fed me some coco te (the local remedy for altitude sickness) and panitos (little breads), then took me up to my room and told me to sleep because “No se puede dormir en el avion! Es impossible!”

My bedroom is on the top floor of the house. I have a twin bed, a nice big window, a desk, and a wooden armoir all to myself. I share the floor with the family’s 16 year old son. His bedroom is next to the bathroom and across the living area from my room.

After settling in, I feel comfortable here, but I am still trying to figure out proper homestay etiquette. I want to engage the family and learn from them, but I also do not want to seem intrusive – after all, this is their home, which they have kindly opened up to me and other students. Yet, on the other hand, while giving them privacy, I also do not want to seem standoffish or aloof. So this will be a learning process …

Bienvenidos a La Paz! Pero bienvenidos a la altitud tambien!

Coming to La Paz has been quite the experience so far! After taking off a bit late from Miami, I had a restless sleep on the red eye to La Paz. Upon arrival in Bolivia, I immediately felt the effects of the altitude!! Most noticeably, my heart was beating a little faster and harder than usual and I had minimal traces of a headache.

After exiting the airplane, there was a long line for customs and tourist visas (tourists visiting Bolivia must “apply for,”aka purchase, a visa for $135 USD). About halfway through the snaking queue, I realized I was about to faint! – You know the feeling: hearing decreases, vision goes white, blood drains from your head, the cold sweat begins, and then stomach pains join the mix. So, I grabbed the arm of the man standing in front of me and said “I’m going to pass out!” Luckily he was a nice guy and kindly helped me over to a seat, where I sat, curled over, and dropped my head between my knees to encourage blood to flow back to my brain!

Soon a customs official came over and asked if I would like to see a “medico.” I shook my head yes, and he ushered me to the front of the visa line. Still not feeling strong enough to walk, I sat back down in a chair and assumed my curled over position. Finally, after all my paperwork was completed and I paid my $135, I was assisted to the area for “Oxygen Therapy.” I collapsed onto one of the stretchers and graciously accepted the oxygen mask. All the while, the doc was checking my pulses, my oxygen saturation, etc. I couldn’t help but think, “oh my gosh, I'm going to be sent home after a brief 20 minutes in Bolivia!"

Luckily, after a few minutes on oxygen, I felt good as new, relieved, and slightly embarrassed. After leaving the medic station, the long line of passengers had cleared out, and I set out to retrieve my bags and meet our local CFHI coordinator, Gonzalo.

Goodbye LGA, Hello MIA!

Before I left today, I told my family and Peter that they were not allowed to cry when saying goodbye. They each strongly held up their end of the bargain and said their nice goodbyes. I, on the other hand did no such thing. Although I wouldn’t say I cried, my departure was definitely a tearful farewell. Nevertheless, I gave my hugs and kisses, and got on the security line to quickly regain my composure and start my solo journey to Bolivia.

I anticipate a month of excitement, nervousness, growth, and perhaps a little self-discovery – or as much as one can learn about the self in 4 weeks. Ok, so that was my brief philosophical moment.

Now, I am in Miami International Airport, passing a three hour layover before boarding the final leg of the trip: “The Red Eye” to La Paz!! Buenas noches Estados Unidos! Buenos dias Bolivia!

Bolivia Bound! (Departure Date!!!)

I am Bolivia bound! Well, not yet exactly, but today is my departure date!! Ahh!

The last few days have been crazy!! I completely underestimated how long it takes to run around New York City, going from store to store for last minute shopping. Thus, needless to say, I unfortunately did not have time to relax on the beach.

I must say, there are two things I am not good at when it comes to traveling (and probably life in general) ... 1. I can not make quick decisions. I tend to think about every little thing and double and triple guess every choice I make. And 2. I overpack. A lot.

So, the next 2.5 hours will be spent editing my luggage and trying to calm the nerves! Then it's off to the airport

... Bolivia here I come!!!

Semester = Done! Next up = Bolivia! (4 days until departure)

The summer semester has finally come to a close, so now I can really start preparing for Bolivia. I cannot believe I am leaving in 4 days!! I found out my host family's name and address today, so it is slowly becoming real ... Now, there is a place and a name, and soon there will be a face to the name! :)

Although there is still so much to do (including mental preparation), I am going to try to take it easy over the next few days and enjoy my first and last few days of summer vacation in New York. Somehow, amidst the packing, I hope to squeeze in last minute shopping, dinner with friends, dinner with family, beach, and relaxation!

Okie dokie ... time for me to get to my jam-packed schedule -- Hasta luego!!