Day 5

Today was an awesome day!

We visited our volunteer placements in the morning, and I cannot even express to you my excitement! We went to the Santiago Regional Hospital first. It was incredibly small in comparison to our Canadian hospitals, and completely open (as in no walls!). It's pretty neat. It really is a beautiful hospital, and the fresh air and gardens gives a different hospital feel in comparison to our sterile health care facilities! I was introduced to the hospital director (and all I could say to him was "Hola" and "Mucho Gusto", which means "Pleased to meet you!". I sure hope the next time I meet him, I can say more to him than that! I saw the pediatrics unit, and the general surgery unit, but there's certainly much more to see!

We visited another volunteer's placement, which was an orphanage about 25 minutes out of the city. The road to this orphanage is by far the WORST road I have ever seen in my life. There are pot holes that span the entire width of the road, and cement blocks in the middle of it! If it rains, the road becomes completely unaccessible. The volunteer working there has been told to bring a change of clothes because she may be stranded out there for days at a time!
There were 30 children in this orphanage, ages 1-13. It was really wonderful to be able to meet some of the children, and to get to see how an orphanage operates in a developing country. We then waited on this dirt road (way out in the boonies!) for a cab or bus to drive by so that we could get back into town! We had yet to see any vehicle drive by, and I was beginning to think we were stranded out there! At this point, a small truck drives by, with about 6 people standing in the back. They are going to Jinotepe! We hitch a ride...so at this point, there are 11 of us in the back of this tiny truck. And all that surrounds us is a railing at our waists (see the above picture, although it really doesn't do it justice). We drive down this treacherous road (which is about 15-20 km long!), picking up MORE people as we go, until there are 16 of us in the back of this truck! It was an experience, to say the least! It's hilarious, in retrospect, although I must admit I was a little worried at the time!

We stopped for smoothies once we got into the city again. Fresh strawberry, pineapple, and banana smoothie for $1.15, and it topped any Booster Juice I'd ever had!

We had some lunch, and then started our 4 hours of Spanish! We increased our vocabulary by over 200 words today! We went through the entire house (most everything is labeled!) and learned the words for all common household items, as well as many other things! We learned more common phrases, and learned how to express times in Spanish. I'm growing to really love the language - it flows so nicely, and it is beautiful to listen to!

The security guard's dog had 4 puppies, and he brought them over today! They are dalmatian-cross, and can fit in the palm of your hand...too cute (as you can see from the picture)! We played with them all through Spanish class today, and they were quite a fun distraction! The first picture was taken just before he peed on my bed...haha

We just got back from drinks at a nearby restaurant (Corona for $1.50!! hahaha). The music they play is something worth noting! We've heard everything from Shania Twain (who would have thought!!?) to Madonna, and that's not including the current popular songs in Canada that are translated to Spanish!

I also posted a picture of my set-up here - I think it's rather homey! Let me know what you think!