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| My ID badge |
Sorry for not posting in over a week. The last week in Lao I was on overnights and the hospital was at capacity. We also had several rounds of good-byes and a few last minute adventures. We have safely arrived in Phuket for some relaxation before coming home. Its much cooler here and you can't beat the oceanview from the balcony of our room.
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| Kids trying to give us flowers they picked for money |
The last few days in Lao were very bittersweet. Its been a great adventure and full of trials. Its hard to come to grips with the fact that some of the children who died would have survived if we were in the US. I think sometimes the volunteer doctors and nurses took it much harder then the Lao doctors and nurses. Several of the families had already lost one child. For me it was a little baby who was sick but would have pulled through if we had intubation capabilities. Hopefully in the near future this will be a reality at the hospital. End of life care is a difficult thing no matter where you are, but add in the language barrier and the fact I have no idea what the Lao doctors are saying to the family and its immensely difficulty. My hope is that despite the language barrier the compassionate actions speak louder then words.
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| View from the top |
On a more happy note, the last few days were were able to say good-bye to new friends. The group we worked with was an amazing crew. For almost everyone there, this was not their first volunteer position in a resource limited setting so brought a wealth of knowledge (a needed flexibility).
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| Inside the Wat looking over at LPB |
On our last fully day we crossed the Mekong to check out the village and Wat on the other side. The wat was smaller then most of the ones near out house but the hundreds of stairs to get there were worth it for the views! It was a beautiful view and we were the only ones there at the time. We were able to just sit and enjoy it. After climbing back down hundreds of stairs/muddy hillsides were made it back to Luang where we met up with friends for coffee and dessert before dinner. For dinner we crossed the bamboo bridge at night to have a riverside dinner. It was a great way to say until next time to the new friends we have made.
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| A lonely boat on the Mekong |
On Thursday we left Lao and headed to Thailand. I am happy to say that this time we were not over our baggage weight. On the way to Lao, we were 37kg overweight combined so had to pay $300 to get our luggage there. This time we were underweight. I guess we ate enough peanut butter and nutella. We also brought over about 30kg in medical supplies for the hospital.
We are off to enjoy a sunny day here in Phuket and will be headed home in about 48 hours. Its been a ride!
