

We then visited the UNICEF office which was just across the lawn. An employee from the facility presented a powerpoint on HIV/AIDS and how it affects the young population. It was a very interesting and informative lecture. We also got to learn about UNICEF and their goals for healthcare. We concluded our visit with a tour around their building.
Since we live at the City of
The day ended with dinner and class discussion at my villa. We made fried plantains, red beans and rice, salad, broiled chicken (with a Hispanic twist of flavor), and fruit salad for dessert. The days are quickly winding down, but we are all pretty excited about coming home.
Today's itinerary included a visit to the
Everyone woke up this morning with their own ideas and thoughts about what it would be like to visit an indigenous village; little did any of us know that we were embarking on a miniature journey into the heart of The canoe ride in the river provided fantastical scenery; we were literally being taken into the mists of the rainforest.
At one point we climbed over some rocks and saw our destination point: a waterfall with a pool below it. Right then, we found ourselves caught in a rain shower, but that did not stop us from jumping into the pool and climbing onto the waterfall.
We were led to the largest hut, otherwise known as the “Convention Center.” We were served fried Tilapia and fried plantains in a palm leaf cone. Their leader spoke to us about the tribe and their trades, mainly basket weaving and wood carving. Their tribe is open to visitors and usually hosts tourists every day. The women performed a dance and the men played instruments including drums, maracas, a turtle shell, and a wooden flute.
They also had a marketplace where we were able to buy their handmade bowls, plates, jewelry, and wood work. Some of us even got a tattoo, but don’t worry, they only last for about eight days.
It was off to an early start today! We all had to be ready to leave the villas at We saw babies and children under all types of conditions: on respirators, with NG tubes, under incubators and ultraviolet light, and with trachs. I think the favored area was where the premature babies were because a few people actually got to pick the babies up and play with them. One thing that was interesting to learn about the hospital was that it had a school area located in it because some of the children that received dialysis had been living there for up to five years. The nurses said that the children actually became like part of their family because their own family may only get to visit every 6 months or once a year (because of distance, money, or other problems).
Our next stop was at the Nursing Association of Panama. Here we received a quick presentation on the association and some refreshments to revive us. To end the presentation our speaker sang for us. I find people in
Now, back at the villas, some are sleeping, exercising, reading, or working on projects. As for tonight our plans are dinner and maybe a movie at the mall! It should be our first adventure with taxis here so wish us luck.
For a lunch break, we ate at Nikos Café. After lunch we spent more time at the Universidad de Panama. While we were waiting for Ms. Lordes (our guide), the students offered their computer
lab for us to catch up on email. After the lab, the students welcomed us into the classroom for an introduction and picture time. We were given a tour of their clinical labs, both the adults and women/children's. We also discussed our plans to visit again on Monday.The university is so welcoming and we look forward to strengthening our ties. As a parting gift, we were presented with a cake and key chains. We used the cake to celebrate
Right before the birthday party, we had a brief class discussion. The day ended with the party and an early night to bed in preparation for an early day tomorrow!
Today we began our day visiting the
The highlight of our day was the labor and delivery experience. We were all fortunate to have been able to see the birth of a child. The hospital was very busy and it was a challenge to get us in but the nurse managed to find a place for us. We all went in groups of about 3-4 students per delivery room. The first two groups of four students witnessed very quick deliveries and the final group had the opportunity to watch a lengthy delivery, placental removal and the suturing of an episiotomy.
In the postpartum period the hospital emphasizes a lot of health education about breast feeding. We passed by a section where mothers are taught to breast feed and care for their newborns. Our maternity clinical day exceeded our expectations because from the beginning of our trip we did not anticipate being able to observe the labor and delivery process.
After the hospital we had lunch and some people did laundry. We then headed to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) in the City of
The day concluded with a quiet evening spent at our villas.
Well, today was a pretty relaxing day. It was a wonderful
day to sleep in and get some much needed homework done. We left for the Gamboa Resort at 12:30 this afternoon. When we arrived to the beautiful resort we had some time to walk around and admire the gorgeous view of the rain forest surrounding the
On the boat, ready for our adventure!
The tour guide would make a calling noise and eventually they jumped down onto our boat. The cutest was when we saw a mother with her baby on her back. They came onto the boat and ate food from the guide's hand. After leaving that island, we went to a different island to see the Howler monkey. We could not approach this island because the Howler monkeys are more aggressive, so we just saw them from a distance. After our rainforest adventure, we headed back to the house to work some more on projects, readings, and laundry!
P.S. Our internet is struggling so we are having some troubles posting (especially pictures). We will get the posts up as we are able! Makes us a little more appreciative of our wonderful technology back home!