Yesterday we were supposed to go check out the Fuentes Georginas Hot Springs but apparently it's been temporarily closed because of damages caused by the earthquake. Instead, we had a free day so we just all met up at Baviera Cafe to get some work done. I actually really liked having a free day because the constant pace and rush of our busy schedule is so tiring. It's nice to just have a day to lounge and catch up on everything.
Today, we took a chicken bus over to check out Primeros Pasos, a non-governmental organization that acts as a rural health center in Xela. The center was actually really well organized and looked to be in good operating condition. In addition to providing basic health services, the center also educates the surrounding area about hygiene and other healthy practices in order to achieve an increased understanding of health in the community. I also thought that it was really cool to hear from the other foreigners that were working at Primeros Pasos because their perspective on a lot of topics differed from my initial opinions on those same topics. One of the guys that was working there said that a lot of people go on medical brigade trips thinking that they're going to get some practice with medical procedures, but they also fail to realize that they're not licensed medical professionals and can't do much more than very basic tasks such as taking pulses or blood pressures. I think that it was interesting that he brought them up because it's actually very true now that I think of it.
Anyways, after we got back to Al Parque Central after our visit to Primeros Pasos, we had pizza at Salon Tecún as a big group. We ordered like 10 pizzas and my favorite was the one with garlic and shrimp on it. I could've probably eaten another 4 slices of that pizza. Right now it's getting pretty close to dinner time and my stomach is starting to growl. Gonna get going. Will update soon! -Scott