More Fun and Games in Soloma

Though it's Bob's login as usual, this is really Suzy now, updating the blog for a change. I've been a blog slacker I admit. But I promise I haven't been too idle; some nights I have been coordinating the packing up of animal shaped children's vitamins into little containers, or organizing supplies shlepped from the back of pickups to hotel rooms, or yelling my head off cheering Mali and Matt at the soccer game--(followed by a helmetless ride home on the back of a PCI motorcycle holding onto the star soccer player Otilio I might add, in the dark and drizzle, up and down steep roads in Santa Eulalia). All the adrenaline really wore me out that night.....

Santa Eulalia this morning!

Our PCI Team - Left to right: William, Bob, Elena,
Suzy, Matt, Mali, Orlando, Mike, Jeny and Edward

This morning, we packed it all up and moved the show down the road a few more miles to the larger town of Soloma. Despite the fact that it's a fairly big and bustling town in the altiplano, like Santa Eulalia there is not another gringo in sight. Walking around the streets we are like a parade of freaks for the gente, with children pointing and shrieking, middle schoolers daring each other to come up and say a few words in English to us, you get the picture.

Today was a repeat of Monday's activities, but in a different place. We are getting really good at this song and dance; we all have our stations down pat, just in time to leave. We started with the comadronas again in the morning, doing small groups, and handing out the Providence backpacks with flashlights and birth kits at the end. Next we presented to the personnel of the CAIMI (which is a center for maternal and child health in Soloma), and all the health posts in the area, with a few social workers and anthropologists thrown in for good measure in the afternoon.

Mali with Comadromas reviewing the birth kits.

One of the Solama Comadronas with
her Providence Backpacks with Birth Kits.

We enjoy the hands-on classes, the cultural interchange, learning how people practice their professions here. Without material resources, they often compensate with their own ingenuity and are motivated by their commitment to the people of their towns and villages. Everyone from the K'anjobal speaking midwives to the nurses aides to the doctors assure us they loved our presentations and learned a lot. They showered us with one armed side hugs, flowery words, blessings, huge smiles and often a lot of laughter.

Gringo Parade in downtown Soloma

Matea, the cross dressing seizure victim made her reappearance again today at the end of the day, which is always a hit. I wish I could recreate her voice for you all on the blog. It is sort of mix of Mr. Bill and a screeching cat. You will just have to ask her to do a personal show for you when we return. One takeaway of all of this is that I feel like we have a ton to learn from the Guatemalan penchant for warmth, welcome and making us feel very special. If only we could learn to treat visitors, travellers, and foreigners that way in the U.S.! Out of all my travels to this place which are many, I ONCE got ripped off in 1995 on a chicken bus ride to Huehue; the amount of people who have welcomed me with open arms outnumbers that one incident a thousandfold.

 Suzy addressing the midwives

Mike Waddick demonstrating breech delivery technique.

Tonight we went into town from the hotel on a Tuk Tuk named Emely, driven by about 20 year old Enrique, 6 total fit into the thing--seriously! Another thrill ride! On the way back the driver was no more than 13. Tomorrow we are going to do more consults at the health center right next to CAIMI; we are trying to get out of here to make the trip back to Huehue before the fog sets in. It sounds like a dangerous endeavor to attempt to get out of there by 3 at the latest....especially because today Elena heard a truck with a bullhorn announcing our consults tomorrow. Yikes. But we are motivated by the desire to arrive in Huehue in one piece. I predict chaos. We will see what tomorrow brings.

Not Mr. Toad's Wild Tuk-Tuk ride

Hasta Pronto and Dios Bendiga
Susan Happ