Quito, finally!

The first thing that surprised me as we descended into Quito at appx 8:30 pm Friday evening was just how low the clouds hang. Quito happens to be the highest elevated city in the world. Meaning that sometimes you wake up in the morning and you can almost touch the clouds.

The flight here was so exciting! It was great to finally meet everyone. At Houston Airport, the Edmonton crew met other team one members flying in from Calgary, Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Victoria, Vancouver and the US and we all headed to Quito together.

Quito is a beautiful city. It's random architecture reminds me a lot about Kenya. It sits on a valley and runs about 10 miles long and two miles wide. The people are super friendly and very hospitable. I just wish I understood what they are saying. I quickly discovered that "Si" and "Gracias" accompanied with a smile will take you a long away!

 

Sunday is elections day which means that we have to go straight to work on Saturday morning to set up the clinic. (By the way, the government forbids any sale of alcohol or any club/bar being open the entire election weekend. No drunken votes please. Everyone must be lucid as they head to the polls).

I have never seen a bunch of hardworking people like this lot. We arrived at Hospital Parde Carollo "Un Canto a la Vida" at 11am Saturday morning amidst cheers from the waiting patients, changed into scrubs and immediately started unpacking the countless bags of equipment and supplies we brought with us. We set up the Ward, Physio rooms, OR, "Kitchen" (where the instruments will be cleaned and where I will hang out most of my time here). And of course set up the Clinic where the patients will be assessed by the doctors and nurses.

 

 

 

 

At around 1 pm, the first patient is seen. A little 9 year old girl called Maite who needs surgery to straighten out her left leg. She is the most curious and delightful child who is clearly thrilled that the doctors are going to fix her leg so she can walk and run just like the other kids. She has travelled from the "jungle" about four hours away to get here. There are around 50 patients who must be assessed during this clinic. Some will get surgery, others are told to come back in a year or so and others leave disappointed (sometimes in tears) as they are told that they (or their children) will never be operated on. Their situation is beyond help. That just broke my heart.

At 6:30 pm, I flee to take the first bus back to the hotel. I am knackered and starving. My feet hurt like crazy and I fantasize about my pillow throughout the half hour ride.