Jinotega, Nicaragua: Fifth Clinic Day

First thing: Don't forget that Construction Mission #2 has a blog also. It's at: http://www.nicmissiontrip2.blogspot.com/
Today was not only a clinic day, it was a travel day as well, and I didn't reach my destination--the Los Cedros orphanage--until about 9:30, so I haven't had the time to go through the photographs I took today, select some to share, and reduce them to a size that will upload in a reasonable length of time. Therefore, I'll just tell you how the day went and hopefully post some photos tomorrow.
We got up early, intending to get an early start to our half-day clinic at a little schoolhouse not too far away. Life gives us little setbacks sometimes, and today's was that Joy's van wouldn't start. Joy is the missionary in charge of the orphanage. Oscar, the bus driver, and two of our team members, Tom O'Donnell and Mitch Cogswell, worked on the car, changing the battery, jump-starting it from the bus, etc., until they finally got it started. That put us an hour behind, so we arrived at the clinic-site an hour late, finished the clinic work and left an hour late, had lunch an hour late, and were an hour late getting started back to Managua--about 1:30.
I should mention what a great lunch Martha and Martha served--pizza! It was really delicious.
Joy had picked up part of our coffee order in Jinotega (Most of us bring home coffee in our luggage--the bags we brought down medicines and clothing in, which are now empty), but we had to stop in Matagalpa to get the rest of it. Oscar drove rather fast to Managua--not that difficult as it's mostly downhill--and we made it to the marketplace in the center of the city by 4:30. The market officially closes at 5:00, but that's Nicaraguan time, which means "whenever,"--especially on a Friday night--so most of the shops were still open long after that, and we had plenty of opportunity to pick up a few souvenirs.
After shopping, Oscar drove the bus to the Camino Real Hotel, and dropped the medical team off there so they could spend the night and take the shuttle to the airport early in the morning. I rode back to Los Cedros with Joel, who had come to pick up the translators--including Stephanie, and Julia (Joel's brother David's wife), to take them home. By the time those errands were run, it was nearly 8:00, and we were starved, so we stopped at a McDonalds. Never has a double-quarter-pounder, fries, and "Coca Light" tasted so good! Then Julia needed to pick up a few things at a store that is Nicaragua's version of a Costco or Sam's Club. They have anything and everything in a huge warehouse in great quantity. I told Joel that I think once a country has McDonalds and a Sam's Club equivalent, it should no longer be called a "Third World Country."
Managua also has a "rush hour," and it is absolute madness. We were in it. We saw several accident scenes. Nicaraguan drivers drive too fast for conditions, cut each other off, blast their horns, pull out in front of people, and generally drive like everyone else should get out of their way--like maniacs, in other words.

The orphanage at Jinotega, bus at left, Joy's van at right.

The night-guard getting coffee in the morning.

Team members in line for breakfast in the dining hall.

Oscar doing "maintenance." One of the resident children.

Resident children having a meeting before breakfast.

Joy Pulsifer, missionary & headmaster. One of the Marthas.

Children at the orphanage have work duties to perform.

Kim Auth with a Nicaraguan boy very fascinated by computer.

Fran Tatum and Trena Buggs, both RNs

Nicaraguan child on a horse in the community nearby.

Site of the 5th Clinic, a schoolhouse. Students were on break.

Interior of school; we used this room for pharmacy & clothing

Family in front of home across street; yes, that close to the road.

Stephanie is cold. Dr. Tim sees one last patient by the gate.

Loading the bus after the clinic.

Francys and boyfriend Carmen waving good-by to us

On the road from Jinotega toward Managua

Coffee beans drying in the sun in Matagalpa.

Bags of coffee, after drying, ready to be processed

Coffee warehouse in Matagalpa; we picked up coffee here.

Arriving back at Los Cedros finally, I enjoyed a nice phone chat with my wife via "magicJack" attached to a computer--something we didn't have up at Jinotega. Tomorrow is Construction mission #2's "play day." They'll probably go zip-lining, eat out at a restaurant, and shop at the market--all things I've already done--so I'm thinking of staying here until Los Cedros personnel take the team's luggage to the hotel and ride along. That way I can relax, read a while, and catch up on sorting photos. We'll see how it goes.