Tafi del Valle, NICU and Community clinical

Last weekend we took a bus up to Taffi del Valle and went on a 6 hour horseback trip! It was fun. We didn't all know what we were getting ourselves into... instead of being a leisurely ride on some flat trail, we climbed up and down a mountain on the horses. The ride up was frightening for me... my horse wouldn't obey my reigning very well (it was just normal- neck reigning) and it had sort of a mean temperament (kept trying to kick or bite other horses). However, I made it! We got to the top of the mountain and we had an authentic Argentine asado (barbeque) grilled over an open fire. It was great food. The steak here is legendary, probably the best steak I have had, and I have had some pretty good steak! On the way back down the mountain, we took a path that was a little less treacherous, and I actually traded someone horses. My new horse actually followed my commands and did what I wanted it to do! Yay! It was a lot more fun on the way down. I like riding horses. We were all sore for several days!
As for my clinical experiences, I had a similar experience in the Newborn ICU this week as my experience in postpartum last week. The first day wasn't great in terms of being involved, learning new things, or observation opportunities. However, on the second day, we went in and things went much more smoothly, probably because we were more comfortable, we had seen how things went in that unit the day before, and we were more proactive about asking doctors and nurses what was going on. We were able to see many very interesting things and learn some new things. It was sad to see babies in the NICU who were not visited by their parents and had little affection given to them. There was a marked difference between two babies we saw with the same condition, but with very different developmental stages. My partner held one of the babies whose family never came, and she sang songs to him for a long time. It was amazing to be able to see that baby relax and look more peaceful. The baby had been there for a few months. I didn't dare get very close to the babies who were not inside incubators since I am trying to recover from a cold, and was worried that I might pass it on if I got too close. The time went by very quickly. Labor and Delivery this week was good too. I went with another clinical group to community this week. We went to the poorest comedor. It was basically just four posts with a roof overhead. The meals at this comedor were cooked over an open fire pit- very primitive circumstances. They couldn't store much there because it would all get stolen. We taught our dental hygiene class and the family planning class (which all the moms were really excited about!) and then we measured and weighed the children, did a hemoglobin test, and did a 24 hour dietary recall with as many as we could. We gave them toothbrushes, toothpaste, and shampoo to take home with them. I couldn't believe how willing all these young children were to get in line, get measured, get their finger pricked, and be interviewed about what they ate that day- just so they could get their toothbrush, shampoo, and sticker. Amazing. Hardly any children cried. Even the little ones stood in line and held out their finger to be pricked, and get a band-aid. They were so cute.
Last night we went to see "Piratas del Caribe" downtown in a nicer theater (comparatively). Don't worry, it was in English, with Spanish subtitles. We had the intermission experience also, only this time, we were left hanging by a thread! I saw tons of children begging for money, and today we saw some children trying to sell lottery tickets. It is so sad to me, and I wish I could give them all money. There are plenty of people who have enough money, but there is poverty here unlike the poverty we have in the U.S. I am so grateful for the things I have, and for the things that are so easy to take for granted. I think that if there is only one thing I take home with me, it will be an increased gratitude for the opportunities I have had as a result of being born in the U.S., and as a member of the church.