A Great Start! - Week 1

Well, after a bit of a long flight through Dubai (a high-tech, luxurious city) and then a less long hop across Saudi Arabia, the Red Sea and several African countries, I finally landed in this wonderful country on Monday night.

Dr. Garcia and our friend/driver, Phillip, met me at the airport.  We arrived home after an hour drive through several mountain towns and the sweetest air, perfumed with flowers and tea fields. This is the obligatory photo of the view from the "Path house" - It's too stunning not to share.

Work started in earnest on Tuesday. Two pull-through colectomy cases, from older kids, who ate REAL food and had REAL poop. A bit different than what we have at home.

Before opening the bucket

Prep Work in the Squat Toilet

While we are on the subject, an important lesson:

Toilet Paper Plant
( fuzzy stem)

Stinging Nettle
(thorny stem)

DO NOT CONFUSE THESE PLANTS!



The remainder of the hike was wonderful, with weather familiar to us in the Pacific Northwest, drizzly "Seattle Sunshine" (TM - The Chandler Family).

Trumpet Plant

The weather and the hike left us craving for the lovely tea that is found at a little shop in Magina, the village on top of the hill (elevation 2388m).

               


And I should also wish Dr. Garcia a Happy Birthday, even though I arrived the day after.  She did however spend it in good company:

And now, for those of you still reading... a bit of gross pathology from Kijabe. This case is a 26 year old woman with a 20 cm mass in the left ovary. (2 pics - answer next post)

Until next time...Angelica