I can’t believe it’s already the last day of June! I feel like this experience has been going by so fast. Last week was a change of pace from what we’ve been doing. Dr. Bogantes needed to check on inpatients, so Apple, Alex, and I were running around the hospital behind him like little ducklings. I have to say, it’s definitely different to be seeing the patients living in hospital wards instead of consultations with their parents, but the staff really try to make it as comfortable as possible. Everyone is really kind and each room is full of paintings and decorations to make the environment feel more welcoming. What’s interesting about inpatient is being able to see the same patient for multiple days in a row, and it’s always reassuring to come back the next day and see that one of the patients was discharged the night before.
This month, Dr. Bogantes is planning on taking us to the UCR (University of Costa Rica) campus to visit the cadaver lab. I have only been in a cadaver lab once, and I was there for non-cadaver related reasons so all the specimens were completely covered. I’m not sure what to expect, but Dr. Bogantes is excited to show us the brain and nervous system. I’ve been told that the smell is… not pleasant, so I may need to invest in some good nose plugs.
Last week was also packed with non-hospital activities as well. Apple and I went to a movie theatre to see the new F1 movie, and the theatre experience in Costa Rica is very different from my own experiences. The lobby is full of collectibles, toys, and gacha boxes (that I may or may not have indulged in), and they offer sweet popcorn (palomitas dulces)! We also went to Manuel Antonio National Park and Biesanz Beach in Quepos, and I think this was the first time I really, really felt like we were in the rainforest; it was hot and extremely, extremely humid, but we saw so many animals in the wild. My favorite might be the gecko in our hotel shower. I’ve made a collection of animals we encountered as well as the .5 selfies taken for you all to enjoy!
Top L-R: F1 movie with Apple; in front of an underwhelming waterfall in Manuel Antonio; sunset after dinner in Quepos. Bottom L-R: in front of a Quepos sign; at the Manuel Antonio sign; lunch before a 3.5 hr Uber ride.
Top L-R: sloth in a tree, capuchin trying to steal something from a lady’s bag; shower gecko; lizard on a tree. Bottom L-R: a capuchin that was about 3 meters away from us; crabs on the ground; a deer; beach lizards enjoying the sun.
Looking forward to another week of learning and fun! – Rei