Checked Out the Great White Sharks From a Diving Cage Today……

…..and they are pretty awesome—the longest we saw today was about 4 meters, or 12 feet, and they get much larger than that. I was in a group of about 25 people and three of us caught the shuttle at our hotel early this morning. We took a two hour drive north of Cape Town—an area that was new to me—along the Atlantic mountain range. The drive itself was interesting and we worked our way through the mountains to the village of Gansbaai.

There we had breakfast and an orientation before boarding the boat named White Pointer which was big enough to hold about thirty of us including five crew members. From there we went about 1 ½ hours to a restricted area near Seal Island. The ride never really took us too far from the coast and we saw penguins and seals in the water maybe a half-mile from the coast.

There were five diving boats anchored—the area is restricted to licensed dive boats—so we weren’t at all crowded. After we arrived they threw chum overboard to attract the sharks and then lowered the cage into the water. Six divers entered at a time and we had to wear wetsuits because the water is cold—really cold. The cage floats next to the boat and they throw a buoy loaded with bait—they used tuna heads and tails—and the buoy floats right in front of the cage.

You climb into the cage six at a time and the top of the cage is never below water—about six feet of cage is below water and maybe two feet above so you can float and breathe. When a shark is sighted the divers can go under water and watch the shark attack the buoy and bait.

We had most of the action early after anchoring—two of the sharks were probably twelve feet long and several other were 6 to 10 feet. They are pretty intimidating creatures. I don’t have an underwater camera so I was taking my pictures from aboard the boat. Unfortunately the sharks are unbelievably fast—they are surface feeders but swim low and attack from below at unbelievable speeds. I am attaching some of the shots I did get including one where you can see the shark underwater in the lower right corner of the photo--it is the second picture down from the beginning of this post.

We were out there about five hours then returned to the harbor and on the way back got to see two Southern Right Whales jumping out of the water in the distance. Again, unfortunately, my camera couldn’t get them but we were able to watch them for several minutes. I really do need to get a zoom lens.

Made it back to the hotel—it was a long day but worth it. I have one day of work here tomorrow then fly to Durban for one day’s work then start the long flight back through London to Houston. I should arrive Wednesday evening.

Greetings from the Cape of Good Hope—The Most Southwestern Point on the African Continent…..

…..and a beautiful cape it is too.

Today is Saturday and I slept in a little later than usual and caught a tour south of Cape Town to the famous Cape of Good Hope—the feared part of any good sailors worst nightmares in the old sailing ships. When the weather is good—like it was today—it is considered the “fairest” of all capes. But when the weather is bad—well, the shipwrecks too numerous to inventory tell that story.

We had a small group: me and a woman from St.Louis, some Greek people, two Germans, and a couple of Brazilians. It was foggy when we left but I had worked on that part of the coast earlier in the week so I didn’t miss anything but the further south we went, the better the weather became and by the time we reached the Cape it was beautiful and today was the hottest day I’ve experienced on this trip. We drove through little villages with names like Llandudno, Hout Bay, Noordhoek, Simons Town and Fish Hoek. We also drove through the famous South African vineyard country and near the cape the landscape was barren but very green and beautiful. The water changes colors from beautiful blue to emerald green and the waves were active today but the wind wasn’t that bad.

At the Cape, we took a cable car up to the old Good Hope lighthouse and took more photos then made a fairly strenuous hike out to the far peak. Over the centuries, the sailors used the Cape of Good Hope as the measure for where the Atlantic Ocean became the Pacific. Scientifically it’s not true but everything here is named “Two Oceans.” After riding the cable car down we drove over to the Southwestern point of the continent and took some more photos. We then drove back north on the “Pacific” side which is really called False Bay and still part of the Atlantic.

Along the way we stopped for a baboon colony—I didn’t realize they were indigenous here but they are strictly protected. In many ways they are nuisances but the tourists love them. They stop traffic, put on a show, then wander off and break into some homeowner’s home and trash it out looking for food.

As we continued north we stopped and visited another animal sanctuary that surprised me. I knew that the Equator runs through Kenya which is pretty far north of here but I didn’t realizehow close the tip of South Africa is to Antarctica longitudinal-wise. They have African pinguins here and I was surprised to learn that. We stopped at a penguin beach and went out on a boardwalk literally through the middle of a colony of them. The sun was not today and they were sunning themselves. One part of the beach had the females nesting eggs while the rest of the beach was a comedy of motion. Penguins are really funny the way they walk but once they are in the water they are graceful and beautiful. I’m attaching a short video here—click on the triangle in the left corner to start.

We got back late in the afternoon so I showered and pretty much hung around the room until supper.

Tomorrow, I have another neat tour planned…..

Ate Lunch Today Overlooking An Eighteenth Century Shipwreck…….

…..it’s out there somewhere under the blue water. It’s an Eighteenth Century Man o’ War and much of it is still intact under the water. Divers regularly go out and dive down to see the cannons and remains of the ship itself. Evidently there are so many shipwrecks—especially as you move south toward the Cape of Good Hope—that there is no effort to recover it.

I had a refresher course with only two people today and we drove out around the beach area and had lunch overlooking the white-sand beach. If you’re wondering, yes, that is a topless beach—I just need to get stronger zoom lens for my camera. A little further down the beach there was a movie being filmed—don’t know who is in it or what the name is. The weather continues to be beautiful here. There is no noticeable humidity and no mosquitoes. This area has no hurricanes or tornadoes, no volcanoes, and no earthquakes. The only downside is the crime rate on the streets and it is better here than in Johannesburg but still a constant concern here.

Speaking of cannons, I finished work a little early today and visited the local artillery museum. South Africa has a really colorful military history what with all the colonial powers fighting over it for three centuries. There are literally old cannons everywhere here in Cape Town and they came from all over the world. It really adds to the seafaring ambiance around the waterfront. While I was in that area I also took a photograph of the new World Cup soccer stadium the city is building for the tournament next year.

I’ve signed up for tours on Saturday (tomorrow) and Sunday. Tomorrow morning I’m going south all the way to the southernmost point of Africa—the Cape of Good Hope, or Cape Point. The trip follows the coast all the way down and I should have some spectacular photographs. Sunday I’m doing something entirely different.

This evening I caught the hotel shuttle to the waterfront and ate supper in a restaurant facing the harbor. As it got dark, I shot this night photo—it’s impossible to take a bad picture around here. It dawned on me earlier today that I haven't turned my television on in the hotel room since I've been here.

I should have a lot more to post tomorrow evening……

Cape Town Claims to be One of the Most Beautiful Cities in the World…..

…..and I tend to agree—that coming from someone who really dislikes cities. One of the big surprises was the size—it is really by American standards not a particularly large city. It is built around the ocean and the land rises pretty dramatically from the coastline. The result is a medium-sized city that literally rises from the coast. You can go to just about any restaurant here and look out over the blue ocean because you’re literally looking out over the roofs of the buildings on the street below you. Most office buildings and apartment towers are constructed in circular shapes with the elevators and maintenance areas to the back so every office and apartment has an unobstructed view of the ocean.

The big news—and I mean the news everywhere around here—is the new American president. It’s on TV; splashed across the newspaper headlines; and the topic of conversation everywhere. I had supper on the waterfront tonight and the waiter mentioned it to me. I think Obama has the most pro-American sentiment I can remember in years—I hope he takes the ball and runs with it. Believe me, I’ve seen how hated we are in parts of the world. I’m including a couple of photographs of the local newspapers this morning—on one, the subheading is “Bush Flies Off Into the Sunset.” I don’t think anybody is sad to see him go.

I’ve had another good group this week. Monday we drove out around the coast and it is some of the most beautiful blue water I’ve ever seen. Many Europeans and South Africans tend to vacation after the first of the year and South Africa is not heading into summer so there was a lot of traffic so we couldn’t stop and take pictures but I’m signed up for a tour this weekend that will give me plenty of chances to get some good photos.

Tuesday we drove into the interior behind Table Mountain and the flora and vegetation are just amazing. South Africa is such a beautiful country—if they could just get their politics and other problems solved. We drove through small villages with names like Fish Hoek and Cirstenbosch. As I mentioned it is late spring going into summer here and they had lots of rain lately so everything is green and flowers are everywhere. The temperature is in the mid-70s but there is almost no humidity—odd for being located right on the coast.

Today we drove north on the highway that goes up to Namibia and while it wasn’t as breathtaking as the other days, it was still a drive filled with scenic views of the ocean. We ate lunch as a group on the waterfront (an area I’m becoming very familiar with).

Saturday I’m signed up for a day-tour south to the Cape Point and Cape of Good Hope. It will include stops in about ten villages and will have a boat trip to an island nesting area for African seals. Whales and Great White Sharks are common in the waters south of here and I was surprised to learn there are African penguins—they look just like Antarctic penguins without the snow under their feet.

I will finish training with this group tomorrow and have a one-day refresher group on Friday. Saturday I’m going to Cape Point and I haven’t decided for sure what I’ll do Sunday but it’ll probably be a guided tour of some type. I have another one-day refresher training session here Monday then fly to Durban that night and conduct a one-day session there before flying out through Johannesburg to London to Houston arriving home next Wednesday.
So far this has been my best job in Africa…..

Hectic, But Great (3:52:45) Day Today……

…..as I suspected yesterday, the travel agency got my reservation messed up and I was in the wrong hotel—wrong by about one hour’s drive. The casino was called “Grand Hotel Western” and I spent the night at the casino and got up this morning and started checking over my paperwork and something just didn’t seem right. Late morning I took a taxi into Cape Town and noticed on the motorway that the Chevron building was right beside the “Grand Westin” hotel. Give me credit—I put one and one together and came up with two. I immediately turned the taxi around and returned to the casino (remember this is $50 each way) and repacked my bags, checked out, caught the same taxi back into Cape Town, made reservations at the right hotel and now everything’s right. Just last week I told Devin the trip was going so smoothly it was scary. If you haven’t worked overseas, you may not appreciate the whole situation.

Speaking of Devin, he ran the Houston Marathon today and has been training with the hopes of doing it under four hours this year. I just got an email from him: 26.2 miles in 3 Hours; 52 Minutes; 45 Seconds---He made it!!!!! That's him on the left.

After the hotel fiasco, I had most of the afternoon in Cape Town and wow, is it a nice place. From my hotel window I can see out over the coast into the ocean and the famed waterfront is right below me. I spent about four hours wandering around it today and it is every bit as beautiful and nice as I’d heard.

Cape Town is still a “working harbor” but the old colonial sailing and steam facilities are still here and have been converted into trendy shops and restaurants. It's neat because you can walk into the stores and look at the old wooden pulleys and wenches overhead. Here is a picture of an old maintenance dock. It's not used today but was used as early as the wooden sailing ships. During the steam era they made it into a lock and the water can be raised or lowered to allow the workers access to the sides and bottom for repairs. Remember, you can click on these photos to enlarge them.

The red building to the right is the "Clock House." Today it's an information kiosk but in the early days it was the center point of the harbor and the source for firing the "noon gun" cannon above the city on Signal Hill. I've seen several Noon Guns--the one in Hong Kong is still active--but the one here is the oldest continuously fired gun in the world. They still fire it every day at precisely noon, except on religious holidays.

Above the city towers “Tabletop Mountain” and while it’s not all that tall, it is imposing and literally shadows the harbor. For some strange reason the ocean winds and temperatures cause a low-lying cloud to almost always blow across it and when it does, the cloud literally “pours” over the top of the mountain down the side facing the city. The effect is known as the “Dutch tablecloth” since the Dutch founded the city and first observed the mountain. It’s pretty neat.
Johannesburg is considered one of the most dangerous cities in the world and while Cape Town also has a high crime rate, it is noticeably more “relaxed” here. The hotel runs a half-hourly shuttle to the waterfront and back and runs until midnight which means the shops and restaurants must stay open late—something that never happens in Johannesburg.

The place is so “relaxed” in fact, that the “alternative lifestyle” is very apparent here. Cape Town evidently has a reputation as being Africa’s version of San Francisco. It is very obvious here—stores actually advertise being “friendly” and the souvenir shops have all the related tee-shirts and all. The reason I mention it is that it is such a radical departure from most of Africa. The gay lifestyle is very much taboo across most of the continent—in fact I’ve worked a couple of central African countries where they still stone them if they get caught in public.

Something I found a little strange but interesting was the music on the waterfront. There were bands everywhere and I often had a "New Orleans"feeling. Much of the street music here is unquestionably jazz--I videotaped one group and they are not "jazz" but more "African." I didn't see any today but they often have traveling "minstrels" who dress up in silk coats and top hats, dance and sing down the street, and twirl silk umbrellas. It's exactly like the New Orleans "jazz funerals" and they claim credit here for the New Orleans jazz street tradition. One difference here is that they painted their faces white whereas we tended to do the "blackface' minstrel routines. Here is a statute to the "traveling minstrels."

I splurged a little tonight for supper. Actually I went all day without eating because of the hotel mixup earlier so I had a really nice supper in a restaurant overlooking the harbor. It was very windy today but the temperature was around the mid-70s. As it got dark, however, the wind caused the temperatures to drop rapidly. I’ve been told you can experience all four seasons in one day here. Kinda like Texas—if you don’t like the weather, wait a minute…..
I’m glad to be actually in the city and I start work again tomorrow morning. All seems to be well now and things are as they should. Life is good…..here are some pictures to prove it…..

Made it to Cape Town…..

….. but had trouble finding my hotel. Instead of the Grand Westin, it was the Grand Hotel West and is located about twenty minutes inland. It’s actually a casino that’s built around an old colonial hotel. The hotel itself is really nice but is really isolated—it’s about a $40 round-trip taxi trip into Cape Town but I think I’ll go ahead and do it tomorrow. There’s literally everything here under one glass roof—three huge casinos, about twenty restaurants, movie theater, bowling alley. Trouble is I don’t gamble and am not into all that but like I said the room is really nice. I have a beautiful view of the mountains from my room and the view flying in was spectacular. I suspect after I’ve done my first training session Monday some of the Chevron people can suggest things to do and see and how to get around a little better. But anyway, I’m home for the next nine days…..

Made it Johannesburg in good shape…..

…although it took me 27 hours including an eight-hour layover in London. The weather was freezing and miserable in London but is absolutely gorgeous here in South Africa. They are in their “spring” season here below the Equator and it is raining quite a bit every day but the weather is warm and the temperature is short-sleeve comfortable.
I’ve almost finished my first training session and it has gone remarkably smooth. Almost scary, how few problems have developed. I have four people in the training session—all from South Africa—and it has been a fun group to work with. I haven’t had much opportunity to take photographs this week but fly into Cape Town Saturday morning and will have the better part of two weekends free there and plan to shoot a lot of pictures along the ocean.
So far, so good………

I'm Scheduled to Return to South Africa in January.....

This will be my third trip and while Johannesburg is not one of my favorite cities I think this will be a good job because I will also be working at Cape Town (and the Cape of Good Hope) with a side trip involving a one-day job in Durban.

I have heard from many people that Cape Town is the most beautiful city in Africa and I'm particularly looking forward to checking it out. The way my schedule is set up I will also have the better part of two weekends free in Cape Town so I hope to do some touring.

I will be working for Chevron this trip and start off in Johannesburg--my third trip and job there. That job will last for a week then I fly to Cape Town and work ten days before flying to Durban for a one-day job and return flight to Johannesburg. Overall, as it stands, it will be a 20-day job unless more is added on before now and January 9.

I'll be taking my computer and posting as I go. I'm kind of excited about this trip--going to see something new......

The Results Are In.....

During our week north of Lima we accomplished the following:

We performed 251 dental extractions and numerous children's checkups. Most of the extractions involved surrounding villagers and the children's checkups included the local communities and the orphanage where the clinic was located. The oldest patient was 91 years old and another patient was elderly with a diagnosed brain tumor. Several wisdom teeth were extracted.

1,151 pair of glasses were issued--some were prescription glasses while other were reading glasses. Because of the language problems the eyechart in the background uses only the letter "M" turned four directions while the person being tested holds the letter in the way he/she sees it on the chart. The tester moves progressively to smaller letters and when the person being tested can no longer accurately hold the letter in the same position as the chart, their eye strength is calculated for each eye and a set of glasses is assembled with those strength lens. Crude and basic--but it works. Reading glasses are much easier--the person being tested simply tries different strengths until they are satisfied.

The medical staff treated or consulted 1,284 people during the week. Many were basic but essential child physicals--most of the children had never been to a doctor before. Some minor tumors were removed and other ailments treated. A significant number of pregnant women were examined but no babies were delivered on this trip.

The pharmacy was always busy and at times overwhelmed. Much of what we dispensed involved painkillers and antibiotics. Since we were only there a week and it will be at least a year until we return it wasn't possible to prescribe long-term medications since it would be impossible to have them refilled.

Checked Out the Ancient Capital of the Inca Empire Today……

Cusco, or Qosqo, represented for the ancient Incas the “navel of the world” or the origin of life. With the Andes peaks towering overhead, it is a beautiful area that was established long before the Spaniards arrived. At its peak, Cusco was in the 14th Century a city of sophisticated water systems, paved streets and no poverty for the 15,000 Incas who lived here. Less than a century after the Incas reached their greatest influence the Spaniards did arrive and the rest, as they say, is history……..

Under Spanish rule, the Incas really got shafted big time. It was a Spanish military tactic to capture the king, torture him until they had all the information they could get, and then publicly execute him. When his heir took over he met the same fate—probably cut down on in-house intrigue within the royal Inca family. But as long as the Spaniards held the king the Incas wouldn’t revolt.

With the rediscovery of Machu Picchu in 1911, Cusco has again become an important Peruvian city and much of its ancient charm still exists. The public plazas are the most beautiful I’ve ever seen. Today it’s considered a jewel of Inca and colonial architecture and I stayed back today and explored it on foot. Most of the group took the day trip to Pisac, another village nearby with an alpaca farm, but I visited it last year so I spent the day walking I don’t know how many miles up and down the cobblestoned streets and sidewalks.

The Peruvian government, to its credit, it trying to protect the cultural heritage of the city and the area but the reality is that it is now a city full of European and American backpackers with the assorted issues they bring. I would conservatively guess I was offered marijuana or cocaine at least a dozen times today by streetvendors.

I walked quite a ways down to the artists market looking for gifts, not drugs, and found a few items but for the most part it wasn’t particularly good quality stuff but still interesting to wander around and look. On the way back I stopped at a textile weaving center and bought myself a nice Peruvian rug that I intend to use as a wall decoration.

For lunch I stopped at a restaurant on the main plaza, or Plaza de Armas, and got a table outdoors on the second floor looking out over the plaza. I had an alpaca steak and a local soup and it was really peaceful and restful. I shot a video of the plaza which is embedded here and you can see the beautiful flowers (spring is starting here) and


ancient architecture of the two churches. You can also see it’s raining in the background and was slowly coming toward the city. As I was eating, they were playing a Peruvian Andes pan flute music—you know, the kind Zamphir used to hawk on cable television in the 1980s—but here in this setting it sounded really neat. It’s a relaxing music and I had one of those rare moments—they don’t happen often—but everything seems so perfect I really don’t want to come home.

But as usual the moment doesn’t last and the rain arrived along with heavy sleet so I moved back just inside the open doors and sat there drinking coca tea till the rain let up. The plaza had been full of people but when it started raining they all headed for the buildings except for one old man who just sat in the rain talking to himself. When it started sleeting he still sat there as it built up on his shoulders and hair until a policeman went over with an umbrella and brought him in.

After the rain stopped I returned to the hotel for a short nap then walked around a couple more hours. There are four very old Catholic churches here but they charge tourists to visit and that annoys me so I just wandered around the outside and appreciated the architecture.

At night the group—only ten of us continued on to Cusco—had supper together at one of the Plaza de Armas restaurants that featured good food and traditional (pan flute) Peruvian music.

Tomorrow around noon we’ll fly back to Lima and spend Tuesday as free time in Lima and fly out around midnight Tuesday night—arriving in Houston around 6:30 am.

Machu Picchu Hasn’t Changed Much in the Last Year……

.....but then it hasn’t changed much in the past 2,000 years. But for an ancient civilization it is relatively new to us since it was only rediscovered in 1911. Of all the places I’ve been fortunate to visit I think Machu Picchu, Angkor Wat in Cambodia, and the Pyramids in Egypt are the three most amazing things I’ve ever seen. All three have similarities and their fascination with the astrological association to earth is a common thread.

We started the trip at 4:00 am with a bus ride up into the Andes to the ancient fortress at Ollantaytambo. The trip took about 1 ½ hours and sunrise is early here so we got to see the sun come up over the peaks as we were driving through small villages and it was an interesting drive. We didn’t take the train from Cusco like we did last year since there is a worker’s strike that has the station closed there but we did catch the train at Ollantaytambo and made another 1 ½ hour trip up through the Sacred Valley to Machu Picchu. Overall I thought it was more interesting this way since just riding the train gets old after a few hours.

We arrived really early and were one of the first groups into the park. Amazingly we got the same guide as we had last year and did about a 2 ½ hour guided tour of the ruins. Since I had done this last year I was able this time to concentrate on just the things I found interesting and this was a lot more meaningful this time. It was a much smaller group this year and at the end of the tour most of us climbed up to the guard house overlooking the ruins where the most spectacular views are.

Since I posted on the blog extensively about Machu Picchu last year I’m just going to include some new photos here.

Zero to 11,200 feet in 55 minutes......

Checked out of the hotel at 5:30 and took a bus to the airport and caught an early morning flight to Cusco. The flight is only one hour but is really strange in that you take off, reach cruising altitude and land without ever descending. You literally go from sea level to 11,200 feet in one hour. In Cusco we caught a bus to the Royal Inca Hotel—where we stayed last year—and everybody split up. I think we needed alone-time at this point. I don’t care how good of condition you’re in that altitude change tears you up—headaches and short breath. I started drinking Coca tea immediately which is a local remedy for altitude sickness and have done pretty well so far but two of our group are already pretty sick. I wandered around the ancient Plaza de Armias and adjoining cathedral plaza for a couple of hours—just looking and not buying anything. Monday we are going to the Pisac Market in the mountains so I’ll probably buy there.
Around noon I was hungry so I found a place on the main plaza—upper story with a great view of the main cathedral—and had a pizza and bowl of guinea pig soup. Guinea pig is a big menu item here and I’d always wanted to try it. Tastes like chicken.

After lunch I returned to the hotel and took a two-hour nap then wandered around some more and checked my email at an Internet Café—the hotel doesn’t have Internet.

In the evening a small group of us went to a restaurant on the main plaza and I had a local trout dinner and it was back to the hotel and to bed early. We leave for Machu Picchu at 4:00 am.

Friday was a lighter day.....

in that we finished around 2:00 pm and it took a couple of hours to box up our equipment and it on the bus. Before we left the director of the orphanage invited us to the soccer field and the children sang some songs and presented us all with “medals” for being here. Evidently several church groups support the orphanage financially and even visit from time to time but we were the first group to actually spend time here and set up shop. It was kind of an emotional time—some of the group members were teary-eyed when we left. I wasn’t—but then I’m tough.

The work load Friday, although shortened, was still interesting. We had an elderly man brought in who had a brain tumor. He also had severe teeth problems but the local dentals wouldn’t treat him because they were afraid of the tumor. The poor old man was so miserable he couldn’t talk and had been that way for a long time. The dentist with our group didn’t hesitate and pulled almost all his lower teeth and the poor old guy was so happy he was praying, crying and crossing himself.

We had a bunch more children brought in on the last day and I’m including a short video of an extraction on a young teenager. If you can zoom in on the video and play it, it is kind of graphic but does give an idea of the conditions we worked under—flashlights, no running water, etc. To view the video double-click the small triangle on the lower left side of the photo.

We ate supper on a pier—really nice restaurant but frankly I doubt if very many people really appreciated it. We were so tired but it is a tradition to have a nice meal after the last day.

We got back to the hotel even later than usual and had to get up for a 5:30 bus to the airport. Tomorrow it’s up to Cusco and Machu Picchu.

Finished Up Our Next to Last Day Today and the Crowds Have Grown Each Morning.....

Monday was relatively light but Tuesday the crowds had started to grow and we were tired Tuesday to the point some were dozing off on the bus at the end of the day. Wednesday was really heavy crowds and some of the group skipped dinner and went straight to their rooms. Tonight (Thursday) we sent out for pizza to be waiting at the hotel when we got in tonight. Tomorrow will be the final day and it has been much more hectic than last year but we've seen a lot of people who haven't had medical services here for several years.

We had television crews come in today with some very important looking people whom we later found out were from the Ministry of Health and that always causes apprehension and concern but today, possibly because of the cameras, the government fully endorsed what was going on at the orphanage and approved of our group's work. In fact we were called together as a group before the bus left today and told the governmental agency for this district has proposed to employ up to ten doctors/medics to serve the clinic on a regular basis next year. The orphanage director felt our group had a lot to do with that decision. If this even partially develops in the future it will be the greatest contribution we could have made.

We had four dentists today and I spent the entire day helping two children's dentists. Despite the trauma of dental work, they seem so appreciative of having their toothaches disappear. This afternoon we had a group of ethnic indigenous Indians come in--the Peruvians call them "Mountain People"--and they looked like they could have been models for a National Geographic cover. We saw five or six of the women--their faces must have a thousand wrinkles, they have long braided hair almost to the floor, wear distinctive hats and hooped skirts over pants. And of course their clothing is the beautiful distinctive Peruvian woven colors.

We had a 91-year-old man come in today and when the doctor asked him what was wrong his reply was "I hurt all over." I'm not sure what they did for him but he passed his physical with flying colors--that is a very rare age up here in this area.

Yesterday we had a little girl brought in with a severe cleft palate and the dentist with our group thinks there's a very good chance he can refer her to a specialist in Houston that will do the operation without charge. The paperwork's already been initiated.

The stories just go on and on--a lot of them are tragic but many have good endings and some are even funny. One of our group escorted a woman to the pharmacy for antibiotics and while he was waiting an older man came over and got right in his face. Our member realized he was blind as a bat when he asked "Where America?" When told "Texas," he responded "Oh, yeah." Later when our group member saw him again the man was standing there looking through a dirty window and shaking his head. They had fitted him with a pair of Coke-bottle lens but he looked like he was amazed at the things he was seeing out the window with them. As our guy was walking over to congratulate him on his new glasses he turned and yelled out "Viva Texas!!!"

I've lost track of how many dental extractions I've assisted but we've had some tough cases and have done several wisdom teeth including one impacted one that was removed sideways without cutting the tooth in half--a very difficult procedure from what I was told.

Tomorrow will be our last day here and from what our group leader told us tonight, it may be our last trip here ever--if the government keeps its promise and employs doctors and medics here we won't be needed any more. That's what it's all about....

Of course I can't close out this post without a picture of one of the little girls who came in today. Her mother got the dental work but we had to take turns holding her because she was so small. In the picture you can see her big dark eyes and also her mother's missing tooth.

One more day tomorrow; Saturday to Cusco; and Sunday to Machu Picchu again......

We Had Much Larger Crowds Awaiting Us This Morning.....

As we arrived this morning the crowds had already formed at the gate. It's still not the sense of urgency that we had last year when the crowds stayed in line all night so as not to lose their places but it was much busier today.

The dental clinic was much busier and I got out from behind the sterilization vats and got to do some over-the-shoulder help today. I was working with one of the Peruvian dentists and she doesn't speak English so that made for an interesting afternoon but overall we got a lot done. She specializes in children's dentistry which can be both rewarding and gut-wrenching. It's kind of difficult to watch the little ones--and some are really little--come in and you can see the fear in their eyes. Then they go through the pain-killing shots and the trauma of having teeth extracted. We don't do fillings here--no drills--so it's basically pulling teeth all day long. On the other hand, some come in with their mothers and watch with fear from the corner while their mother gets her teeth worked on.

Today I did a lot of topical anesthetic application and holding the flashlight. I enjoy it and it's personally rewarding. I literally tower over the dentist so holding the flashlight is easy enough for me.

Since this was our second day--and first full "organized" day--we met this evening and discussed what we had experienced. In addition to the many children we've had a number of really sad cases involving pregnant women who had been abandoned by their husbands--one is expecting any day now and was dumped in a park last weekend and had been sleeping on park benches the past two nights. We had a cocaine addict come in asking for money to attend a rehab program--he got a referral slip instead. A lot of the children are basically healthy but had never had a medical exam and their mothers just wanted to assure themselves their children were healthy. As I said Monday, I feel many of the children from the orphanage have better dental hygiene, overall health and often seem happier than the children from the surrounding villages. It's something to watch them--they're always in groups--and they take wonderful care of each other. They hold hands in lines, watch over the really small ones and seem to have a real sense of caring for each other. I guess when they don't have parents they have to watch out for each other but they are really good at it.

Set Up the Dental Clinic Today.....

We have a Canadian and two Peruvian dentists and started our clinic this morning. It is much less hectic here than it was in Piaura last year--the lines are shorter and we don't have that sense of urgency we had on the last trip.

We had a relatively light case load but that will probably pick up as the week progresses. For a while today we saw the children from the orphanage and according to the dentists they had overall very good teeth.

My job is sterilizing the equipment--scrubbing it and then doing a "cold sterilization" with chemicals. I'll do other jobs as needed--charting, escorting to the pharmacy, holding flashlight, etc but mostly I just sterilize. I enjoy it, it keeps me busy but also allows me periods where I can roam around and help in other areas.

It's a hour and a half ride both ways in a bus and that's almost the hardest part of the day--the bus isn't particularly comfortable and the roads are rough plus we have to start early and arrive late.

Tonight we walked, as a group, down to the ocean and ate at a local seafood restaurant. I love Peruvian ceviche and had that with some shrimp and squid. The group this year is a good group--different from the members last year--but a good diverse group.

It's late, I'm tired, and this will be a short post. Should be another interesting day tomorrow.....

Visited the Orphanage Today and Set up the Medical Clinic......

We made it back to Lima and had some problems getting through customs but finally got to the hotel on the southern part of the city called Miraflores and we are in a hostel about two blocks from the Pacific Ocean.

Today we took our bus about an hour and a half to the north of Lima to an orphanage where we'll be setting up the clinic for this week. The orphanage is the work of one man and is a large complex spread out over a fairly large area and we'll be working in a building that's only partially finished but is already a basic medical clinic so we already have some equipment to work with and the facilities are better than the school where we worked last year in Piaura. We have four dentists, two medical doctors, two nurses, two physician's assistants and two pharmacists. For the first time we have a OBGYN which is kind of a big deal since many of the patients who come in are expecting or have just had babies and it's not unheard of that one or two deliveries may be made this week.

Although we're working in the orphanage, we will be mostly treating the surrounding villagers and this is an extremely impoverished area--most of these patients have had no medical services since this group was last here. I'll be working in the dental area this year and don't know for sure what I'll be doing yet.

After we set up today we got to take a tour of the orphanage--they prefer to call it a "community." There are about 650 children here aged from a few days old to teenagers. All have been abandoned, orphaned, rejected, mistreated or outright abused. I felt like we were violating their privacy by touring their dorms and dining hall and taking photos but they all just loved having their pictures taken and all clamored to be held and hugged.

As you can see from the top photo I made a new friend fast. The nursery was especially touching--how small babies could be abandoned is beyond me but they seem to be well cared for here. The orphanage is dirt-poor but here seem to be plenty of volunteers to take care of the children and they all seem happy. I said it last year and still believe it.....Peruvian children are the most beautiful children I've ever seen but it's kind of gut-wrenching to see what some people can do to small children. As much as I'd like to be optimistic, these children are abandoned in an impoverished country that provides few if any services for children and I'm afraid the future doesn't bode well for many of these kids, especially the girls.

Tomorrow we head out early for the first day. It'll be hectic in the morning but by afternoon we should be starting to operate smoothly and it should be a very rewarding week.

After a Summer at Home I'll be Heading Back to Peru in November.....

I will be taking part in my second medical mission to Peru from November 1-12 with the same group as last year--Olive Branch--but this time we'll be going about an hour north of Lima and setting up a medical clinic in an orphanage. Basically we'll take over the school for five days and provide medical, dental and optical services for the surrounding villages.

Last year I worked in the optical group dispensing eye glasses and literally cases of reading glasses. This year I'm tentatively scheduled to work with the dentists and that could include anything from holding a flashlight to chemically sterilizing the equipment or anything else that's required.

We'll be traveling by bus each day from Lima where we'll be staying in a hotel. Last year I only briefly saw Lima so this will be a good opportunity to experience the city. There are a few familiar faces with the group this year but most of the 22 people in this group will be new to me.

I've also signed up for the side trip to Machu Picchu again. I really enjoyed it last year, know a little more about it now, and am really looking forward to experiencing again one of the most incredible sights I've ever encountered in my travels. I won't be taking my computer this time but will be posting an account after we return and promise a bunch of breathtaking photos again.

Coptic Churches, the Mohammed Ali Mosque and an Ancient Synagogue.....

…..and I’ve really come to like this country. Monday morning I got up early and took the final tour I’ve wanted to do: Coptic Christian Cairo and the Citadel overlooking the city.

The day was cool and overcast so it was a good day to be inside. We started with a visit to the Citadel—home to Egypt’s rulers for over 700 years. The huge Mosque of Mohammed Ali towers over the city—I can see it in the background from my hotel room across the city.

The Mohammed Ali Mosque is relatively new—built in the 1850s and is unusual in that it is Turkish in design but it has still become the symbol of the City of Cairo. Like most mosques here, the outer court is open-air and contains an ornamental fountain for the ritual cleansing before prayers. There is also a large clock here—the gift of the French in return for one of the giant obelisks from the Temple of Luxor. Problem is, the clock has never worked and still doesn’t today and the French are still keeping the obelisk.

Inside, it is much larger than the two old, historic mosques I visited Saturday and the overall theme is the color red. It truly is massive and far better lit which, with the red carpeting, gives it a hotel lobby ambiance. The Granite work is amazing—especially on the niche that points to Mecca and on the elevated pulpit for the Imam to make his calls to prayers. As amazing as this mosque was, I still prefer the two historic Mosques of Sultan Hassan and ar-Rifai because of their age and histories.

From the mosque we visited some of the Coptic Christian Churches of Cairo—and there are several. For a period, Egypt was a Christian nation and came under occupation and persecution by the Romans. Partially in response to the Romans, the Copts requested Muslims come to Egypt and the result was that Islam became the predominant religion—80% Islam, 15% Coptic Christian and various other beliefs. Although it hasn’t been a perfect relationship, the two religions do seem to exist peacefully and are literally side-by-side in this old part of Cairo.

According to tradition, St. Mark, one of the 12 Apostles, introduced Christianity into Egypt—starting in Alexandria in the first century. As the religion spread, it did so separate from Rome and therefore is an Orthodox Christian creed. From Moses to Jesus’ family’s exile in Egypt after his birth, Egypt has been important to Jews and Christians. One of the churches here, the Church of St. Sergius, is built over a cave that is believed to have been one of the places the Holy Family took shelter during their flight into Egypt. Cameras were not allowed inside, which is a shame because it is a very unusual ancient church with beautiful icons but we did get to see the crypt.

We also visited the Church of St. Barbara, long one of my favorite saints, who was martyred after her father killed her for trying to convert him to Christianity. This church did allow photos and I’m including one here. The most prominent features were the artwork, dating back to the 1700s.

Along the route we stopped at the historic Ben Ezra Synagogue. After the Roman expulsion of Jews from Jerusalem in the first century AD, Egypt became the center of Judaism—a presence that lasted here until 1948. By that time the numbers had dwindled and when Israel was created in 1948—with the resulting war with Egypt—the remaining Jews were forced out here. Today there is a miniscule presence and one active synagogue in the city center. This synagogue is inactive but has been meticulously preserved and is open to the public. Again, photos weren’t allowed inside.

The final church on the tour was the famous “Hanging Church,” a misnomer in that nobody was ever hung here. It is the most beautiful of the Coptic Churches and is so called because it was built over the old Water Gate of the Roman fortress of Babylon—probably around fourth century A.D. Constructed over the Water Gate, the church was thus “suspended” and therefore the name “Hanging Church.” The artwork is spectacular and the church features ornate marble on the columns and pulpit. I am posting a photo of the interior here.

Tomorrow morning I head back to Paris and then to Houston. This has been a good trip—even Cameroon was a better assignment this time—and Egypt is one of the most impressive countries I’ve visited so far…..