Since our last post on Monday, I (Correne) have yet to feel 100% like I was hoping to a lot earlier in the week. It has now been 4 days of missed work for me, and 2 for Todd, due to wanting to be around to help me figure out how to feel better. I waited it out for a few days before finally taking the advice of the volunteer coordinators at Maximo Nivel to let them take me to the Dr. they send all their volunteers to. I went yesterday and had to return today, to find out that I have a dormant parasite - Giardia (which I may or may not have contracted here in Peru...my guess would be no because I have been extra cautious about the water here). I also found out I have a bacterial infection which is probably causing most of my problems. The doctor I saw was very helpful and prescribed an antibiotic which is supposed to be ok for pregnant women (I checked it out with my midwife too and she said yes, they prescribe it all the time - which made me feel better to know). So I began the antibiotic this afternoon and am trying to rehydrate with rehydration salts and some disgusting tasting ¨electroal¨ stuff they told me to pick up at the pharmacy. The medication was only 6 soles (approximately $2 in US dollars...welcome to Peru). I´m hoping to finally feel closer to %100 by the weekend.
I have been feeling bad for not being able to do as much volunteering as planned, but Todd reassures me that things happen and I can´t control them. We both plan to be able to attend work tomorrow, and are going to check with Casa Azul to see if they would like us to come Saturday morning as well to make up for lost volunteering time.
Our plans after that are yet to be determined, but may go something like this....
Saturday afternoon we plan to take a tour of the City of Cusco (guided). Sunday we will take a bus tour to Puno (the city near Lake Titicaca), and stay in Puno until Wednesday morning when we depart by flight for Lima in order to catch our flight back home from there. While in Puno, we hope to book some tours of the floating reed islands, as well as other culturally unchanged islands on the highest navigable lake in the world (Lake Titicaca). I´ve talked Todd into letting us stay in a nice hotel instead of a hostel in Puno, out of fear that I will become ill again and want a comfortable place to take care of myself. Our host family has been very helpful - making chicken soup and a special breakfast concoction including something like rice water and egg whites (which is actually tastier than it sounds).
We ate lunch today at a very ¨Gringo¨resturant, with a taste of food from home - Todd had a bacon and egg sandwich and I had pancakes with carmelized bananas. We both ate too much and have regretted it this afternoon, but it was worth it for a taste of home.
We are getting anxious for grilled cheese sandwiches and big salads when we return.
(The 2 photos on the left above are in the main plaza in Cusco....the one on the right is my tasty drink!)
Hopefully our posts will be much more cheery and full of sight seeing/orphan children adventures from now on.
Hasta luego,
C & T
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