http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/katelective09/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from katelective09 en-us Wed, 06 Jan 2010 09:53:54 +0000 Wed, 06 Jan 2010 09:53:54 +0000 This is probably my last blog entry for my trip...I thought I'd update you on my final week in BelizeSo I don't think any of us were all that willing to return to clinic after the great weekend in Caye Caulker but once we got back we got stuck into our final week of work. There were mobile clinics on Tuesday and Friday and Hillside clinics on Wednesday and Friday as usual. We also went to talk http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/Wales/Monmouth/blog-404300.html Some photos from the trip to Caye Caulker and my last couple of weeks of clinic http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Belize/Belize-Barrier-Reef/Caye-Caulker/blog-404283.html Last week was busy once again with clinics we went to some very rural places in a couple of them we all had to see patients in one room with no examination table or anything so that was quite an experience. I also diagnosed someone with malaria on Friday my first 'proper' tropical diseaseAside from clinics we've also been managing to have a pretty good time with plenty of trips into town http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Belize/Toledo-District/Punta-Gorda/blog-402153.html Some more photos from Belize of clinic things and cave tubing and the jungle lodge at the weekend xxx http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Belize/Toledo-District/Punta-Gorda/blog-400338.html Time is actually flying by here I've been so busy with clinic activities in thev week and then busy taking trips on the weekend.. I'm having a great time though very glad I decided to come here.So last week was a mixture of clinic at Hillside observing at the government run clinics and a mobile Hillside clinic to Barranco a Garifuna village which was a real highlight.It's so good to get t http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/blog-399824.html Here are some photos of Belize so far.I'm still having a great time work at the clinic is really interesting and I'm still learning lots.This weekend we are off to a jungle lodge to go cave tubing floating down a river through some caves on a big rubber ring.I will write more soon. xxx http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Belize/Toledo-District/Punta-Gorda/blog-398998.html I tried uploading some pictures but it didn't work so you'll have to wait a bit longer for them sorryI'm in Placencia at the moment which is a beach resort about 2 and a half hours from Punta Gorda. It's very nice here chilled out lots of sand palm trees and sunshineWe are staying two nights in the Seaspray hotel which we managed to get pretty cheaply. After arriving last night we went to http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Belize/Stann-Creek-District/Placencia-Village/blog-397537.html Sorry it's been so long since I last wrote..I don't have access to a computer at the clinic so it's impossible to update this and write much text. I've just borrowed someone's laptop quickly to write this. Hopefully I can get better internet access when we go away this weekend and I might be able to upload some pictures..Anyway I have settled in well at the clinic time seems to be going very http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Belize/Toledo-District/Punta-Gorda/blog-397185.html Arrived in Belize yesterday. Flights were fine. The local flight was fun a 10 seater with one passenger in front with the pilot And we took off and landed 4 times so now I'm a proAccommodation seems great we have our own little house with bedrooms kitchen living area utility room and nice hot showers Induction is tomorrow so I'll get to see the clinic then and find out what I'll be http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Belize/Toledo-District/Punta-Gorda/blog-395962.html So back to Lima for the final night We all went out for our last dinner together which involved lots of very emotional speeches hugs and everyone getting a bit tearfulOasis were playing in Lima last night so us younger people decided to head over to the National Stadium with Virguit and see if we could get some tickets. Unfortunately what we didn't realise was that when a concert in Peru s http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Lima/Lima/Miraflores/blog-395427.html We flew from Cusco to Puerto Maldonado possibly the shortest flight I've ever been on at about 25mins We were met by our latest set of guides Delford and Manuel and set off on a boat trip down the Tambopota spelt something like that... river to our jungle lodge. It was about 3 and a half hours on the boat and we saw lots of wildlife on the way cayman crocodiles including one huge one http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Madre-de-Dios/Puerto-Maldonado/Amazon-Rainforest/blog-395426.html Having sneaked a little bit of extra weight into my duffel bag we set off on a bus to the start point of the Inca trail at 6am. Our main guide was called Freddy and the assistant guide Julio both were very good. The bus ride took us to kilometer 82 the start point of the trail.It was pretty exciting lots of people queuing at the checkpoint and we all got our passports stamped before setti http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Cusco/Cusco/Cusco/blog-394389.html Just a quick note to let you know that I survived the Inca Trail It was a really great experience and I will find some decent internet access in Cusco tomorrow to update everyone properly and upload some pictures. Machu Picchu is definitely worth the hype. I am currently aching a lot having just come down to Aguas Calientes from Machu Picchu on the bus and had lunch... Have to go and catch the http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Cusco/Aguas-Calientes/blog-394080.html Not a lot of time to write today so just a quick update. Journey to Cuzco from Puno was fine. Hotel here is very nice smart and good breakfast etc. Spent today shopping for souveniers etc as this is the cheapest place to get them. Cusco is quite nice but very touristy I preferred Arequipa. I think I will try and see a few of the sights after the Inca trail.So the trail starts tomorrow. We h http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Cusco/Cusco/Cusco/blog-393089.html We set off for the islands on Lake Titicaca early yesterday morning. It is the highest naviagable lake in the world and is huge It took us 3 hours albeit very slowly to get to our island destination which was just at the end of the lake closest to where we left from.Our guide for the island trips was called Roger. The boat was nice it had a little top deck which you could lie out on altho http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Puno/Puno/blog-392513.html Last night was good fun. We went to the hot springs before dinner. It's the only time I've ever been in a pool where you were allowed to have a bottle of beer with you in the water They were very warm so much that I had to keep getting out every few minutes to cool offAfter this we went for dinner I had alpaca again. but am starting to get a bit sick of it now and had some 'entertainment' http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Puno/Puno/blog-391903.html I thought I'd write a bit more about the people that I am travelling with as I have a spare half hour.There are 7 Canadians and 1 Australian travelling together Randy yes this is a name... and Darlene Tony and Linda Beverley and Brenda sisters and Helen and Anne also sisters Helen lives in Australia. They are all in their 50s I think. They are very friendly and easy to talk to and I http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/blog-391668.html Our hotel is in a small village high up close to the entrance to the canyon 3600m. It is very rustic and so peaceful with hardly any cars street lights etc. Apparently some of the rooms in the hotel are haunted but luckily not oursAs soon as we arrived we set out on a walk to some ruins above the village. Most people were feeling the altitude by this point with dizziness headaches etc bu http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Arequipa/Colca-Canyon/blog-391656.html For dinner last night I tried my first alpaca steak It was actually very tasty quite a gamey meat. Had a lovely sleep nice not to be on the bus after the previous night and it was cool enough to need a duvet which I have missed the last few nightsWe left for the Colca Canyon this morning. Our guide is called Arnold and is very good he looks really young so our group has a bit of a wage http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Arequipa/Colca-Canyon/blog-391355.html Just a quick one today.Arrived in Arequipa on the night bus which wasnt too bad at all the poshest bus I've ever been on with footstools and reclining seats. Journey went smoothly too except for the panpipe version of Beatles classics that we were made to listen to this morning.. I'm going to look out for the CD to bring back with me... Haha. The roads are very windy at one point I was half http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Arequipa/Arequipa/blog-391117.html