Camryka Land...

Welcome to our Blog. Our latest entry always comes up first... 
Click this link if you want to start at the beginning:
FIRST BLOG ENTRY
If you want to start at the beginning of our trip:
START OF TRIP
If you want to see the story of our trip from South Carolina
(where we bought the boat)
 to Lake Ontario Click this link:
  SOUTH CAROLINA

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Yesterday (Sunday) we became house sitters here in Bocas del Toro at the home of our good friends, Mary & Carl in their home they call Camryka Land.  They are cruisers who have built a lovely home here on Dolphin Bay.  Blowin' Bubbles lays at anchor looking beautiful and content... (if a sailboat can look "content").

As I blog, I am sipping french pressed coffee looking at the bay wondering how the "other half" lives...

Last week we continued our saga with the Bocas Hospital.  As planned we returned on Friday to see the director, only to find he was not there and would not be back until next week....  Disappointed, we took our urine samples to the laboratory and were told there was nothing that could be done for us until we saw the doctor....  This time it was Shelley who was going to have nothing to do with that idea, and she just stood in front of the laboratory woman's desk until she looked after us...  Clearly, she wasn't happy, but she knew she was dealing with a couple of crazy gringos...

We never got the results of our blood tests, but the hospital now has our urine samples and we hope the director returns on Wednesday this week so we can get all our results and get started treating our Leishmaniasis.

The really good news is that the homeopathic treatment of hot compresses seems to be working on its own and both Shelley and my blisters look like they are beginning to heal...  I would be great if we don't have to take the traditional treatment, but hopefully we will know later this week.

As for my tooth, it still hurts but I know it will eventually get better.

The rest of our week last week was lovely.  We started distributing the school supplies sent to us from Canada and were even invited as "special guests" to a local community gathering.  See our Right to Write Blog entry for those details. Here are a few more pictures taken this week.  Some are from the village we visited, but not included on our RtoW page.

Some of the agricultural displays from the community....

The party was briefly interrupted when two big dogs couldn't play nice together...  The dog fight was broken up when young boys from the community started hitting them with sticks...  Yes Dorothy, we are not in Kansas anymore....

Shelley's favorite part of the day... Seeing a sloth close up!

The kids were fascinated with our camera....

The candy seemed popular too....

On our container shipment we received, besides the school supplies a few treasures for ourselves.  We received a replacement sail kit for the dinghy, An expensive item but worth it so we can sail the dinghy instead of burning fuel in the engine...

Shelley got a new coloring book... She is loving the relaxation these books are giving her...  who knew??

She also received a new pair of binoculars and a Panama bird book and has been in heaven here at Mary and Carl's looking at all the critters that live in their jungle...

We also got a new solar dehydrator.  this is something we found on Amazon and want to use it to dry herbs and fruit on the boat.  We will try it this weeks to see how it goes...

Shelley's garden on the boat has really taken off.  Who knew you could grow veggies on a boat?

On Saturday we were invited to join Mary & Carl at the home of another ex-pat couple in in Bocas.  Hank & Linda have a lovely home and we have a great time.

 A young male sloth joined the party...

Time to go home...

Before Carl & Mary left, I got a panga driving lesson. There is no road to their house so this is the only way to make the 8 mile journey to town.  I have to say I secretly LOVE to go fast! Their 24' panga is pushed along nicely with a 70 hp engine.

When we got to the gas station I remembered why I love to sail slowly...

Have a great week everyone.  Today I leave you with these few pictures that show just a few of the beautiful children that touch our lives as we travel...

Cheers!

Right To Write Ministry : Delivering School Supplies...

Right To Write Ministry : Delivering School Supplies...: If you have been following our blog, you know that we have been waiting since may for a major delivery of school supplies from Canada.  Afte...

Health Issues....

Welcome to our Blog. Our latest entry always comes up first... 
Click this link if you want to start at the beginning:
FIRST BLOG ENTRY
If you want to start at the beginning of our trip:
START OF TRIP
If you want to see the story of our trip from South Carolina
(where we bought the boat)
 to Lake Ontario Click this link:
  SOUTH CAROLINA

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It has been a crazy week with doctors and dentists!  First, I had a toothache so went to the local dentist who was competent and professional.  Is office was in Bocas Town and we had an appointment for Saturday afternoon.  

Now everyone who knows me knows I am petrified of dentists.  Yet I knew if I didn't go now, it would be months before we would have another chance.  After  a long consultation, Dr. Wong took an x-ray and determined the only option for my tooth would be to pull it.

All I can say is that it HURT LIKE HELL!!!!  Pain medication is very expensive here and not readily available, so with a few shots of Novacane, he took out some monster pliers and yanked it out in one piece...

It seems to be healing well and we can do something about the space in 6 months when we should be near Panama City.

Last week Shelley thought she burned herself on the back of her leg...  It turns out she was bitten by some kind of flea and she contracted Leishmaniasis.  Leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease that is found in parts of the tropics. It is caused by infection from parasites, which are spread by the bite of sand flies. There are three different forms of leishmaniasis in people. The most common form is cutaneous leishmaniasis, which causes skin sores, which is the one we have.

I say we, because over the last week I too have 4 blisters caused by the same thing.  

We went to Changinola for a blood test to confirm it and the test was positive for both  of us.  Fortunately, while we were there Dr. Garcia, the doctor who has been treating my back came to see us at the laboratory.  He told us that before we could begin the treatment (WHICH HE COMPARED TO CHEMOTHERAPHY) we would need blood tests, urinalysis, and and EKG.  All these tests we could get at the local Bocas hospital then bring the results to him and he could start treatment.

Normal treatment is 21 days of IV therapy, which means going to the clinic or hospital every day for 21 days.  He said if our tests worked out he could administer doses once a week which for us would be much more convenient.

So yesterday Shelley and I got up at 6:30 am and took a water taxi to town and then walked to the hospital.  The place was packed!  mostly with young pregnant mothers.

We were told our requisitions from Dr Garcia are no good we need them from their Doctor...
So we sit and wait.... and wait...and wait

Around lunch time a nice Asian nurse ..the only non-Panamanian there..asks our names because she knows we have been there a while.. We tell her and she takes our weights and blood pressure..and gives us the proper hospital forms, which she copied word for word from Dr. Garcia's

She then tells us to wait and the Doctor will call us soon..and she leaves for lunch...

At 2 pm or so ..the doctor finally calls us ..after every other person in there had been helped..looks at our paperwork, and tells us the lab is closed for the day..   What ??

t this point I freak out.. I hunted down the hospital to find the Director of Hospital..who a friend had given us his name..

An employee/nurse first told us he was not there but surprise,  I found him...


He was kind and listen to our tale of woe and asked to to hang on....

A few minutes later he told us to come to lab and stood there and made a lady (who had already refused us) take our blood..then walked us to another office and made a guy who said he did not work after 1230 pm do our ECG of our hearts..He could not find a urine person...

At the end of all of this, he promised our results would be ready on Friday (except our urine tests) and to come directly to his office when we arrive...  We will see...

Remember, we had been told to fast ..so we had nothing, not even water since the night before. So we left the hospital, found some lunch and decided we now know what discrimination feels like.  It doesn't feel good, I assure you...

Lunch after our "Ordeal!

On a happy note, last week we celebrated our friend, Joanne's birthday.  What a great night!

More next week... Cheers!