Heading to Tela

Today was our last day of clinic. It was a half-day, in order to be able to pack up everything. There were still many people coming for eye exams, so my packing was delayed until the very last minute (which is not surprising! as I always do that!). After lunch, we said our goodbyes to the village people and set off down the mountain. The ride was warm and breezy for a change. The temperature couldn't be more perfect!  I stood up in the pickup truck to be able to take pictures on the go.  We reached Progresson in a few hours and then turned off into roads unknown.

When I was taking pictures, I'd put my sunglasses on top of my head, and with the speed we were going, it wasn't much a problem. Once we turned suddenly onto the highway, they swiftly got blown off and as we rode away I watched their final seconds of existance as they were smashed to pieces by the next truck.

Arriving in Tela we were greeted by a fantastic beach and decided to dive in and then have "proper" showers.  After that, a few of us went for a stroll along the beach, until we ran into a large, uncrossable estuary.  The end of the day was blissful sunset on the beach, a delicious meal in the upstairs restaurant, and a multi-person translation as we communicated our successes at the clinic with an important donor and the visiting village council.  For the third year medical students, this was the last day of "vacation." I came back after the evening festivities and sat on the deck with my book..studying... then sipping coconut milk that one of our translators got down from the tree for me.