The revered wooden gentleman above is none other than the deity Maximón. It took two boats, a steep climb and an 80 cent payment to an enterprising six-year-old guide to have the privilege of paying my respects; or at least gawking like the shameless tourist that I am. It was a fascinating ritual during which one man was praying while Maximón was given rum and cigarettes. The man to Maximón’s left did nothing but collect the now-holy cigarette ashes. I spent some time taking it all in before paying my dues and leaving. By the way, it costs surprisingly little to have Maximón place a curse on someone, but I won’t go into that now.
This week was my second visit to the clinic at Tzununá. We basically just hauled all our equipment into the municipal building and set up shop in whichever rooms were available. Very simple, very effective and definitely not JCAHO accredited. It’s kinda nice to provide healthcare without all the bureaucracy we’re used to in the US. And whatever bureaucracy there is here, I’m pretty sheltered from it as a student. I’m definitely going to miss that aspect of this rotation. But, the truth is, I’m ready to be back in cold, dreary Washington. Just a couple weeks to go.