Me gusta Inca Kola

Please forgive me for being the worst blogger ever! I have been so busy exploring this new beautiful town of Huancayo I haven't really stopped to sit down and blog. I will try and be better about it this week. This morning our group went to a local church and played outdoor games with little kids. They were absolutely adorable. No matter the language barrier we still had a great time. We played soccer and taught them how to play duck duck goose. They really got a kick out of it... it only seemed to last for a few minutes. you know how it is with short attention spans.
Here is a quick synopsis of my week:
I was in a clinic in a nearby town called Huancan. Every morning two other volunteers and I took a Cambi (a bus/taxi) to the clinic. Everyone there is so kind and welcoming. It was great to have my friend sabrina there with me because she is a fluent spanish speaker.
When I was in the clinic the things that I was able to see and do were: breathing treatments, injections, making cotton balls, sitting in on appointments with pregnant women, physical assessments of children, home visits for pregnant women, walking around the town offering vaccinations to children who are not up to date (many parents hide their children when they see us coming because they dont want to vaccinate their kids, they think it will make them sick), organizing medical records, and a home visit to a 22 year old male who had Tuberculosis ( we went to give him his weekly medications, his family dosent think this treatment is working and are searching for other options although he has made significant improvement. It was pretty crazy to see this patient and his family. None of them are well educated on how contagious TB is. We gave them masks to protect themselves.

Things I learned this week:
-Inca Kola is amazing: It is this soda that is yellow and tastes like bubble gum! YUM!!
-Piccarones are a kind of donuts they have here, they are light and served in some kind of molases sause. We went last night to get them for a late night treat. Milo con leche or leche con milo is the perfect beverage to pair with this dessert.
-Try new things: I have had a bite of cow heart and I try what ever is put in front of me. The typical meal consists of rice, potatoes, and some kind of meat. Our home stay is great and they feed us really amazing meals. I havent been disappointed once yet. If i see something on that street that looks good i buy it and eat it. haha There is this candy bar called Sublime that is just delicious.
-My homestay family is great: We live in this huge house and are taken care of by an older couple. Their names are Amel and Idla. They are just like grandparents. We call Amel "abuelo". They force feed us our meals and always want to make sure that we are happy. They dont let us clean our plates and they always make sure we are warm during the night.
- I am taking spanish lessons from a man named Neto at one of the other home stays. I am in the beginners class but i feel like I am able to hold my own. It is a two hour lesson and I enjoy every minute of it. Neto is absolutely hysterical. He tells us the funniest stories during our lessons and he has the best laugh. He told us yesterday that if he could have any other occupation he would want to be a veterinarian. He names all of his dogs that he has owned after alcohol. He used to have a German Shepard named Crystal.
- I am grateful for my life in America. It is really an eye opening experience to see the change in healthcare and the amount of poverty that exists in this country. I am glad i have been given this experience to help and educate the people in Peru.

Today is a rainy day so I think we might hit up the local mall for some American food oops... and a movie. Tomorrow we are supposed to go horse back riding through the valley and check out a local artisan market ( all depending on the weather). The group is planning a trip  to the jungle next weekend ( yay for warmth) and out Macchu Piccu for the end of the trip. I am pretty sure we are going to do a 4 day trek along the inca trail COOL!!!!