After a brief night sleep, we work up extra early to travel to a free clinic. The chicos returned to the hostel just in time to join us. We took a short bus ride and drove past a canal that is usually dry. The canal was a rapidly flowing river as a product of the rain.
Clinica del Pueblo provides free or low cost consultations to Mexicans who cannot afford the public and private clinics. It was started by a church member from Philadelphia and is not supported by some 75 workers. They have a few full time generalists and many specialists who donate their time in the clinic. There are also several nurses and social workers who are here as well. The clinic appears to be well-run and organized with resources for all their patients. The majority of the patients are females and they have a special delivery space. They have a really cool delivery chair that allows the mother to be reclined or upright during delivery. Another great feature of the clinic is the family space. Since some people travel far to come to the clinic and their family is poor, the clinic has a dorm and kitchen available free of charge to families of patients. As far as our guide knew, this was the only clinic of its kind in Mexico. Our guide was the president of the board of directors and was an orthopedist. While he did not work as a physician at the clinic, he used his time in the administrative aspect. They have mostly Oaxacean doctors and staff members who speak a few of the local dialects and a few volunteers from other regions and countries. We didn’t get a good summary of public health in Mexico but it sounds worse than the States. This clinic seemed to be a step in the right direction. The mission is to provide care to people who need it and not to profit from them.
After the clinic we returned to the CASA Chapulin to wrap up our experience. We shared a few criticisms and things that we enjoyed so they could make changes for the next group. In all, I think most people really enjoyed the trip. I really liked the diversity of the topics we discussed and how open people were to sharing their experiences with us. The community of Oaxaca appears to be working to elevate itself and find alternatives to the current constraints of the government.
Before lunch, I went to the market to make some last minute purchases and headed back to the hostel for a shower. I organized my bag and got ready for the last free afternoon.
After lunch, Jefe, Logan, and I went to the museum at the cultural center at Santo Domingo. We saw a special exhibit about the eagle and walked through long hallways of Mexican artifacts. The museum traces the history of Oaxaca from its beginnings as a Zapoteca region, through Spanish colonization, and into present. Our primary purpose for going was to see the gold and treasures from the Monte Alban ruins. I was amazed by the detail and precision in the gold, turquoise, and bone. The thing I enjoyed most about the museum was the museum itself. It has long hallways with natural lighting, many courtyards, and small rooms. It reminded me of a castle. I took a lot of pictures of the architecture and natural framing by the stone windows. We watched the rain storm come in over the valley and looked at the botanical garden below the museum. We did not anticipate the size of the museum and ended up racing through the last rooms. I could definitely have spent a few more hours wandering and reading. It was good practice for the Spanish and culture integration.
In the downpour, we raced across the plaza to the mezcaleria. The boys had bought a really cool book with photos, descriptions, and maps of the food, culture, and customs of Oaxaca. They ran back to the hostel with the books under their tshirts; they had not planned for the rain. I ran back covering my bag with my rain jacket, holding my sandals in my hands. The rain was so powerful almost at hail status. I ran through the puddles of warm rain and arrived at the hostel soaked through. I changed again for dinner to anticipate another wet walk.
After a delicious dinner of quesillo and steak tacos with guacamole, we returned to the hostel for the final time. We took taxis and a truck to the bus station and awaited the beginning of our long journey. This time we took an even nicer bus. They offered us coffee, tea, and cold drinks before the trip. There were two bathrooms and they placed movies the whole night. About ten minutes into our trip, I was asleep. We had more leg room and Rachel and I snuggled again with my sleeping bag. When I awoke in the morning, The Karate Kid was just starting so I watched that. I imagine it is a terrible movie in English because I did not enjoy it in Spanish. I could not help but think how bratty the child was and how much he reminded me of my students.
In Tapachula, we ate breakfast at the same restaurant. I used my last few pesos to splurge on tortillas, eggs, and beans with coffee. Oscar picked us up and we headed to the border. We crossed back to Guatemala much easier than into Mexico. I have my new travel visa and life is good. On the final leg, most of us slept again into Xela. In Xela, Carlos was waiting for us with pizza on his homemade bread and strawberry licuados. After lunch, I returned home for a shower and rest.
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