There was very little for us to do in the hospital today after rounds. Tiffany and I sat in on the gastroenterologist's weekly sermon to the people in the waiting room. We didnt have Leticia with us and consequently have no idea what it was about.
After the sermon the hospital's pastor excitedly greeted us and beckoned us to come see his office. Ps Nestor Hugo is one of the most colourful and amusing character's I have met so far. He is a constant bubble of excitement. He does everything with 250% of his being. This is hilarious to watch! He often looks like he could explode with enthusiasm. He is a little intense, but a pleasure to be around. He is very interested in everything you have to say and is a very sweet, generous man. Nestor Hugo would be in his 60's and often dresses in one block colour. Once he came dressed in a green suit. This coupled with his unexhaustive enthusiasm made him appear very leprachaunish. Another time he dressed all in black and with his hairstyle of an era gone by looked just like an old latino Danny from Greece.
Nestor Hugo loves to practice his english with you. This is very difficult because his pronounciation and phrasing of words often evokes giggling. Every word is spoken suddenly and loudly, he often pronounces a word 4 different ways before settling on one that he feels most comfortable with. He phrases his english very awkwardly and substitutes with spanish when he gets stressed. I appreciate his efforts and he actually is doing very well. And of course who am I to judge with such basic spanish skills but it is very amusing...
For example, one day a very stressed Nestor Hugo appeared at the door of the guest house. After greeting Leta very enthusiastically he exclaimed with despair "I have an accident in my pants!" Leta was most shocked, what was she meant to do about an "accident" in a grown man's pants. Where was she going to get a pair of men's underwear and pants from, and how was she going to help him without embarrassing him further. As she was calculating how to deal with this delicate situation Nestor Hugo began motioning to a tear in his pants- the "accident". Leta was most relieved when she realised that this man didn't need a change of underwear after all and she was only required to fetch him a needle and thread.
If there is one thing Nestor Hugo likes more than practicing his english on you its talking about his relatives in Australia. We were dragged into his room. He generously filled our hands with lollies and biscuits and began questioning us about Australia. He dug out photos his Australian nephews and nieces, pulled a clock in the shape of Australia off the wall and made us point things out and made us test him on his pronounciation of Australian animals. Finally he asked us to tell him something he could pray for, for us. He also asked if we might pray for him. There in his office he fervently prayed for us in spanish with his 250% effort. He made Leticia write down our requests in spanish so that he could continue to pray for us. It was very kind of him and I am grateful to have such a faithful servant praying for us here in Bolivia.
That afternoon, we made our way to the Evangelical Fair. We took a trufi to Quillacolla to catch a bus that would take us to the Fair. As the Trufi bumped along the hospital's street a large funeral procession of villagers dressed in black filled the road before us. They made their way along the road following a herse covered in flowers. They were accompanied by a brass band that played a hauntingly solemn tune. They mourned over the passing of a lady only 50 years of age. She had been in an accident and had died of easily preventable complications. It was very sad to see the tears in the men's eyes and hear the harrowing cries of the women. Stuck in a Trufi that stood in their way I felt so out of place intruding on their sorrow.
The bus ride to the city was the most thrilling Bolivian travel experience yet. The bus driver seemed to be on a mission to kill us all. He did not slow down for bumps and hit each one with enough force that we lifted off our seats. He did not slow down around corners and we were thrown form one side of the bus to the other. He nearly ripped a door off another car. Children screamed and jumped out of the way as he tore down streets in the city. We all tumbled around in the bus so much that we felt sick.
The evangelical fair was a display of churches and christian aid organisations in Cochabamba. The hospital was sending the ambulance to set up a first aid station but it still hadn't showed. The fair was at a convention centre and was a series of stalls displaying their service. It was very difficult for Tiffany and I because there was so much that required translation. It was not very exciting and we were ready to go in no time. The ambulance turned up 3 hours late. We found out that they had been in a car accident and had to take the other person involved to the hospital. We got a ride home in the back of the ambulance listening to Pablo sing love songs in spanish.
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