big plane!), then a six-hour boat ride to the most remote of the four lodges operated by Explorama. I use the term ‘lodge’ loosely. The ExplorNapo accomodation consisted of ‘rooms’ containing two single beds, each cocooned in a mosquito net. Each ‘room’ is separated by a partial wall, and the back wall is only chest height so it is essentially open to the elements (and creatures), except for a small curtain. There is no electricity, flushing toilets, or hot water. There is no pool, although there is the river full of Piranhas. The weather is a mere 34 degrees with about 90% humidity. And of course there is the wildlife. I soon realised that the planet’s insects, 25% of which live in the Amazon, were actually all living at the ExplorNapo Lodge we were staying at – and they were all giant size (even the butterflies). Ironically, the lodge did have wi-fi in the main communal dining room so my children fortunately could survive the six nights there. The food was also amazing, which was remarkable in such a remote part of the world. There was no one else at the lodge whilst we were there and we had our own guide so after a day of ‘work’ we returned to some piranha fishing, a jungle cruise, a canopy walk, or for enthusiasts, a very early morning bird watching safari. Each day was an adventure. At the end of our volunteering we transferred to the ‘luxury’ Explorama lodge, four hours closer to civilization, where we spent another three nights being tourists with air conditioning and a swimming pool. Overall, it was an amazing experience and educational in so many ways, both for the Amazonians and for us. These people are so grateful for any help they receive and the basic healthcare we sometimes take for granted is so appreciated there. DBPeru is continuing their work and plan to do the next ‘screen and treat’ program in February 2017. They do outreach trips to the region every one to two months. It would be wonderful to set up a cataract clinic and offer treatment, similar to the work of the Fred Hollows Foundation (who unfortunately don’t travel as far as South America). It was very apparent in the general medical clinics that eyesight was a big problem for these communities. For anyone who is interested in volunteering, all the information can be found on the DBPeru website www.dbperuong.com. Finally, a huge thank you to Pindara Hospital who last year donated hundreds of “blueys” that I sent over with my niece, and this year 700 sanitary napkins, which were provided to the women after having cryotherapy treatment. A big thank you also to the families of St Hilda’s School who donated sanitary napkins and school supplies, which were gratefully received. Finally, a big thanks to Dr Andrew Jones for his continual support and the most amazing infectious disease knowledge, which came in most handy with the fortunate technology of iPhone picture texts! One of the most difficult jobs on these outreach trips is looking after the children of the women whilst they are being educated about cervical cancer and then examined. pindaramagazine.com.au Pindara Magazine 55
Pindara Private Hospital Magazine - Issue Nine
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