Rain

Wow! I have never seen rain like this before! The first week it rained on and off all day. Some times it rained so hard you could not even hear the person next to you. We would have to stop and wait till it slowed down to finish speaking. The water buffalo did not seem to mind. The humidity was very high. I had to get used to dripping with sweat all day from the minute I left the ship till I returned. I couldn't believe some of the people were wearing coats and sweaters and were complaining of the cold. They were not even sweating.

Clinic

I had the opportunity to see patients at a school about 50 minutes inland on Monday thru Thursday. We mustered around 5:30am and returned to the ship around 6:00 pm. The majority of patients I saw were general medicine. I treated reflux, diabetes, hypertension and all kinds of ailments and parasitic bowel infections. Most of the rashes were sent to me and I saw some pretty interesting things. The most fun I had was teaching the medical students. I usually had 3 medical students working with me. Cambodian medical school is taught in English. The students were 2nd thru 6th year.

Day 3 (probably 4)

As soon as the Mercy arrived the port became a flury of activity. The ship anchored a mile off shore and helicopters began non-stop flights from ship to dock with humanitarian aid and supplies to set up clinics inland. We were finally taken to the port where we took the "band aid" boat to the ship. It was my first time living on a Navy ship. It was well protected by the Marines and the Cambodian Navy. I spent the next day getting used to ship life and on Monday started clinic at a rural school.

Journey to Sihanoukville

We traveled by van to Sihanoukville. It was about a 5 hour trip. The road was very good but slow trucks and millions of motor scooters were dodged. The most amazing thing about this country is the number and use for motor scooters. I saw entire families of 5 on a single scooter. They were used to haul anything you can think of and many were towing trailers with amazing loads. We stayed at the Victory Beach Hotel and waited for the Mercy to arrive the following morning.

Day 2

The following morning we had a Complimentary breakfast in the dining room. The spread was amazing! Our room overlooked the Mekong River. Pockets of boats like the one in the picture could be seen along the shores. It was evident that this was home to many families. We did not leave for Sihanoukville till 11 am so we did a walking and tuk-tuk tour of Phnom . The hotel was only a block away from the Palace. Cambodia has a King, but the power lies in an elected Prime Minister.

Cambodia

After a long flight through Seoul to Phnom Penh we arrived at the Cambodiana Hotel around 10 pm.
We had an interesting blossom or fruit waiting in the room. We didn't open and taste it till the next day. I think it was "Dragon Fruit".

Wrapping it Up

We finished up staff training on Monday with a review and a friendly competition. The staff was divided into 2 groups and were asked questions pertaining to the material in the health booklet. I was very impressed with their knowledge and could tell that many of them had studied and understood the material well. Our meeting ended with a lively song and dance. As a parting gift I cooked a stew for the staff and fed more than 25 with what I called Mozambiqan Stew. All 4 of the food groups were represented in the stew. Our Director Joao suggested that there were many of the staff who had probably never tasted a more nutritious flavorful meal in their lives. Time and alot of work will bear much fruit in the lives of these beautiful people.