A Rewarding Day

Last night dinner was hosted by the  Club Rotario Marona Macas.  We were served a traditional tea and a traditional Ecuadorian chicken meal.  The tea was very sweet, almost like a syrup but not as thick as a syrup.  The chicken was cooked in huge leaf, similar to a banana leaf.  It was chopped, bones and all, and mixed with herbs before being rolled in the leaf and cooked on the grill.  It was not a late night for us; we were all tired and had another early morning and another community to look forward to.

Breakfast, for us, was served at Hotel Casa Blanca.  A traditional breakfast of

coffee, a fruit smoothie, fresh fruit — pineapple and another seedy fruit similar to papaya with the seeds inside.  This fruit we were cautioned about eating too much for fear that it would cause diarrhea!  We were also served and egg and a yucca patty.

Angel had the bus parked in front of the Casa Blanca ready for us to board by 7:30 A.M.  The community hall, for this clinic was a very short drive.  The hall was very

similar to yesterday's except for the separate rooms off the stage.  A special testing room was made by using two sports nets (similar to hockey nets) and covering them with black plastic.  

The Rotarians have been especially helpful — so much so that they had table and chairs set up prior to us arriving at the hall.  The bathrooms had been swabbed out with cleaner and the toilets flush!  

People were waiting for us but then again that is usual.  Having so many chairs in this

hall has made it very easy on the patients.  The people at the clinics have been so patient.  In Canada if people have to wait half an hour longer than expected they do not hesitate to ask why.  Here, the people wait and move along when the next chair is vacant.  When they are finished, they are finished and off they go.  Word of mouth is our best advertisement for another wave of citizens to show up.

It is amazing how many people have never seen an optometrist and their eye sight has been so poor for so many years.  In Macas the reasons are twofold: no money to pay for the visit and no optometrist or ophthalmologist in the area.  

Today we had Sister Isobel bring groups of senior citizens, including one so blind we could so nothing for him.  Others could see and another expressed that God is good to bring us here and that God will be watching over us. 
Lunch today was pork sandwich and cheese with Pepsi  and chips.  I have never eaten so many chips in my life! Snacks consisted of water and fresh bananas and tangerines.  The fresh fruit today was much better than yesterday.  

Registration was to be cut off at 1:00 P.M.,  however, it was extended to 1:45 P.M.  It is unfortunate to have a cut-off time but the existing patients need to work their way through the stations with the optometrists and opticians before supper time.  

Many people here have needed our services and  eyeglasses.