Blair's Week 5 Thailand Update

Photo 1: Morning view from my room in Vang Vien

Last week I started endocrinology. The schedule consists of Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning clinics which are diabetes, thyroid, and miscellaneous, respectively. Conferences are Tuesday journal club and Thursday special endocrine topics. I've spent the most time with Dr. Ampica who, I believe, is the most senior of the endocrinologists. She is an admirably good teacher as she infuses memorable stories about past patients and food-borne thyrotoxicosis outbreaks in Thailand (a la hamburger thyrotoxicosis) into her instruction.

Trip to Laos

I had an additional day this weekend, so I went to Laos, where I visited Vientiane and Vang Vieng. 

This was enough time to make me wish I had more, as I also wanted to see Luang Prabang. Prohibiting any unforeseen circumstances, I'll be back to Laos soon.

While in Vientiane I visited some of the main sites: Wat That Luang, Wat Haw Phra Kaew (the previous home of the Emerald Buddha), Patuxai (Vientiane's Arc de Triomphe), and Wat Si Saket. Particularly interesting was the deceivingly small COPE visitor center, which has displays and information about unexploded ordnance (UXO) throughout Laos. COPE provides access to orthotic and prosthetic devices, particularly for those injured by  "bombies" (cluster bombs) scattered throughout the countryside. The exhibit was moving, and I left feeling frustration and remorse for my country’s role in causing such large-scale suffering.

On a lighter note…

In Vang Vieng, I did many activities - rock climbing, kayaking, hiking, and cave exploration. My body is still sore from the packed weekend. Vang Vieng has the reputation of being a backpacker's party-town, but there are so many surrounding natural attractions that it was no problem at all to find solitary hikes. It was stunningly beautiful.