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.
