Ahh...back in Can Tho again...

Greetings from Can Tho, Vietnam!  For the geography buffs in the crowd, Can Tho is about 105 miles southwest of Ho Chi Minh City (formerly called Saigon), squarely positioned in the Mekong Delta on the Mekong River.

Our team arrived yesterday (Saturday, the 28th) at 6p at our hotel here in Can Tho, just as the sun was setting on the day.  We arrived in HCMC (Saigon) at about 11a (after fairly uneventful and comfy flights from San Francisco to Taipei and Taipei to HCMC) and by the time we got our 23 totes of medical supplies (and wine, brought by one of the California docs) and luggage for 25 people on the team, it was nearly noon by the time we took-off for Can Tho.

We traveled from HCMC to Can Tho via a large motor bus, which fit our team and our luggage and the medical totes were picked-up at the airport by the hospital staff here in Can Tho and have been taken directly there for when we start working tomorrow (on Monday, the 30th).  The motor bus was stuffy, as it's quite humid and hot here, but after some discussion the driver cranked-up the air conditioning and it was quite comfortable.  I loved these little 'doilies' on the backs of the seats.  They were definitely circa-1980 or so, but added a little something to the ambiance of the bus.

Normally, this bus rides takes about 4 hours, but unfortunately, it took 6 hours total yesterday, although, as per usual, we stopped at a roadside restaurant to have lunch, which is quite a feat with 25 people, but we have a woman traveling with us, Mai, who is from Vietnam, so she is our master interpreter for all situations.  Food was yummy, as always, and made me feel like I really was back in Vietnam.

There is now a 'super-highway' from HCMC that goes about 50 miles south, so that usually helps the time for traveling, but on this and then on the subsequently smaller 2-lane highway, the traffic was horrendous.  So slowly-moving, which is why it took us so long to get to Can Tho.  So, overall, for our team, our travel time was around 32 hours from San Francisco to Can Tho.

Here's a few photos and videos from our travels yesterday...

Our team ~ International Extremity Project

So, Amy and I both fell asleep quickly on the SF to Taipei flight and when we woke (happily, it was 8 hours later), we both had these stickers on our movie screens.  I thought it was such a polite and dignified message about the fact that we missed our initial meal on the plane.  Just before we both woke, the flight attendant had put 2 small sandwiches on the console between out seats, so we wouldn't go hungry.  The best.

Taken from the plane, as we arrived in Taipei.  Good morning!

2nd photo from the plane.  Sunrise.

This is just a small portion of our luggage and medical totes, just to show the scale of all there is to manage.

Video taken in HCMC.

Video taken on the way from HCMC to Can Tho.  Gives you the perspective of how close together vehicles travel.  

Meir serenading us with his harmonica on the bus.

This little box of cheese was for sale at the roadside restaurant at which we stopped on our way to Can Tho.  Not sure I'd want to eat cheese that has been sitting outside in 90 degree temps. 

Today, we went to the fabric market.  Think, big space with many different fabric vendors within that space, so you find what you like and they cut it and sell it for you all in one place.  Helps to have a pattern for what you want to have made, which I did, so I will be getting 3 skirts made for next summer.  Once you have your fabric, you go to the tailor shop (see below).

Measuring fabric for Amy.  They use a flat 'ruler' that has tic-marks across it and measures 1 meter at a time.  They cut the fabric while standing.

More fabric.  This place has every fabric you could imagine from pajama fabric to high-end tailoring fabrics for suits.

The tailor shop ~ H & M ~ known well by our team.  I don't always get things made, but am this year.  Some of our team get vast numbers of garments made while they are here.  I will have my skirts on Saturday, the 4th (today is Sunday, the 29th).  I brought a skirt from home that they will use as a pattern for the new skirts.  They can, if you don't have a pattern or garment you want re-created, measure you and design/tailor a garment for you.  This shop is owned by a husband and wife.  They are very busy and very nice. 

Scenes from the streets.  If you want to buy mango, here's your shop. 

One of my favorite and awe-inspiring shots from Vietnam.  The telephone, electrical and whatever else kind of cords on light poles.  Seems a bit dangerous.

This is how buildings are constructed here.  These metal pipes are put up as an infrastructure and then the building is constructed around it and then eventually, the pipes are removed.  Fascinating.  

Cyclo parking lot.  Always very organized and laid out well.  You pay a fee to park in these lots.  This is the main method of mobility for most Vietnamese, as it's more affordable than a car and moves much easier throughout the streets and alleyways.

Rodent traps.  For large-ish rodents, it seems.

Crab for dinner?  You can buy these on the street, all ready for a hot pot of water.

In case you don't want to make dinner, you can call Pizza Hut now for delivery (on a cyclo).  This is new since the last time I was here in Vietnam.  I guess everyone just wants to be able to have pizza.

Hybiscus flower.  These are plentiful here in Can Tho and just gorgeous!

This is the Mekong River.  There is a lot of commerce that occurs on the river and these boats (along with much smaller and larger boats) traverse the river day and night.

This is the motto of the Circle K convenience store that is located feet from our hotel's entrance (a new edition since 2015 when I was last here).  I liked their motto of, "Own the Morning ~ Own the Day."  Now, thought it humorous that it was positioned over the beer and milk products, which were positioned next to each other.  

Well...we are off to the pool soon to relax and then likely to have some dinner.  I need to exchange some money too.

Tomorrow morning, we start our patient evaluations and this is always a crazy, amazing and challenging experience, but is why we are all here.  I am so happy to be back with IEP and with the medical team.

Our medical team consists of Bruce Lehnert, DPM, Jeff Spanko, DPM, Meir Nyska, MD, Ezequiel Palmanovitch, MD, 2 surgical residents, Bobby and Jisun, me, as the physical therapists, and a team of nurses, scrub techs and other folks who help out in a variety of ways.   The physicians and I will evaluate about 120 patients (or so I have heard) over the next 2 days and decisions will be made by our medical team if surgical intervention is appropriate and possible.  The nurses and scrub techs and many other of our team will work to set-up the supplies for the ORs, and all of the medications, etc., that we have brought for the patients, while we are completing the evaluations.

More to come...

xoxo
Stacy