15th June - Villavicencio

The water locally bottled here is named after the place Villavicencio.

For the trip the group was picked up at 7.30am and our first stop was Rutas Sanmartinians, the historic camp site of San Martins army who crossed the Andes to free the Chilean people from the Spanish in 1817. This has replica houses and barracks around the training camp but still displays the original cannons used in the war, at the entrance of the camp.

We moved onto the Reserva Natural Villavicencio which had cactus farms and rare rock and fossil formations on display as well as information about the local wildlife.

Before visiting the last stop on the tour we headed up an old winding road up the Andes mountains which was originally used as a passage to Chile and where the army of San Martin crossed into Chile. The views were spectacular even though it was slightly treacherous getting them.

Our last stop was the old Villavicencio hotel opened in 1940 and closed in 1978 after the 1978 world cup. The hotel is in the middle of no where, a bit like the Grand Budapest Hotel movie and unfortunately we were unable to look inside, only look from the outside.

A quick glance in the church next door to the hotel and then headed back to Mendoza.

Overall the views were great but after reading reviews before I went, I was disappointed to find that lunch was not an option, not even a shop to buy water or a coffee so I recommend to bring food and drink if you do this excursion.

Clinica Medica 26th May - 13th June

During my first 3 weeks I've been in the Clinica Medica or general medicine ward. The hospital is very under resourced, and has to make do with what is available but the knowledge of the nursing and medical staff is commendable. The nursing team that I worked with were very supportive, being patient while I tried to communicate in Spanish & always having time to answer questions I had. The medication preparation and administration is some what different & electrical equipment is very outdated compared to UK standards. The team & I really bonded and at the end of the 3 weeks it was sad to leave them. I bought them chocolates and a framed picture of the the group and I to say thank you. They bought in pizzas & we ate them in the staff room after my last shift. I told them I will visit them again before I left Mendoza for good.

8th June - Cerro de la Gloria

A group of us went for a Sunday hike from our house up to Cerro de la Gloria around 6km (3.7miles) away. The 14 tonne bronze monument pays tribute to the army of the Andes and for its successful campaign of liberation from the Spanish. "The Hill of Glory" or Cerro de la Gloria is definatley worth a look not only for the history but for the magnificent views too. It took roughly 1hr 30 mins to get to the top and another to get back with 30 mins taking in the scenery so overall a good 3.5 hrs of fresh air, exercise and sunshine.

3rd June Horseback riding

In a small group of 8 we went horseback riding in the afternoon through the desert landscape along the foot of the Andes until the sun set behind the Andes mountains. We left the house around 3.30pm and arrived at the ranch at 4.10pm. Once we´d mounted our horses we set off around 4.30pm and rode until 8-8.30pm enjoying the majestic scenes of the sunset while sharing Mate (pronounced Mat-A an Argentinian herbal drink). On return to the ranch the fire was burning and the Asado (BBQ) was cooking with a table set with local red wine ready to be consumed. The Asado consisted of well seasoned, juicy beef that was cooked to perfection along with potatoes & salad. We finished off the night with music on guitar from out guide and host Diego.

Overall a great evening and night worth 450pesos (£30) & a must do when visiting Mendoza.

31st May Cacheuta

We went to Cacheuta hot water springs on Saturday. We left from the omnibus terminal in Mendoza city centre and it took 40 minutes to get there. The hot water springs were in the middle of nowhere from the south of Mendoza towards the Andes. The weather was dry and bright but still slightly mild. The water was refreshing and for half a day trip it was worth the 30 pesos (£2.50) return bus journey & 80 pesos (£6) entry.

End of the first week

So after arriving on Sunday evening &  having a meal with the rest of the house, Monday was a chilled day of orientation and getting my bearings. I went to the local park with Stacy (one of the housemates) from Florida and we looked around while the weather was mild. (Picture 1)

Monday evening was the official orientation with Cammi (the Colombian) from Work the World. Mendoza has Siesta every day from 1pm to 5pm where many shops close (slightly inconvenient) so we left the house around 4.30pm in order to see shops open again for the evening. We went up to a cafe in a high rise building (14th floor) with some nice views of the Andes. (Picture 2) (Picture 3 was a snack in the cafe)

Tuesday was my first day in the hospital and was an experience (see first day post). Since the first day my understanding of how the ward is run and  how different it is, has grown. The nurses station is located in the centre of the long corridor and houses the majority of the medication supplies as well as the limited resources and pigeon holes allocated for each patients meds. The I.V. drugs, tablets and paperwork are all put together and completed at the nursing station.

On Thursday I worked with nurse Mario who had 1 patient in the morning and he had looked after the same lady for 2 months. She had a rare condition called Pemphigus Vulgaris which causes painful blisters to form starting in and around the mouth but developing anywhere on the body. The condition has no cure but has treatment for some symptoms with steroids. With regular steroid treatment another condition occurs called cushings syndrome which causes acne, fatty deposits in the face and stretch marks, as well as muscle fatigue and weak skin that doesn't help for her blisters. Mario was tracking her progress over the weeks and showed me pictures of how the blisters have improved since being admitted. She was transferred to another hospital at the end of Thursday and got upset because of the relationship Mario had developed with her over the months.

Friday came the zonda (Picture 4), the warm weather front with strong winds with lots of leaves falling down.

More to come...