Honduras Day 6: La Esperanza

[Until I recompile my photographs I can't upload anymore pictures, a hard drive has been sent to the hospital. No word yet on what can be recovered. The 'thousand words' will have to do.]

We spent the morning at the Comipronil offices in La Esperanza. Two tiny rooms: the door to Maira's office became Loren's dispensing window, and the other room became the dental surgery. we put the chair up on a couple of crates (we're learning) facing the doorway to the courtyard for a little extra light. This office had more or less reliable electricity so Susan tried the little irrigation pump she'd brought, but no go. Insufficient something.

We saw some astounding dental work today. People up the mountain have little access to any dental care -- the bus ride is over an hour and costs the equivalent of a week's wages - but folks here in town theoretically can go to the government clinics. We did see more fillings and fewer gaps. But from the expressions on people's faces, especially parents, I gather that the Clinic is not a nice place, nor are its practitioners schooled in reassuring patients. But they can do some fancy grillwork. One guy in his late twenties had gold stars inlaid in 6 of his top front teeth. Susan raised her eyebrows at that. When she complimented him he popped out the whole row, it was a plate. He told us that the clinic pulled all of his teeth. He seemed philosophical about it, but definitely not interested in going back there.