BajaNews
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Flying Doctors reward their volunteers with beach time
http://www.redding.com/redd/nw_business/article/0,2232,REDD_...
By Janice Greene
September 13, 2006
By middle-of-Baja standards, the runway was a good one: dirt, with no bushes. The pilot made a butter-smooth landing, and we were in Punta San
Francisquito.
Some time later (time is a small thing in Baja), I was gliding along in a purple plastic kayak around the bay. As I peered through the water at dozens
of skates waving over the bottom sand, it occurred to me that I was getting quite a vacation for less than $400. And I had the deep satisfaction that
volunteer work brings as well.
I was on a team put together by a group of more than 200 folks called Los Medicos Voladores ("The Flying Doctors"). The nonprofit organization makes
monthly trips to remote parts of Mexico to hold weekend clinics. Our team included a pilot, dermatologist, nurse and two volunteers, including me.
I'd first become interested in Los Medicos Voladores (LMV) because it was affordable, both money -- and time-wise. Most volunteer vacations require at
least a week's commitment, and a sizable check. A week's trip to Mexico with Global Volunteers, which has programs in Dolores Hidalgo and Queretaro,
costs $1,795, excluding airfare. And the cheapest flight I could find to Queretaro was $716. My check to LMV was $200, for plane fuel; for the rest of
the four-day trip I paid my own expenses, totaling less than $200.
We left the San Francisco Bay Area on a Thursday morning earlier this summer from San Rafael in a six-seat Piper Aerostar, stopping in Mexicali for
customs, lunch and gas, then on to the town of San Ignacio, about halfway down the Baja peninsula.
Surrounded by the rough, arid Baja landscape, San Ignacio is a surprise. It's an oasis, with citrus trees and towering date palms. It's also close to
the Sierra de San Francisco cave paintings and San Ignacio Lagoon, a breeding and nursery area for the Pacific gray whale.
We opened the clinic Friday morning, and patients streamed in. While one volunteer checked them in, my job was to jot down their symptoms. With my
limited Spanish, this was a challenge, but at the end of the day my ease with the language had taken a giant step forward. Spanish, while not required
to work with LMV, definitely adds to the experience.
The patients' problems were pretty much the same ones the doctor encountered at home: acne, psoriasis and eczema were common. But most of their
complaints had been untreated for years, if ever. Whenever possible, the doctor was wonderfully inventive with simple, inexpensive cures. I was
surprised to learn, for example, that repeated applications of duct tape can remove warts.
We closed the clinic in the late afternoon, then strolled around San Ignacio. It's a comfortable, restful town, with welcome shade everywhere.
Friendly shops provide sunscreen, hats, ice cream and other necessities for travelers. A couple of restaurants serve standard Mexican fare and, if
you're lucky, you can watch soap operas while you eat.
The sight to see in San Ignacio is the magnificent church of San Ignacio de Loyola, built from 4-foot-wide blocks of volcanic rock taken from the
nearby volcanoes, Las Virgenes. Inside are a massive altar of carved wood and an impressive sampling of religious art from the 17th century.
Saturday morning, we opened the clinic again and saw patients until noon, when it was time to head for Punta San Francisquito.
After four days of working and playing together, I felt as if I were leaving old friends. But I knew I could afford to see them again in Baja before
too long.
[Edited on 9-13-2006 by BajaNews]
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shari
Select Nomad
Posts: 13048
Registered: 3-10-2006
Location: bahia asuncion, baja sur
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Mood: there is no reality except the one contained within us "Herman Hesse"
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I"m so glad you enjoyed yourself. The villages of baja are extremely grateful for all the medicos do for us and we try to treat them well when they
are here, feed them lobster, yellowtail, abalone etc. and take them out to see the island and sea lions etc. Thanks again for all your help...you
can't imagine how much we appreciate your efforts.
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bajabob
Junior Nomad
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Registered: 1-7-2005
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Flying Samaritans Medical clinics
Sounds like a great mission! Just wanted to let you know about the Flying Samaritans
www.flyingsamaritans.org
They do a similar outreach to the people of Mexico and are always looking for volunteers to help out in their clinics. What a blessing it is to be
skilled and have the heart to be able to give back to others in need. Thanks.
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capt. mike
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Mood: Sling time!
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and the phx chapter is www.flyingsamaritans.com
hey shari, still hobbling a bit, went to Bob and Susan's yesterday and saw the casitas under const, man he's doing it right!
then had a visit from Pompano Roger, thx for stopping over Pomp.
well, time for a michelada..............for the medicinal benefits es verdad.
formerly Ordained in Rev. Ewing\'s Church by Mail - busted on tax fraud.......
Now joined L. Ron Hoover\'s church of Appliantology
\"Remember there is a big difference between kneeling down and bending over....\"
www.facebook.com/michael.l.goering |
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CaboRon
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3401
Registered: 3-24-2007
Location: The Valley of the Moon
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Mood: Peacefull
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There are several of these medical groups doing GREAT work in Baja California and other parts of the world. I salute you all for continueing this
mission.
 CaboRon
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