Writing from Iquitos

Well, I made it to Iquitos last night, after a long day in Lima, and will be heading out into the field in ten or so minutes, so this'll be quick.

Yesterday was a lot of in-processing type activities and in-briefing type activities, where they make sure everything is squared away with my itinerary and teaching me about the various labs. And asking multiple times if I speak Spanish, because apparently, no one outside of people who work for NMRCD seem to know English.

I did get a chance to go over to the medical school in Lima for a lecture the commander of NMRCD (a Navy commander) was giving on viral gastroenteritis for the Gorgas tropical medicine course, which is an international course for doctors who want to learn more about tropical medicine (and, fortunately, the course is in English). There wasn't really anything new in the lecture, but it was a nice review. Then it was back to NMRCD, lunch, more in-processing/in-briefing, and then a taxi ride to the airport to fly to Iquitos.

I'm staying at NMRCD's guesthouse, which is pretty nice--not as nice as my hotel room in Lima, but with electricity, AC, and internet (obviously), which makes it nicer than my accomodations in PNG. I am on my own for food, so we'll see how that goes.

Today I'm off to a cemetery to catch mosquitos, and then in the afternoon, testing them for dengue. Should be interesting...