For those who did not know, I am spending the next 6 weeks in Cusco working in Hospital EsSalud and Hospital Regional. My time in EsSalud will be spent between Emergency Medicine and Paediatrics. Ingrid is spending some time on Obs and gobs, Paeds and ED too.
Miguel and his wooden top which he managed to pick up whilst it was still spinning!
I guess the thing about paediatrics is that most if not all of the time, the child is unable to give you an accurate picture of what he/she is going through. Babies only cry, eat and sleep and most children perceive pain/discomfort to be high irregardless of the cause. So then, how does one look at a child and say, ¨I think that child is sick...¨. The trick really is to see lots and lots of healthy children.
"The sun is in my eyes!"
In the last week of walking around Cusco city, Ingrid and I have had the pleasure of watching local children play their games and even talk to some of them. What astonishes me and I believe I have had this conversation with some of my friends is that the games children play transcend all boundaries of culture, geography and time. We saw children playing with wooden tops and challenging each other to spin the other tops out of a circle on the ground (this is a game my grandfather played as a child), we saw children play Pirates with hats and rifles made out of newspaper and many many more.
Pirates in action!
The smallest pirate......
Children are happy with simple things and the idea of needing portable playstations or the latest cellphone does beget the question of whether we are losing touch of what being a child involves.
So, to the happy healthy children (In Quechua, Thaniwawa) of Cusco.....
The girl at the Artesan Market
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