The end is nearing!!!

It has been a long time since i have written thanks to the GREAT internet connection on the boat. It is very touch and go, whether it works or not.
We are in EL Salvador and nearing the end of this country with 1 day of surgery left. We arrived in El Salvador on June 21st after a 3 day sail up from Colombia. The sail was amazing with dolfins jumping along side the ship and i even saw a sea turtle!!! The anchorage location is amazing here in El Salvador, we cant see the city we are working in, we are surronded by lush green volcanic islands. I have been practicing yoga on the deck every afternoon and when the helicopter isnt running or the diesil engine isnt blowing exaust, it actually feels like a yoga retreat!
I have been on the ship most of this country, working in the ICU. We have been relatively busy, the patients arent critical but there are more being admitted to the ICU than in the other countries. I was slated to go to shore for the first 3 days and stay in a hotel but...I missed my flight on the helicopter the first day and they couldnt get me out until the 3rd day...I was really bummed but what can you do. I made it out to shore one day and it was great. I blew bubbles with the kids and helped do some patient education. The ship is anchored about 12 miles away from the pier so transport to and from the clinic sites take most of the day...mildly inefficent but i am getting used to it.
We leave on July 2nd for Nicaragua, our last country and the place i fly home!!! I am ready, it has been a good experience but it will be nice to be home again.

Juanez!!!

That is right...the ever popular Colombia musician (i don't know that i had heard his music before last night) was on the boat last night. Juanez came on board yesterday to perform a concert for the patients and staff of the Comfort. It was a great night, the Air Force Band played for a while (they are awesome) and Juanez and the band did a few numbers together. You could not have asked for a better venue...the top deck of the ship, 12 miles off the Colombian shore under a full moon!!! The Colombians in the crowd where going wild...he is an icon here.
The last week has been an exciting one aboard the Comfort. It started with a beautiful cruise through the Panama Canal. It was great to see the lock systems but the reservoir was by far the best part...sailing through a lake in the middle of a rain forest...wow!! Once we entered the Pacific Ocean we had 3 days to get to Colombia and we were ahead of time so we took a quick detour to cross the equator and turn around and cross it again!!! Sounds silly, yes, but there is a big navy tradition associated with crossing the equator and I got to participate this time! It is called a crossing the line ceremony at which time all involved become "shell backs". The people on the boat that had already gone through this acted as our guides as they put us through a series of push ups and sit ups, squats and crawls through garbage and fire hoses all starting at 0400 and not ending until the shell backs consider you worthy. Luckily they let me finish around 0900 so the ceremony was relatively painless, cleaning up the ship was the hard part.
We begin surgeries tomorrow so there should be patients in the ICU tomorrow evening...time to get back to work.