Dr. Visit and Immunizations

Hi, This is Lenna again.  We headed out to the doctor at 3 today to have Laura's TB test read and to see the embassy doctor.  Good news! Laura has a completely clean bill of health.  Bad news...she needed some shots.  She was very nervous about the shots, so was, in fact, surprised at how she didn't even know they had given her the shots by the time they said "all done."  She was a real trooper.

While we were in the waiting room we met a couple who have 4 adult sons.  They were there adopting a sibling group of three kids--two girls and a boy--who are all under the age of 9.  It was fun to hear their story and to share ours with them.  We exchanged blog addresses so we could follow each others stories. It was such a neat blessing to meet them.

Today, the weather started out sort of hot.  We walked to the big Unicentro mall and wished we hadn't worn warm clothes.  But by the afternoon when we left for the doctor's office, it was pouring rain outside. It's pretty much always cold in the hotel, and Laura is used to very hot weather, so she is freezing. We found some leggings for her that she can wear under her jeans, and that seems to be helping. 

Tomorrow the plan is to get Laura's new ID card and apply for her passport.  We hope to pick up her passport Monday.  Tuesday we should be able to get her exit visa.  If all goes as planned, we hope to be able to head home on Wednesday.  Yay!!!

Yamile and Laura with our contact on the ground, "Tia" Martha.  She is such a huge blessing!

The hotel has plates on their walls from all over the globe.  We brought one from Nevada to add to the collection. It's the larger blue and white one there next to Geof.

Twins?

At Unicentro Mall, sitting in a spot where Mommy and Daddy sat with Yamile almost three years ago.

This is for you, Annalisa and Rebecca...la tienda Carulla.

This is a little hard to see, but as we were walking back to the hotel, we saw two guys walking what looked like 15 to 20 dogs. They were all very well behaved.

 

 

 

Geof at the ATM. This is a place we have to visit every day, as there is a limit to how much we can take out, and we are expected to pay cash for many of the things we have to do...like the doctor visit, hotel costs, and taxis.

Outside Hotel Paris, waiting for them to let us in. Everything is locked up like Fort Knox here.  We have to ring a bell and they let us in.  We also have to be let out when we need to go somewhere.

This is a picture of the construction work being done directly next door to Hotel Paris, which is right in front of the parked car.  The hotel is the only small building left on the street.  Everything else is becoming highrise.

Momma and new son, Nicole and Simon.

Yamile, Drayven, Svea, Simon, and Nicole. Nicole is a single mom of three kids, one of whom is the newly adopted Simon. (What a suprise...Yamile with kids!!!)

Laura and the owner of the hotel, Katya Paris.

Another one of Juanita's famous meals.  This one began with soup, and then tender, boiled potatoes, a carrot/cabbage slaw, and steak. Yes, that is meat on my plate.

Geof and Martha, in the reception room at the medical building where the embassy doctor works.

Nicole decided she wanted to buy cake for everyone's dessert after dinner tonight. This is a Milky Way cake.  It was REALLY yummy! Very chocolatey (sorry, Nisa).

Laura had the silly idea to put frosting on our noses and take pictures.  So we did!

Yummy frosting!! Hard to taste when it's on your nose, though.