Monday, July 6, 2009

Summary

General items that came in handy in Bolivia:
Tissues -- I cannot stress this enough! Most bathrooms in Bolivia DO NOT have toilet paper, so having tissues with me at all times was so helpful. I bought two of the economy size packs of travel tissue packages (so, 16 little packs of tissues). This was the perfect amount for four weeks.
Disposible Wipes -- You can get little packs of wipes at Walgreen's. Most foreigners experience a lot of diarrhea in Bolivia. So, these are great for freshening up in the bathroom or just for cleaning hands while traveling.
Hand Sanitizer -- This is also indispensible because you can not always wash your hands and the water there is contaminated anyway.


What I was missing:
My face was SO dry in La Paz (it is very arid, at least in winter). I applied a moisturizing sunscreen every morning, but wished I had brought a nighttime face cream because my skin was so dry by the time we left. Even Vaseline would have been nice.

Medical Supplies Notes:

I brought two boxes of gloves, one box of masks, and two sets of scrubs. I wish I had brought a stethoscope. I ended up buying one in Bolivia, because I was using one all the time. So, for any students going in the future, a stethoscope is a good purchase. Also, I wish I had brought another box of masks because they are in short supply in Bolivia. When I left, I donated my leftover supplies to the hospital, which was greatly appreciated.

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