Yo Estoy Inferma

 

There is a virus going around Copan with symptoms ranging from mild (upset stomach, head ache) to more serious (vomiting, diarrhea). Enrique was sick for a few days with more of a respiratory illness. His daughter (2 years old) was sick at the same time with stomach upset and was so sick that they took her to the doctor, worried about dehydration. Karla, my teacher and Enrique’s wife, said the hospitals are full and that she was told that the virus effects last anywhere from one to 10 days. This last weekend seemed to affect a lot of us: Karla was sick Saturday, Jesus and I were sick on Sunday. Luckily we had pretty mild cases with just mild stomach upset, light-headedness, and lack of energy. With a lot of sleep and special teas and soup made by Tina, I recovered enough the next day to go to class. Tina made a special mint and herb tea for us (me and Jesus) and some chicken soup. She also brought me drinks throughout the day to stay hydrated (juices and powerade). Allen had a mild case of diarrhea a while back so hopefully that was it for him. Tina has not been sick yet and we all selfishly hope she stays healthy!

One of the special drinks that Tina made was Guanaba juice. We were interested to find out about a new tropical fruit – also known as soursop. The fruit is pretty strange looking: green and lumpy on the outside, white and seedy on the inside. The pulp is the white fibers around the seeds inside the plant and tastes slightly sweet with an interesting flavor. A little sugar is added to the juice, but not much, and to me it tastes slightly like coconut. Tina uses the leaves for tea which is supposed to have many health benefits including boosting your immune system. I was happy for all the help I could get!


                    Our Class: Karla, Marcel, Allen, Enrique, Natalie, Nellie (Natalie's teacher)

                                                    Guatanaba juice and a fresh guatanaba.


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