VISIT TO KARANGASEM: We headed off fairly early to visit my sponsor child who lives in the above village. I had done quite a bit of shopping at Macro and I had bought over with me 20 of the green shopping bags that Woolies and Coles sell. I filled each bag up with oil, rice, noodles, coffee, sugar, salt, dried fish, soap mosquito coils and washing powder. And also had lots of clothes done up into "family" bundles. We had chupa chops and treats for all the kids which were there by the scores. My sponsor boy is 15 and apparently he ran away because he was embarrased and shy of his house. I got to meet his mother and the rest of the family and told Bambang (the cor-ordinator of the sponsor thing) to tell him not to be shy or embarrassed as I know how he lives and that is why we are helping him. It was a very tiring day but I said to the others did they want to go to Sanglah hospital and hand out the bundles of baby clothes that we had (about 20 bundles). Might as well get it over and done with in 1 day so off to the hospital.
A trainee doctor took us around to the different wards as we saw mothers just about to give birth,and some who had already given birth. He took us into the special nursery and told us all what was wrong with the babies etc. He then asked if we wanted to see the new burns unit that the Australian government financed. That was fantastic and we were even allowed (2 of us) to actually go into the burns ward and see some of the patients there. we had to gown up and put a hat on but were allowed to walk in with our bare feet!!!!
One young boy had been burnt 60% of his body from a house fire and he wasn't a pretty sight. I just wanted to hug him and make it all better. He had tears in his eyes and so did we by the end of it.
He showed us cardiac intensive care which we were allowed to go in all hooked up to machines. Then a tour of the morgue and the room where they do identifications/autopsies. He showed us the areas that were the morgues after the bombing. I felt very sad as we walked past these areas and thought of all the victims and their familes.
Had dinner at Papas, thought we would splurge a bit after a tiring day.
Next day, OPRHANAGE DAY OUT - coming up