Guat Day is it Again?

This morning the team said adiós to the avocado trees at Casa del Angel and headed out promptly to Antigua. We marvelled at the greenery and volcanoes visible out our bus windows, as well as the skill of our driver Evi as we winded upwards. Traversing the cobblestone streets, we arrived at Obras Sociales del Hermano Pedro, where we were greeted by a friendly group of administrators and doctors who introduced us to our project: a large storage room filled with equipment. We promptly got to work!

At Obras Sociales, Christia and Noah worked on testing and repairing foot pedals for use with electrosurgical units. These foot pedals are used by surgeons to switch between cut, coagulation, and bipolar settings when performing electrosurgery. This makes switching between these settings much easier for the surgeons, increasing surgical efficiency. They tested the functionality of seven different foot pedals by using a multimeter to detect the changes in resistance that occurs in the pins of the connectors when various pedals are pushed. Of the seven pedals, four were fully functional after initial testing, and the remaining three needed repairs. 

Christia and Noah working on an ESU foot pedal

One of these pedals had a connector that was fully disconnected from the wire. Noah and Christia spent the entire morning attempting to solder the wire back into the connector, but the pins in the connector were so frayed that they were unable to make a reliable connector. Concerned about the reliability of their repair, they unfortunately decided that it would be safer to dispose of the pedal. Another of the pedals needed to be taken apart to diagnose the problem. Christia and Noah discovered that the piece of metal that makes an electrical connection with the switch when the pedal is pushed was not reaching the switch. They made a quick fix by wedging an adhesive shim underneath the metal piece to raise it enough to click on the switch. The newly-repaired foot pedal is now deemed functional for use in the hospital!

Stephanie and Katie testing an automatic tourniquet system

Performing electrosurgery on a banana

Grinding the cocoa beans

After a quick stop at our new hotel, we made our way to the Museum of Chocolate. We learned about the history of chocolate, working through the Maya to the Aztecs to the Spanish and tasting chocolate drinks from each culture along the way. We learned to shell and grind cocoa beans and to mix a traditional Mayan drink with chocolate powder, chili, honey, and vanilla. Finally, we made our own dark chocolate bars with diverse combinations of cocoa nibs, coffee beans, ground coffee, cinnamon, chili, and other ingredients!

Pouring the chocolate bar

We found all the colors

As the sun set behind Volcan de Agua, we took the opportunity to take photos of the beautiful, ancient architecture and ruins of Antigua. We wound our way through the cobblestone streets, awed by the history and culture around us. We briefly visited a local artisan market before heading off to dinner at La Cuantía de Los Urquizu where we enjoyed traditional Guatemalan dishes. Satisfied, we explored the streets of Antigua, especially taking time to take in the main square and the works of art around it. Exhausted from a busy day of travel, work, and exploration, we headed back to the hotel to chat and recuperate for another fulfilling day tomorrow!

The team at El Arco de Santa Catalina in the heart of Antigua 

Goofy team selfie with Volcan de Agua