The name of the village is pronounced Chimbo. 

We pulled in about 11:00 and as soon as we docked our breeze disappeared. As the old saying goes “It ain’t the heat, it’s the humidity.” On the plus side the motor isn’t running so no noise and no diesel fumes. Rex, one of the boat crew, and I did some electrical work and got us running off of shore power. 


The extension cord runs over the side of the boat to the shore and up a pole where it is spliced in to the mains. 

There is government supplied electricity and lots of satellite dishes. Several pay phones dot the village along with three churches. 

After lunch Jason, the nurse who handles the medical portion of the boats work, was headed out to see a village child with an abscessed tooth so we all went along. Ten or more people living in a two room shack. The 72 year old grandfather, Mr. Manuel, is the village canoe builder and does amazing work. None of his sons or grandsons have followed in his footsteps. The girl has had the abscess for two weeks and it has not responded to penicillin. The local missionary medic has been telling mom for a week the girl needed to go to the hospital. She keeps saying “tomorrow.” Before we knew this the grandmother had said there was no money to get the boat to the hospital so I supplied the equivalent of $25 to get the girl and her grandmother there and back. When it came time for the boat taxi mom was back to “tomorrow” but Jason insisted and basically shamed her in to it. Rex had to bribe the boat captain to stay long enough to get the girl there. Turns out her name is Olivia, the same as my middle granddaughter. 


Hydrating Olivia via IV. 


Jason delivering her to the boat. 

This evening there was a display of the jewelry handiwork the village women created. I bought a few pieces for myself and my granddaughters.