Day 4

Day 4, and the third consecutive light therapy treatment session was due.  I dispensed and administered the required medication first thing.  I then worked with one of the longer term volunteers, assessing and treating wounds throughout the morning. One of the individuals had an infected tail wound, which would require further investigation, debriding and cleaning under anaesthesia – we booked the procedure in for tomorrow and started it on antibiotics.


It was a warm and humid day; making the quarantine shoes/wellies we all had to wear (with no socks!) very uncomfortable and particularly disgusting. I am unsure if choosing a pair a few sizes too big and having ‘clown feet’ but some aeration was best or wearing the correct size and just not think about the 100’s of other sweaty feet that had been in them!

With the afternoon off I went on a bike ride with 4 of the other volunteers. We cycled through local villages and beautiful green rice fields for a few hours, all the local children came out to say hi. It was only once we had turned around, we realised it was all downhill on the way and much more effort heading back! Once we arrived back at Cuc Phuong we went to the local bar (tiny chairs at the front of someone’s house), for a much deserved beer.  I learnt there were only two types of local beer served and it was served with a glass and ice as there was no fridge to keep it cool.  The joys of being in the forest, but all for 30p!



Cycling along the lane in the dark after dinner, the forest on either side was alight with fireflies, it was so fairy tale like. 

Location: Cuc Phuong National Park, Nho Quan, Ninh Bình 432857, Vietnam

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