After a thirteen and a half hour journey, Friday night the team arrived in Guatemala City - 33 team members and, miraculously, 66 pieces of luggage containing hospital supplies, safe and sound, with only one gynecologist lost on the way. Last seen approaching the check-in at Vancouver ariport it transpired he was trying to leave the country on his mother's passport and despite looking somewhat like her, the likeness was not enough to satisfy Passport Control. Upon investigation it turned was now spending the night at the airport waiting for the next flight.

With the invaluable help of Dolores, the head nurse from the Obras, the bags cleared customs in almost record speed and after yet another count, were loaded into the hospital truck for the journey to Antigua. The team members followed in four minibuses and arrived at the Quinta de las Flores an hour later where they were greeted with coffee, Dona Luisa's special banana bread and a fridge full of beer.

Saturday was a day of orientation and relaxation with breakfast at the Cafe Panchoy, followed by an orientation and tour of the OR and the Obras. Seeing the undernourished children with cleft lips and palates and the mentally handicapped children and adult resident impressed on us why we were here.

Sunday was probably the busiest day of the two weeks with over 300 patients waiting to be seen by the doctors. After a long ten hour day, approx 120 general, gynecological and plastics cases were scheduled for operations, and all the supplies were unpacked.

Starting first thing Monday morning operating began at the Obras. Everyone put their best foot forward and worked together accepting a new way of doing things even though it sometimes things felt a little strange. Adaptability and flexibility quickly became our motto. At first some of the rooms ran over time and we soon realized that in our eagerness we had scheduled too many patients. By day three the preliminary problems with equipment were resolved and scheduling problems were addressed. Dr Peter Scoates was even overhead saying "this is the most fun I've had in my life..."

The Behrhorst Hospital in Chimaltenango is about 50 minutes drive from Antigua, and is know by the locals as "Hospitalito del Gringo", which means "The little Hospital of the Gringos". It was set up by the Behrhorst foundation and is still in use today, although the facilities for anesthesia and surgery are very basic. Throughout the week team members have been going to Chimaltenango to perform colcoscopies and assess whether a small group would be able to perfom minor surgeries under general anaesthesia at the hospitalito. On Thursday the final cogs were put in place and surgeries have been scheduled for Tuesday of next week. All that remains is to see whether enough women see the pamphlets around the town or hear the radio announcements publicizing the clinic.

At the end of our first week the team had performed a total of 72 operations in plastics, general surgery and gynecology, and everyone was looking forward to a well-deserved break at the weekend. We celebrated the end of the week with "David's Dinner" in Casa 5. The dinner was prepared by our two honorary team members David and Darleen who spent the day shopping at the market and slaving over a hot stove.

Over the weekend a large group of team members took a two day trip to the Mayan ruins at Tikal, while the rest enjoyed the beautiful gardens of the Quinta. Before relaxing in the afternoon some team members visited to Obras to say goodbye to the children who had been operated on during the first week and would be leaving early Monday morning to return to their villages. The journey would take them 6 hours or more by road, and then many would still have to walk a further two hours or more before reaching their homes. Before they left, with the use of Spanish and Kakchiquel translators, the villagers thanked the team for helping their children and invited us to their villages.

With the beginning of the week work resumed at the Obras again.

Tubal Tuesday at the Behrhorst Hospital in Chimaltenango with Dr Gerry "Heraldo" Doersam performing eight tubal ligations and one diagnostic laparoscopy. Conditions were very primitive but with much flexibility, adaptablity, innovation and resourfulness the team managed to set up the OR and perform the operations.

Operating continues calmly at the Obras while Vulcan Fuego burbles away.

Thursday was the last day for operations at the Obras. When we finally took off our OR gear the team had performed a record 131 procedures at the Obras, in Antigua and 14 at the Berhorst in Chimaltenango. With two days before we went home team members indulged in some much needed rest, recuperation, and preparation for our Farewell Party at the Quinta.