Action Shots of the Surgery Team

While the team was in Nyakato the surgical team was

performing 3, 4 and 5 surgeries per day.

They performed 29 surgeries, mostly removing goiters and tumors

and changing the lives of their patients in a major way.

The pictures below are graphic in nature

but surgical areas have been blurred so you won't be grossed out.

 Dr. Mark and Dr. Mike work on a patient while Dr. Charles looks in.

Crystal and Lynn keep things in line out in the lobby of the Birthing Center.

The BBC was transformed into a surgery center

while the KC surgical team was there.

Cassie, a nursing student with Judy, a seasoned surgical nurse.

Lindsay helps Kurt to put on his gloves.

Dr. Mark makes the opening incision of a goiter removal

with anesthesiologist, Steve and Dr. Charles.

 Steve and Dr. Charles.

 The whole gang is taking part in this one.

Dr. Mike, Dr. Mark and Dr. Catalina.

 The three of them working together.

 Surgical nurse, Lindsay supporting the docs during surgery.

 During the lunch break

Kurt and Mark are perched above the group.

Most days the surgery team had lunch delivered to the BBC

so they could quickly eat between surgeries.

Dr. Mark, Dr. Mike and Dr. Dhaval chatting about important stuff

like the upcoming NBA draft.

 Back in surgery, and it looks like Erica has joined her husband for this one.

 In this surgery, Crystal is making the opening incision with Dr. Mike looking on.

Steve, our anesthesiologist from Florida,

was able to join our team at the last minute

when the original anesthesiologist from KU Med

wasn't able to make the trip.

 Crystal working with Dr. Mike.

 Surgical nurses, Lindsay, Judy and Crystal -

the backbone of the surgical team.

Lindsay looking in as the docs are finishing up.

Crystal and Kurt assisting as Dr. Mark closes.

Other Visitors at Nyakato While We Were There

While we were at Nyakato there five others visiting the Heath Center, too

and because we all lived, ate and worked closely together we quickly became friends.

Above are the four medical visitors; Cassie, Emma, Catalina and Kurt -

This picture was taken with some local children on the Sunday afternoon when the group

visited the Sukuma Cultural Museum.
(Thanks to Crystal for the picture above.)

Cassie is a nursing student, attending the University of Mississippi Med Center.

Emma is a med student, attending North Texas University

Catalina, is a MD in her 3rd year fellowship at Mayo in endocrinology.

Kurt is a med student, attending the University of Iowa.

Mary Pace, a good friend of Paula's, was also visiting during our stay at Nyakato.

She is in the picture below sitting in the middle of the front row next to Denny.

Afternoon in the Ngorongoro Crater

We finally saw a Cheetah between the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro crater.

Actually there were three of them in an oasis along the road,

but they were fast and hard to catch "on film".

 Before seeing the cheetah we had a flat tire

and had to stop as Ellie and Raj changed the tire.

They actually had to change it twice

as the first spare they put on did not have enough air in it.

While we were stopped a group of Masai women

walked up to our cars.

Their hope was to have us pay them to take their pictures.

We sat in the cars with the windows shut and cameras put away

so they took their machetes and left.

We saw many other Masai in their bright red coverings

out in the fields along the road,

as they are herdsmen out with their cattle and goats.

As we approached the crater we could see

giraffes lined up along the rim.

The walls of the crater are too steep for the giraffes

so they just hang out at the top.

Almost to the crater,

we passed the Masai village that the 2009 team visited.

As we turned the corner of the road we could see

the beautiful crater with the lake in the middle of it.

A volcano originally was at this spot

but after an enormous erruption

the crater was all that was left of the mountain.

Woo Hoo! Enjoying the moment at entrance to the magnificent crater.

 A beautiful Bee Eater in an Acacia tree.

 Let's pop the lid on the car and find some wildlife.

 Zebras resting with flamingos in the lake behind them.

More flamingos behind a jackal and some other duck like birds.

A hyena checking us out.

"Pumba" - a boar is getting ready to root.

 A female Kori Bustard in the grass along the road.

The Kori Bustard may be the heaviest bird capable of flight.

A Yellow Billed Stork hanging out

with some other ugly black headed birds.

 Lots of cars gathered in one spot - hopefully we will see something good!

A Black Rhino - Finally!

Actually, a couple of them.

What you lookin' at?

The North East wall of the crater.

Hippos sun bathing.

Our lunch spot oasis.

The drivers of our four safari cars.

Raj, John, "that one guy" and Ellie.

This Yellow Weaver is watching Judy eat her lunch.

The Yellow Weavers are one of the most common birds in the Serengeti and Crater.

A pretty bird with red wings near the lake.

Back in the car we see some water buffalo.

These Crowned Crane are hanging out with the water buffalo

and some boars in the background.

A jackal strolling by.

The hotel up on the rim is where the 2009 team stayed

when they visited the crater.

"What! You are leaving already!"

This monkey bids us farewell as we leave the crater.

We did not see any male lions this trip - 

maybe next time!

The view of the crater as we ascend up the road to head out.

Quite a magnificent sight!

Looking to the east and what it holds for us

in our next adventures over the next few days in Tanzania.