El Perro

Our first full day in the surf/beach town of Montañita started out with so much promise. Tim went out for an early morning surf, Taylor slept in, and Wyatt and I read. 

We ate breakfast (included in our nightly fee -- I can't stop talking about this, I love it so much) at our hotel, overlooking the ocean. 

After breakfast, Tim took the kids for a walk along the beach, and I went out for a run. I was pumped up about this run; for the first time since we left Costa Mesa, I'd be running at sea level and (hopefully) not wheezing my way along.

I ran on the packed sand toward the rocks where Tim and the kids were. Then I turned around, and started coming back down the beach. Suddenly, three dogs ran after me. I looked, and saw that all three were wearing collars. I could hear their owner -- a woman standing on a restaurant patio -- yelling for them. Two of the dogs turned back, but one kept after me. I should have stopped and yelled at the dog. But I kept running. And then, damn it, that dog bit me on my left upper thigh, just below my butt. I immediately stopped and shouted, "Go!" at the dog. The dog looked at me, and then ran back to its owner. I twisted for a look at my shorts -- did the dog rip them with its bite? No rip. The spot where the dog bit me kind of hurt, but I could still run. In hindsight, I should have run to the woman and asked her if the dog was vaccinated, but she was already moving back into the restaurant, and I just didn't think that quickly.

Further down the beach, I came across a man with three small dogs. These dogs started chasing me. Even though they were small, I had learned my lesson and stopped running. Thankfully, the owner quickly acted to put the dogs on a leash. I didn't start running again until all three were leashed.

No más, por favor.

Back at the hotel, Tim and I talked. He had seen me get bitten, as had the kids. I showed him the bite -- it was small and just barely grazed my skin. That was good. But we were a little freaked about rabies (okay, I was freaked about rabies). Tim headed out for more surfing, and I did some googling about dogs and rabies in Ecuador. That wasn't good; my anxiety level started climbing. I went to our hotel reception to seek some advice. I was told that there was a hospital about a five minute drive away, but a similar incident happened to a hotel guest last year, and the hospital told hotel staff it wasn't worth the guest coming in -- just clean the wound and put some antiseptic on it.

While Tim was surfing, I decided I'd see if I could find the dog owner and ask her about vaccination status. I dragged the kids back along the beach, and tried to remember where I saw the woman. I was about 90% sure I saw her at a restaurant with a green roof, so we went there. I had typed onto my phone: "Do you have dogs? I was running on the beach earlier and got bit by a dog. Is this dog vaccinated?" I showed my translated message to a couple women working at the restaurant, but they shook their heads; no dogs. From what I could gather, they suggested that it was probably a woman from the community who had walked through the restaurant to access the beach. The kids and I nosed around that area of the beach a bit more, but didn't see any dog like the one that got me. Back to the hotel.

When Tim returned from surfing, we weighed our options. Go to the hospital, and have a doctor take a look, even though it's probably fine? Or just keep it clean and covered in Neosporin? 

We opted for the hospital visit, mostly for peace of mind. We took a taxi from our hotel to the hospital, which was more like a local clinic. And our taxi driver was beyond kind; he could speak some English, so he served as my translator. I did have to wait a bit to be seen, as some of the hospital staff were at lunch. But once I was seen, it was fairly quick. The doctor had me lie down on a hospital bed (no bed linens or paper) and he cleaned the bite, then put a bandage over it. The doctor told the taxi driver what medications were needed, and the driver went outside to tell Tim what to do. Tim purchased the medications ($10 total) at the pharmacy next door, and gave them to the taxi driver, who gave the bag to the doctor. 

The doctor is giving me instructions on the antibiotics when I see a nurse coming at my left arm with a needle. "Uh, what is this?" I ask the doctor, pointing to the needle. I'm told it's a tetanus shot. "Ok, ok," I say. Tim had actually purchased the tetanus shot at the pharmacy.

After my shot, I'm all done. I don't sign one paper and I don't hand over any money; healthcare in Ecuador is completely free.

I walk out of the hospital and into the taxi with Tim and the kids. We come back to the hotel tired. We go back out on the beach to look for a late lunch -- and we avoid all dogs.

Getting my vitals checked outside the hospital.

Waiting, waiting.

The local ambulance, parked at the hospital.

The entrance and exit to the hospital.