ok....so i wasnt sure about putting this in but as far as im concerned its part of the trip and has been a really interesting experience so im gonna. but not till now after we're home and theres no way of worrying people in england. i got a skin infection from a mosquito bite and ended up in hopsital for a couple of days - this section might not be a fun read for all, so skip if you arent interested or might get upset. it ends well, im totally fine now and i had an AMAZING time :)
part of travelling id assumed was always gonna be about taking the rough with the smooth and this definitely showed to me the dark side of what can happen when overseas. the day we got back to cuzco from macu piccu was wicked, and we had a great night out but my ankle had been feeling a bit odd after a lot of bites to it - it swelled up and was pretty sore. i was told not to worry though so just carried on and elevated it thinking that it was a simple case of a bit of bruising from so many bites in a located area.
but by about 3am on the 23rd (having got home from the town) the pain was unbearable and i was running a fever so tricky (being the star that he is) went and sorted out a doctor who came out and ive been in hospital since (its now 6am thurs 24th) the doctor seems to think that itll take a good few more days before im functional.
this has meant a few things - firstly, calling in the insurance which has (fortunately) seemed to come through ok. theres a nice room and an extra bed for tricky and theyre fine with our bags being in here so that we dont have to pay for a hotel room. we'd already booked the extra night in the hotel with the intention of laying in and getting a 19 hour coach to lima for our flight across but that money (plus a bit more) has now been spent on a flight instead meaning an extra night in hospital at the doctors suggestion. ive apparently gotta rest a good couple more days when i get to salvador too. hopefully it wont eat into our brazil time too much.
its clearly a full-on private place that few of the locals would be able to afford so im seriously bloody glad i got the insurance. bless loads of our tour-buddies for coming in to see me yesterday too - brightened up a dull afternoon! the hospital/nurses and doctor are very nice, though the nurses have this wierd thing of making the bed obsessively with you in it and not leaving the room till its fully tucked in with both your arms under the covers. the language barrier means its often easier to just let them do this, theyre all very sweet :) theyve got me on a consant drip of saline and 2 antibiotics (which leave a wierd taste in the mouth, makes your wee smell wierd and gives you incredibly scary nightmares) to get rid of the infection and seem fairly optimistic that itll be gone in a few days.
personally though, ive not been that scared in a really long time. all i could think about was that i need my foot for my new-found career and the idea of having to do something desk-based or not being able to do certain stuff again had me crying like a baby. the fever wouldve contributed to this and made it feel a lot more serious through the slight delerium but theres an odd humble clarity in feeling like that and i wont forget it in a hurry. i guess its a reminder of how fragile the whole thing really is and one thing can change overnight that alters everything. being reasonably able-bodied for my whole life and not having that much go wrong physically up to now is definitely something i appreciate all the more now.
overall, i think ive been pretty lucky. im an insured, rich foreigner and ive been treated like royalty since i got to the hospital. but as well as the sense of mortality it also makes you think loads about those who arent in my situation who this happens to. specially those around here who live off the land or need to drive or anything like that. ive never been that good with the povery gap when ive travelled and peru is no exception. there are little 6 year old kids in these mountains tending flocks of sheep. wearing sandals. in the snow. mental. but like i said before, this is the stuff i came here to see and to be made more aware of. in a way im definitely glad of the experience. plus, check out the pyjamas - havent worn pyjamas in years!
its also prevalent to say at this point what a star trickys been throughout this entire episode. he kept his head and got me in here, went and sorted out the flights having gone to the bus station to no avail and on no sleep and has now finally managed to get that lie in we both wanted all week - bless him, hes been out for like, 15 hours. im really lucky to be travelling with him and have him as a friend, i knew there was a reason we planned to do this together and this whole blip has really solidified that for me. makes me wonder about travelling on my own though, what would happen? would i be more careful? is that safety net being there affecting how im acting or the precautions im taking? i certainly dont think i couldve done more and i guess if it came down to it i couldve sorted myself out. probably. im really not sure. but ill maybe find out one day i guess.
so yeah, 3 flights starting at 5am tomorrow to get to brazil. interesting times.....
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