Travels Twists and Turns

Ok guys, here is something I wrote back in 2004 after we returned from lets say an ‘eventful’ trip to S.E Asia and the Pacific. Sorry it is pretty long and not up to the standard of Quichey’s pro writing skills.... but, thought I may as well post it for those interested ..
Travels Twists and Turns
Hot, sweaty and dripping wet from the steady rain, high in the jungle above the central Thai city of Chang Mia, we are well into day 2 of our 3 day trek in this thick uncivilised jungle. Slipping and sliding behind me was my partner who was attempting this under prepared in her worn out street shoes, ahh! Looking back up the steep slope, sliding myself, I was helping her through a particular undulating pass, when terror filled me as I fell backwards. Everything suddenly went quiet and played out in slow motion.
My right shoulder had fallen out, dislocated backwards. The three times this has happened before, hospitalisation had been the only answer, not even our veteran footy trainer at home had succeeded in getting it back in. I tried not to panic and the pain started to begin.
Minutes passed as I continued to try and manipulate the arm back into its desired location, nothing seemed to work. I felt sick; there was no quick way out of here. The villages (none of which were close) were completely self sufficient with their rice crops, vegies, chickens and pigs, they had no need to be in contact with the real world, which in turn meant we had no means of contact with help. We were 1 and a half days walk from anywhere.
Time continued to pass as I tried almost everything, trying to keep calm and blocking out other backpackers pointless advice. All of sudden whilst trying another manoeuvre, my shoulder thudded back into its home, the feeling was indescribable.
We were now 1 month into a 4 month Asia and Pacific adventure.
Back in Chang Mia our spirits were good as we looked forward to the next chapter. However, the morning after our spirits took another dive, out popped the shoulder getting out of bed! Lucky this time, we got it back in with much less fuss. A quick visit to the hospital was followed by some predictable advice, to take it easy and wear your sling, so the shoulder could heal.
The journey continued as we made our way through the beautiful country of Laos, and then into the chaos of Vietnam. Everything was great, as we soaked up the different experiences, cultures and local cuisine.
Halong bay was followed by Hanoi, Hue and then into the highlands of Dalat. After Dalat we headed to the coastal city of Natrang. The shoulder troubles were becoming a distant memory.
In an internet cafe in Natrang, I stand up and take a big overhead yawn. Clunk! Our trip had taken another turn.
My shoulder was out and this time it wasn’t going back in, I knew it. It was straight into a taxi and the bumpy city roads, every bump was excruciating as we made our way slowly to the hospital.
Hours later after so much pain, a number of different doctors poking and prodding at me, and an angry outburst from Christine for the doctors to take action, the gas was finally given and I woke feeling normal again. A street kid was standing at the base of the bed staring at me in the eyes; it took a few long seconds to work out where the hell I was.
We left the next day for Saigon, we would think about our options when we arrive. To make things worse we both had bad food poisoning and one thing was beginning to come clear...
I awake the next night to moaning and half screaming. This time it wasn’t me in a spot of bother, my partner was doubled over with severe stomach cramps. This wasn’t caused by her recent food poisoning. Something was wrong; this was the next twist in our adventure.
We stumble down the dark stair well and wake the hosts who open the door for us. The streets were deserted and dark; we end up finding a sleeping taxi driver, wake him and insist he drive us to the doctors.
I realise I have my wallet, but no cash. The kind driver, who we had just woken, said “ok, ok, ok, ok, ok”, as I tried to explain I would give him some cash tomorrow. We had arrived at this small dodgy looking building....
The doctor’s surgery was a very gloomy looking place, the night guide gets up as two cockroaches flee from under his stretcher. It was at that point Christine’s was happy to go home and put the pains down to a bad case of food poisoning! But soon enough another attack hit hard.
We are given a referral immediately to go to ER, luckily our driver decided to wait and he rushed us to the Emergency department in Saigon’s main Hospital down town. ER here is mayhem, no other way to describe it, there are blood trails from both main entrances, and we can’t believe what we are confronted with.
Hours later another attack, a doctor insists her appendix have to be removed.
” What? Here?”
“Yes, now, now.”
Another doc comes to the same conclusion, action needs to be taken. We are rushed to another room, the foyers are full of people everywhere, the wounded, sick, family, staff as far as you can see.
Crazy!
We are briefed on the operation in bad broken English and I finally find a phone to call the sleeping Mum back home, just the call you want to make from a hospital in a third world country! Next thing we are signing our life away and Christine gets pushed through the surprisingly modern doors.
I try to make sense of where to wait, how long will it take? It’s useless as the Nurse’s English is nonexistent.
Hours later I’m almost desperately searching the corridors to find her, when finally a nurse grabs me and rushes me through a few doors to an emotional Christine in recovery, she is fine although confused and sore.
We are assigned a room and our travel insurance company (don’t leave home without it) and parents both make contact.
Next few days in hospital we become well known with all the visitors and staff, we are the only westerners in this huge disorganised chaos of a hospital. The lift queue is up to 100m long at times, to say we stand out is an understatement. Eyes followed us everywhere we go; you begin to feel like a B grade celebrity in a shopping mall!
On one of my trips back to the guesthouse, finalising accounts and getting our luggage together, I somehow find our driver from nights before and am happy to be able to finally pay him and thank him for his generosity.
Travel insurance calls and we finalise details to return home.
We arrive in Melbourne and I’m carrying our entire luggage with one arm, with my other in a sling, as Christine receives glares from confused on lookers, little did they know she needed to protect her fresh wound!
We arrive home on my 23rd birthday, glad to be home, yet frustrated on what we missed!
But, there’s always next time. Travelling is an experience with twists and turns, this journey we will always remember for every reason.
Travels Twists and Turns
Hot, sweaty and dripping wet from the steady rain, high in the jungle above the central Thai city of Chang Mia, we are well into day 2 of our 3 day trek in this thick uncivilised jungle. Slipping and sliding behind me was my partner who was attempting this under prepared in her worn out street shoes, ahh! Looking back up the steep slope, sliding myself, I was helping her through a particular undulating pass, when terror filled me as I fell backwards. Everything suddenly went quiet and played out in slow motion.
My right shoulder had fallen out, dislocated backwards. The three times this has happened before, hospitalisation had been the only answer, not even our veteran footy trainer at home had succeeded in getting it back in. I tried not to panic and the pain started to begin.
Minutes passed as I continued to try and manipulate the arm back into its desired location, nothing seemed to work. I felt sick; there was no quick way out of here. The villages (none of which were close) were completely self sufficient with their rice crops, vegies, chickens and pigs, they had no need to be in contact with the real world, which in turn meant we had no means of contact with help. We were 1 and a half days walk from anywhere.
Time continued to pass as I tried almost everything, trying to keep calm and blocking out other backpackers pointless advice. All of sudden whilst trying another manoeuvre, my shoulder thudded back into its home, the feeling was indescribable.
We were now 1 month into a 4 month Asia and Pacific adventure.
Back in Chang Mia our spirits were good as we looked forward to the next chapter. However, the morning after our spirits took another dive, out popped the shoulder getting out of bed! Lucky this time, we got it back in with much less fuss. A quick visit to the hospital was followed by some predictable advice, to take it easy and wear your sling, so the shoulder could heal.
The journey continued as we made our way through the beautiful country of Laos, and then into the chaos of Vietnam. Everything was great, as we soaked up the different experiences, cultures and local cuisine.
Halong bay was followed by Hanoi, Hue and then into the highlands of Dalat. After Dalat we headed to the coastal city of Natrang. The shoulder troubles were becoming a distant memory.
In an internet cafe in Natrang, I stand up and take a big overhead yawn. Clunk! Our trip had taken another turn.
My shoulder was out and this time it wasn’t going back in, I knew it. It was straight into a taxi and the bumpy city roads, every bump was excruciating as we made our way slowly to the hospital.
Hours later after so much pain, a number of different doctors poking and prodding at me, and an angry outburst from Christine for the doctors to take action, the gas was finally given and I woke feeling normal again. A street kid was standing at the base of the bed staring at me in the eyes; it took a few long seconds to work out where the hell I was.
We left the next day for Saigon, we would think about our options when we arrive. To make things worse we both had bad food poisoning and one thing was beginning to come clear...
I awake the next night to moaning and half screaming. This time it wasn’t me in a spot of bother, my partner was doubled over with severe stomach cramps. This wasn’t caused by her recent food poisoning. Something was wrong; this was the next twist in our adventure.
We stumble down the dark stair well and wake the hosts who open the door for us. The streets were deserted and dark; we end up finding a sleeping taxi driver, wake him and insist he drive us to the doctors.
I realise I have my wallet, but no cash. The kind driver, who we had just woken, said “ok, ok, ok, ok, ok”, as I tried to explain I would give him some cash tomorrow. We had arrived at this small dodgy looking building....
The doctor’s surgery was a very gloomy looking place, the night guide gets up as two cockroaches flee from under his stretcher. It was at that point Christine’s was happy to go home and put the pains down to a bad case of food poisoning! But soon enough another attack hit hard.
We are given a referral immediately to go to ER, luckily our driver decided to wait and he rushed us to the Emergency department in Saigon’s main Hospital down town. ER here is mayhem, no other way to describe it, there are blood trails from both main entrances, and we can’t believe what we are confronted with.
Hours later another attack, a doctor insists her appendix have to be removed.
” What? Here?”
“Yes, now, now.”
Another doc comes to the same conclusion, action needs to be taken. We are rushed to another room, the foyers are full of people everywhere, the wounded, sick, family, staff as far as you can see.
Crazy!
We are briefed on the operation in bad broken English and I finally find a phone to call the sleeping Mum back home, just the call you want to make from a hospital in a third world country! Next thing we are signing our life away and Christine gets pushed through the surprisingly modern doors.
I try to make sense of where to wait, how long will it take? It’s useless as the Nurse’s English is nonexistent.
Hours later I’m almost desperately searching the corridors to find her, when finally a nurse grabs me and rushes me through a few doors to an emotional Christine in recovery, she is fine although confused and sore.
We are assigned a room and our travel insurance company (don’t leave home without it) and parents both make contact.
Next few days in hospital we become well known with all the visitors and staff, we are the only westerners in this huge disorganised chaos of a hospital. The lift queue is up to 100m long at times, to say we stand out is an understatement. Eyes followed us everywhere we go; you begin to feel like a B grade celebrity in a shopping mall!
On one of my trips back to the guesthouse, finalising accounts and getting our luggage together, I somehow find our driver from nights before and am happy to be able to finally pay him and thank him for his generosity.
Travel insurance calls and we finalise details to return home.
We arrive in Melbourne and I’m carrying our entire luggage with one arm, with my other in a sling, as Christine receives glares from confused on lookers, little did they know she needed to protect her fresh wound!
We arrive home on my 23rd birthday, glad to be home, yet frustrated on what we missed!
But, there’s always next time. Travelling is an experience with twists and turns, this journey we will always remember for every reason.