Today was the most traumatic of my India experiences, past, present and hopefully not to be repeated in the future!
The morning dawned well and I joined the still throwing crowds to wander around the stunning rock temples and ancient rock temples. As you can see from the pics, I was happy and smiling as I enjoyed the elephants of 'anjuras penace' shrine, admired the butterball free standing rock, clambered to the highest temple to look down on the view.
Everyone is dressed up for Pongal, including the temple guardians.
Then disaster struck. Mingling with the crowds on the beach to watch the sunset a passing horse spooked a sacred cow who charged...and I was in the way. The horn caught me in my right side, throwing me into the air.
By the time I came round I was the centre of attention of an incredibly kind mass of people. An ambulance was called.ice was brought from vendors and people even went to buy lollies to place on my hip. I was put on a chair and carried shoulder high to an ambulance in too much pain to be embarrassed!
I did not want to go to hospital and asked to go back to my guest house but there the pain struck with a vengeance. My salvation came in the form of a fellow guest, a Canadian pharmacist, who masterminded a taxi. With my host in attendance we went first to the primary hospital close by only to be sent on to the 'super special' place half an hour away. A modern complex almost deserted bug with plenty of doctors waiting to receive me and all the equipment ready and waiting.
Four hours later I was x-rayed, ultra sounded, pumped full of antibiotics and pain killers (so relieved my pharmacist friend watched them like a hawk, checking needles etc for me so I knew they were sterile) and all for the princely sum of twenty pounds.
I declined admission and signed the disclaimer as I was desperate to lie down and cry in solitude.
I write this the following morning...very very sore, my right hip and thigh are literally black with bruising, but nothing major that won't heal with rest, fingers crossed. So this will have to slow me down every way.
I still intend to move on tomorrow, by taxi though rather than by bus...Mamallorapurum at Pongal has been an experience but I m keen to move away even if I can only rest in another guest house...ah well, happy Pongal!!!
After a day spent resting in the cool I finally felt brave enough to go for a short evening stroll. I now know two new things.
1) Mamallorapurum is a tiny typical lazy Indian seaside village normally. The kind of sleepy idyllic three street place with fishing boats up on the sand and locals sitting around drinking chai.
2) I am now terrified of cows!!
Which is going to make my time in India interesting as there's cows at every turn. Doh
The morning dawned well and I joined the still throwing crowds to wander around the stunning rock temples and ancient rock temples. As you can see from the pics, I was happy and smiling as I enjoyed the elephants of 'anjuras penace' shrine, admired the butterball free standing rock, clambered to the highest temple to look down on the view.
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| Butterball |
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| Anjuras Pennance shrine |
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| Temple Guardians |
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| On Top of the World |
Then disaster struck. Mingling with the crowds on the beach to watch the sunset a passing horse spooked a sacred cow who charged...and I was in the way. The horn caught me in my right side, throwing me into the air.
By the time I came round I was the centre of attention of an incredibly kind mass of people. An ambulance was called.ice was brought from vendors and people even went to buy lollies to place on my hip. I was put on a chair and carried shoulder high to an ambulance in too much pain to be embarrassed!
I did not want to go to hospital and asked to go back to my guest house but there the pain struck with a vengeance. My salvation came in the form of a fellow guest, a Canadian pharmacist, who masterminded a taxi. With my host in attendance we went first to the primary hospital close by only to be sent on to the 'super special' place half an hour away. A modern complex almost deserted bug with plenty of doctors waiting to receive me and all the equipment ready and waiting.
Four hours later I was x-rayed, ultra sounded, pumped full of antibiotics and pain killers (so relieved my pharmacist friend watched them like a hawk, checking needles etc for me so I knew they were sterile) and all for the princely sum of twenty pounds.
I declined admission and signed the disclaimer as I was desperate to lie down and cry in solitude.
I write this the following morning...very very sore, my right hip and thigh are literally black with bruising, but nothing major that won't heal with rest, fingers crossed. So this will have to slow me down every way.
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| a relation of the offending animal |
After a day spent resting in the cool I finally felt brave enough to go for a short evening stroll. I now know two new things.
1) Mamallorapurum is a tiny typical lazy Indian seaside village normally. The kind of sleepy idyllic three street place with fishing boats up on the sand and locals sitting around drinking chai.
2) I am now terrified of cows!!
Which is going to make my time in India interesting as there's cows at every turn. Doh
Wow, now that is really is a travelling experiance not everyone gets to have! Hope you are okay, do make sure you get checked up again by a doctor soon!
ReplyDeletePoor you, that sounds horrible. Take it easy for the next few days? And yes, agree with Andrew, get a doctor to check you out again when the bruising has gone down? Blimmin cows, never liked them. Lots of love, Linda xxoo
ReplyDelete