yiskah | (no subject)

Hello LiveJournal, I am in Georgia with

jinxremoving! It is largely excellent and we are generally winning at Georgia. All sorts of lovely things have happened, including seeing LOTS OF INTERESTING THINGS, making our way very successfully on various forms of public transport, getting an overnight train from Tbilisi to Batumi and SHOUTING at men who tried to enter our compartment that WE WERE LADIES (turned out one of them was there legitimately, oops), adopting a dog for a day in Batumi, and driving through a flood on our way to the train station in Batumi this morning. We have also eaten various things largely (but not exclusively) composed of bread and cheese (I have also eaten an awful lot of offal), and attempted, mostly unsuccessfully, to go up a variety of structures (though we did successfully climb a tower yesterday). Oh, and we have wholeheartedly adopted the Georgian toasting tradition. Gamarjos!

However perhaps MOST EXCITINGLY we have had MEDICAL DRAMA! The day before yesterday in Batumi we were meandering through a Black Sea-side park, which contained an exciting four-pronged bridge over a load of fountains. We mounted said bridge with enthusiasm;

jinxremoving noted the shaky railings and commented that she wasn't sure that the bridge was quite safe, which was a fairly epic example of foreshadowing. For as we dismounted said bridge I slipped on a wet patch, came down hard on my knee, and on limping over to a nearby bench to survey the damage (which Clare had to do because I couldn't bring myself to look), it transpired that the bridge was evidently MADE OF KNIVES as it had gouged quite an impressive chunk out of my knee. Despite my slightly wobbly insistence that it was FINE and that I would just whack some Savlon and a band-aid on it, Clare and Nine persuaded me that it was in fact NOT FINE and perhaps I should seek medical attention. The Bradt Guide was useless in that, despite giving us the Georgian for any number of family relations, it did not give us any indication of how to say 'doctor', 'hospital' or 'my friend appears to have sliced part of her leg off', so Clare had to go off and do impressive miming at a policeman playing pool in the park nearby. He finally came over, offered an impressed 'ooooh' at the state of my knee (which I was still not looking at), and made a quick call - and lo and behold, within about ten minutes an ambulance announced itself with a whoop. However the ambulance was on the road and we were in the park and it couldn't see us, and the policeman tried to call over to it but it was obviously way too far away to hear, and then just as I was starting to despair that the ambulance would speed away without me, suddenly, from nowhere (I swear I am not making this up) A POLICEWOMAN ON A SEGWAY whizzed past at high speed to summon the ambulance, reducing me, Clare and Nine to slightly breathless hysterics.

And then I got to ride in an ambulance! On a stretcher!
And then I got two stitches to hold my leg together! (Without any form of topical anaesthetic! It was deeply unpleasant!)

Unfortunately this has curtailed some of our plans, given that I can't actually bend my leg which means that travelling in mashrutkas is pretty much impossible, as is walking of any significant distance, particularly involving stairs (though I did climb a tower in Batumi yesterday, of which I was proud). But other than that the knee is fine, and building up to what will eventually be a rather impressive scar. Hurrah!

In conclusion, Clare and Nine are very good people to be around if your leg nearly falls off. The end.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

OUCH for the leg! Take care of that, as Clooney is reputed to only date women with two good legs.

Hadjipouri!!! I don't know how you spell it, but that's that wonderful bread and cheese thingie they eat in Georgia. Damn, I could snarf down a piece of that right now.

Yes, but Paul McCartney would still go for her.

Khachapuri! That was what Jess named our valiant dog.

"No, Bread Product! Get out of the restaurant!"

Hey, no losing parts in remote parts, do you hear? Please remain in one piece! And that goes for the lot of you.

It's one thing to leave your heart in San Francisco, but try not to leave your leg (or any other useful part of your anatomy) in Georgia.

Gracious, DRAMA. Glad to hear you have been patched up, with the aid of a Segway, no less.

Glad your leg is okay(ish)!

Re: the Segway--this is funny, I was just reading today (in the Russian blogosphere) how Georgia just unveiled their army promo commercial (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYpjAXiQqUM&feature=player_embedded) in which they TOTALLY RIPPED OFF the American army promo commercial (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=7IY9xjIHugo#!)--if you watch them one after another, it's kind of amazing.

Anyway, maybe Segway is this kind of mimicry, too? George Bush rode it...now Georgian policemen ride it :)

Oh my! Glad you are recuperating from the DRAMA. I hope there will be less drama and rickety bridges (revenge of the troll, perhaps, although I should point out that I am in no way likening you, Clare and Nine to billy goats gruff) and more bread and cheese and pretty sights without too much walking.

Crikey, I am glad you had LJ's finest to hand! Also, Segways.

This trip is almost too exciting! But knee aside, it seems pretty great- keep doing the fun things and stay be-legged!

You just can't do a straight-forward holiday, can you? You simply have to find some drama, even if it involves trying to cut off your own damn leg.

Really, I'm just jealous that I'm not there with you for Segway hilarity and other adventures.

You crazy ladies! Sounds like you're having fun, even if you nearly did chop off your own leg.

Its vaguely ironic you made it through a posting in Sudan without injury then damage yourself on Holidays.

Oh, I've had a number of injuries in South Sudan, just none requiring irgent medical attention. Plus, given the state of medical services out there, I'd be more inclined to just tape myself up and get on a plane to somewhere else.

fair enough

Lordy, adventures. Reminds me of carrying you in Mozambique to fix that bad cut on your foot. Lower limb injuries seem to be your holiday speciality.

Met someone here in India who did her ankle and foot falling into a drain. Very sanitary.

Take care of yourself. And I expect comments on my blog too...

Ha, I had completely forgotten about that! Was that in Inhambane? This is at least the first travel injury I've required medical attention for!

On Bazaruto, I think. With the Belgian doctor you fancied and the hitchhiking surfers. I dropped you, I fear...

I am so excited that you are in Georgia!

My father's family is from there, and it is one of my very favourite countrieseven though their language appears to be averse to consonants.

I hope you have a great time and that your leg heals soon.
x

Oh wow, I did wonder, actually, as I encountered (possibly in something I was reading about Georgia) someone with the same last name as you, and I didn't know if you had any sort of Georgian connection. Do you speak any Georgian at all?

Tell me about the language! This grammar-obsessive needs to know . . .

It all sounds fun, anyway (apart from the stitches that is . . . )

Ouch! Hope it gets better extrememly soon!

foreign! hospital! adventures! seeing the bits of other countries tourists generally don't! you are taking this concept too far!

Aw man! My most recent medical drama while traveling just got me antibiotics and some serious codeine. Some people have ALL the fun.

(I did nearly get trampled by wild horses on Easter Island but, well, I didn't.)

Sakartvelos gaumarjos!!!!! I'm in Tbilisi right now! Bummer about your knee, but I'm glad to hear you're enjoying Georgia. I was truly Georgian in another life - there is no other explanation for the way I feel when I'm here.

I. Have. No. Words.

What the good goddamn!!!?!?!? Take care of yourself, woman!

Ow! Ow ow ow!
Good service though! Seems like the ideal place to nearly slice your leg off.

Hmm, that?s some cool information. I would search on Google to find other relevant articles. Actually, I came across your blog on Google Blog Search. I?m going to add your RSS feed to my reader. Continue posting please!