I actually woke up from a painful stomach, far too early for my liking. That pizza really wasn't good for anything. I did find a rather somber Susanne though, her foot not any better at all. Doctor it was. Where does one find a doctor here? I mean, where does one find a good doctor?
I was readied and out of the door around 9 some time, and was pretty much alone walking down the street. No one else here are crazy enough to set foot outdoor for at least another hour. Before leaving I had used my Indian phone as a modem for my netbook and found the 24-hour emergency number of my travel insurance. They play heavily on their ability to recommend good places to go for medical consultation in their commercials, so I decided to test them. I found a half-opened cybercafe/callpoint and after a little waiting their phone was linked up and a few rings later I was on the phone with a nice Norwegian lady. It is strange speaking a language again after not using it for a month. We did find a nice hospital relatively close and I got the address. Going a little further down the road I came upon a sleeping taxi driver who gave me his number. The return trip would be about Rs1000 + some for the time he was waiting there. On my way back I almost commandeered a Jeep from a lifeguard so Susanne would not have to walk the 30 meters or so of loose sand from the hut to the road. Good thing I did not, as that would have been embarrassing, apparently. What could possibly be embarrassing with having a shiny red life guard jeep standing outside?! NT's!!
Doing it the harder way, we made it up to the road and our taxi arrived shortly thereafter. The drive to the hospital took about an hour, giving us a nice overview of the surroundings. Almost like being back on the road with Sanji! The hotel was located in the heart of Margao, a rather large city with all the things that come with it. Somehow managing to find the hospital we were let off at the main entrance. After having positioned Susanne on a bench, I got in line for registration. After a little wait (most of which was caused by the totally nonexistent queueing culture here), I got a patient registration scheme that Susanne had to fill out. Once that was done, I handed it back and had to pay a total of Rs250 for registration and consultation with a doctor.
We had been assigned Room 3, which we found further up the hallway. I was unable to find any wheel chairs to rent or borrow, but Susanne hopped along bravely. Again a little wait as the doctor was elsewhere - and then a little wait because of the said lack of queueing culture - and we were seated in a nice examination room. After bending and prodding her foot a little, the doctor sent Susanne for an x-ray. Now a nurse came with a wheelchair and Sue was trollied away while I sorted more paperwork. First I had to go to the x-ray radiology reception to get a form approved, then I had to go back to the main reception (but another section) to pay for it, then I had to go back to the radiology reception with the receipt and once that was done the x-ray room was ready and Susanne rolled in. I decided to stay outside as soon as I saw the machines. Chernobyl was still alive!
5 minutes later or so, after her doctor had stopped by to check up on her, Susanne came back out again. Sadly, not glowing or anything. We went back to the doctors office, and just during the walk there he had gotten a report from the x-ray office that nothing was broken. She has torn a ligament though, and he recommended having her foot immobilised so it could grow properly. She could still use her foot but only with 50% load or so.
We were then taken down to the emergency/casualty ward and seated in a fairly nice ER examination room. Stuff appeared quite clean compared to the rest of the country so far, even though Susanne was still happy she did not have an open wound of any kind. After a few minutes her doctor appeared again and taped up her food with a strong tape so it would stay still. She has to keep it dry however, so no more normal showering and no bathing.
She is such a sport with these things though, taking it all in stride. Getting my travel insurance to transport us home (like they had offered) was not an option in her book - she was on vacation! Besides, where could she possibly have a better place to be immobilized than at her beach hut?
Once done in the ER, we paid another Rs680 or so and continued on to the pharmacy. Here she got some pills against the swelling and a crutch to steady herself against. Not the most modern kind though, something like a Y with a T. Still better than nothing I guess, even if two might have been better. Maybe we find something here tomorrow.
I had sent our taxi driver away to get himself some lunch while waiting, and he arrived 15 minutes after we were done. I was asleep most of the drive home, only waking up as we stopped outside the beach hut. While I had agreed with the driver on Rs1000, there was still that "something" for the wait, and I wanted to treat him to his lunch. And of course the 10% tip. As always he refused to say how much extra he would like, but I think another Rs1000 was more than he had expected. Susanne later said it was too much, and she is usually right. Still, for the wait, parking, food and not least my gratitude for helping me get my best friend to the hospital and back, I did not find it that much. It is hardly a long combined lunch/dinner in the shadow of a beach restaurant for two here, perhaps he will take his special one out for a nice day at the beach instead of being couped up in a warm car.
After refreshing in the hut, we hopped back to the road and over to the restaurant where we had booked our hut from as it was among the closest. Food was nice, and we met another friendly dog. There seems to be one or more attached to every restaurant or beach chair here. After food I sent Susanne off to a cybercafe so she could get some writing done and I went off to get the Eee for my prewritten blogs and maybe getting some pictures uploaded. Sadly, it is quite slow (as is the connection here..) so only 25% or so of the pictures will be uploaded tonight. Oh well, the rest tomorrow. On the way back to the cybercafe I tried finding something like a trolley or wagon I could haul Susanne around in (its especially bad for her in the loose sand), but I had no luck. I did find a tuktuk driver that gave me his phone number so she would not have to walk back to the huts. Perhaps I will have to rent a jeep...
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