Jodi News
The accident...
| Where to begin! Yesterday's venture to the temple turned out to be quite a dramatic event after the girl I was with fell over two metres into a cement stair-well... But before I get into the gruesome details, let me quickly bring myself up to date. Yesterday morning started off with a relaxing boat ride on the lake. It was so misty that visibility was down to about 20 feet, and other boats glided by like ghosts in the distance. It was quite an ethereal sight, made even more so by a visit to a submerged Buddhist temple. Only the very top of its archways and part of the main building were visible over the water. We were basically the only people out on the water at that time so it made for a memorable experience. After breakfast we headed up to the local markets to buy produce.While having a romantic ring to it, I can assure you it was anything but. My god did it stink! I felt like retching half the time- a feeling not aided by the copious number of malnourished, malformed and mangy dogs wandering around. Still, there were lots of interesting things to buy and I have had the opportunity to try some really delicious exotic fruits while being here. One tasted exactly like pear dipped in honey and the other like sweet grapefruit. Really good. On the way home I enjoyed fresh coconut milk, which was quite refreshing in the mid-morning heat. In the afternoon, as mentioned, we headed over to see a Mon Temple situated on the other side of a massive wooden bridge. The bridge itself is an amazing sight... towering above the lake in a very precarious manner. They only recently banned motorcycles from crossing and I doubt it will be too long before pedestrians are also prevented from taking that route... Anyhow we made our way to the temple and then wandered around the adjacent markets. Andrew suggested that Erin and I take a walk up the nearby bell tower, as it had fantastic views over the surrounding area. The steps up were huge and very steep, but once on top it was well worth the effort. As we admired the view, Erin wandered around to the other side of the landing to look down river. It was then that tragedy struck... Andrew called to her to point out the submerged temple we'd visited in the distance and without thinking she walked forward and dropped straight through into the stairwell we'd just climbed up. She must have fallen about 9 or 10 feet. I just saw her disappear with a flurry of waving arms. We raced to the top of the stairs and Andrew asked her if she was ok. She said "I don't think so" and looked down to where blood was running from the bottom of her trouser legs into puddles on the steps. We ran down the stairs and helped her sit on the landing. She briefly lifted up her trousers and we saw a chunk of flesh had been torn out of her shin and there was bone showing. She almost passed out from the sight and I quickly pulled Ananda's shirt off to stem the flow of blood. I tied it tightly around her leg, elevated it and then sat next to her so she wouldn't pass out. Meanwhile Andrew ran for help. A major problem was the fact we were up the top of the tower when it happened. I knew I couldn't carry her without us both falling down the stairs so we had to wait for help. We somehow managed to get her to the bottom of the tower and into the back of a ute, after which she was driver to the local hospital. The woman who greeted us there looked less than pleased that the peace had been disturbed, but the nurse and doctor were very helpful. I basically had the task of standing with her and holding her hand while they cleaned and sutured her wounds. I can't even tell you how revolting it was. I simply concentrated on staying calm so I wouldn't freak her out any more than she was. I also made sure they used anesthetic! I have to say it was quite a grueling experience, even for me- and I wasn't hurt in the slightest. Just having to hold her hand while they poked needles into the gaping wound was enough to sap my energy. She was amazingly brave though... barely shed a tear. Thankfully she didn't hit her head and nothing was broken, so she is now all stitched up and is doing alright. She has changed her flight to tomorrow and I have decided to accompany her back to Bangkok since it will be difficult for her to manage by herself. We are heading to Kanchanaburi tonight and will take a bus to Bangkok tomorrow morning... So all in all a rather dramatic turn of events. I'm just grateful it wasn't me who fell down those stairs! Today I am going to go book our bus tickets and then go for a quick wander over the bridge again (I forgot my camera yesterday). Then Erin and I will be on the road again- next stop Kanchanaburi... I left my passports there (ooops) so I have to make a stop there regardless, otherwise I'll won't be heading to Laos any time soon! From Bangkok I will take the train up to Nong Kai, and over to Vientiane from where I will make my way to the school. So it's all go, go, go... |
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Nov 30, 1999