Once again it's been a while and again I apologise.
Work has been busy busy. Especially since we have our own trucks again which met us in Wadi Halfa.
Today I'm in Dongola and have been on many missions.
My medical clinic is finally sorted.
My main emergency response bag is finally sorted
The secondary emergency response bag remains a work in progress.
I had a big win at the chemist today and found some more Adrenaline, and an even bigger win when I got some Suxemethonium and Pancuronium. They didn't have Vecuronium which is what I'm used to using so I'll have to do a bit of reading up on this pancuronium stuff but at least we now have intubating drugs to go with the rest of our intubating equipment!
The other day while climbing off the roof of the lunch truck I managed to rip the crotch of my pants big time. This was a big problem because I only brought one pair of long pants with me!!! Thankfully this is Africa though and in Dongola today I went to the Tailor and got him to sew them back up from me and the pants that have already made it through 2 TDAs are back to being wearable again!!!
There's a big mission going on trying to sort out the space on the trucks. Riders have too much luggage, all the tour equipment and food struggles to fit on. What doesn't fit into peoples lockers must disappear.
I did a big cull of medical equipment. Mostly just packaging rather than the medication itself.
There hasn't been much action in the clinic.
The ferry trip from Aswan to Wadi Halfa was smoother than usual getting on - didn't have so many people to push through at least! One of the clients, Esther, dreaded my hair, which is great because it means that it is much easier to look after while I'm camping for four months and I'm not good at hair maintenance normally anway! It took her many hours and it was the first head she had ever completely dreaded and I am really greatful for her effort!!
Well I'd better get back to it anyhow!!
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Ready Set Go!
Well, I apologise that it's been a while since my last post, but chances of getting online in the desert is somewhat slim, and then when I was in Safaga this site wanted to verify my login in Arabic and I couldn't understand what I was supposed to type in the box!
Life on TDA is never without drama and I must say it's nice to be back at my other home living the life on the road again!
Mostly so far I have been manning the lunch truck for our riders. Our lunch truck driver speaks little English and I speak little Arabic but Zait (the Egyptian lunch truck driver) and I seem to understand each other quite well considering. Yesterday we got ourselves into a bit of a pickle when we got the lunch truck stuck in the sand because of a slight communication error... Thankfully the dinner truck was able to save us.
Today the kids were a little vicious which meant for the second time already this tour we had a cyclist involved with a motor vehicle... thankfully only minor injuries and it wasn't necessary to go to hospital in the Egyptian Ambulance who tends to follow us along as we ride (as well as about 10 police cars, and the fire truck).
I am really looking forward to getting back into the Sudan to see our own trucks again!
Life on TDA is never without drama and I must say it's nice to be back at my other home living the life on the road again!
Mostly so far I have been manning the lunch truck for our riders. Our lunch truck driver speaks little English and I speak little Arabic but Zait (the Egyptian lunch truck driver) and I seem to understand each other quite well considering. Yesterday we got ourselves into a bit of a pickle when we got the lunch truck stuck in the sand because of a slight communication error... Thankfully the dinner truck was able to save us.
Today the kids were a little vicious which meant for the second time already this tour we had a cyclist involved with a motor vehicle... thankfully only minor injuries and it wasn't necessary to go to hospital in the Egyptian Ambulance who tends to follow us along as we ride (as well as about 10 police cars, and the fire truck).
I am really looking forward to getting back into the Sudan to see our own trucks again!
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Back at Changi again - next stop Cairo :D
The ride from Takeo to Phnom Penh was nearly uneventful. National Highway 2 was a pleasant ride and I didn't feel like I was riding on a highway. If anyone reading this is ever contemplating a similar route I probably recommend Highway 3 over Highway 2 only because it has such a nice wide shoulder and you don't have to be so much on the alert to oncoming traffic as well as keeping eyes in the back of your head for the stuff coming up behind. On highway 2 it's often necessary to ride off the pavement onto the dirt shoulder to allow for bigger faster traffic to pass, although traffic was not heavy.
It wasn't until I rode into PP that I had absolutely no idea what road I was coming in on. I stopped at an intersection off the road but still on the pavement that the motorbikes use. I try to ask the traffic cop where I am on my map. He is asking me to keep moving because I'm apparently blocking the intersection even though I'm not on the road. I don't listen to that part. He points vaguely in the direction that I should take, but I really want to know where I am on the map because I have no idea what road! The traffic was pretty crazy but the basic rules are still the same as most other crazy cities I've cycled in - give way to whatever is in front of you. Anyhow, after taking the super long route I eventually find my way back to the Mad Monkey where they still have my bike box and my camping equipment (phew!).
I repair all the holes and tears in my bike box that happened during transit Brissie to PP with boxing tape and a few reinforcing cardboard pieces. Hopefully it'll get to Cairo ok. At the airport I get into a disagreement with the guy at the check in counter over how much baggage I have. I have 34.3kg of luggage which includes 23kg of boxed bike. I produce my letter but he doesn't listen because I don't have an approval letter from head office. Smart guy. Suddenly I'm wishing that I'm wearing 7 pairs of undies, 3 pairs of cycling knicks (chamois if you don't come from Aus and get confused about what this means!), my one cycling jersey I decided to take with me (my other t-shirts can double to ride my bike in), in addition to what I'm already wearing (which is only one pair of underwear, two pairs of loose fitting shorts, one pair of long pants over the top, 4 t-shirts, my explorer socks, a pair of sports socks, my runners... I think that's all but who can be sure. I was considering tying my sarong around my waist aswell...
Then he suggests I take my massive red duffel bag as carry on. I have not one but 3 planes to get on though so I'm not really happy with this plan because I think it's a bit big and the cabin staff might get narky at me, even if I could get away with it for the PP to Singapore stretch.
Eventually he tells me if I take 4-5kg out of my red duffel bag it will be under 30kg which is ok (even though I only have a 20kg ticket, normally they are ok with that until you go over the magic 30 number). So I take out my tent and my sleeping bag in the middle of the airport and remove my tent pegs and put them back in my red duffel just in case the security guys at any of the checks think I might stab someone with one of them.
So now I have 5 pieces of hand luggage to keep an eye on BUT NO EXCESS BAGGAGE FEES! and I'm very thankful to those little mini carry on luggage trolleys they have at Changi airport. I keep peering over it and counting and making sure I still have all five pieces - tent, sleeping bag, hydro pack, helmet, and kite (ok so this bit is a luxury but I just couldn't leave it behind!!). I still have another 2 planes to get on so hopefully I don't have any more issues to deal with!!
It wasn't until I rode into PP that I had absolutely no idea what road I was coming in on. I stopped at an intersection off the road but still on the pavement that the motorbikes use. I try to ask the traffic cop where I am on my map. He is asking me to keep moving because I'm apparently blocking the intersection even though I'm not on the road. I don't listen to that part. He points vaguely in the direction that I should take, but I really want to know where I am on the map because I have no idea what road! The traffic was pretty crazy but the basic rules are still the same as most other crazy cities I've cycled in - give way to whatever is in front of you. Anyhow, after taking the super long route I eventually find my way back to the Mad Monkey where they still have my bike box and my camping equipment (phew!).
I repair all the holes and tears in my bike box that happened during transit Brissie to PP with boxing tape and a few reinforcing cardboard pieces. Hopefully it'll get to Cairo ok. At the airport I get into a disagreement with the guy at the check in counter over how much baggage I have. I have 34.3kg of luggage which includes 23kg of boxed bike. I produce my letter but he doesn't listen because I don't have an approval letter from head office. Smart guy. Suddenly I'm wishing that I'm wearing 7 pairs of undies, 3 pairs of cycling knicks (chamois if you don't come from Aus and get confused about what this means!), my one cycling jersey I decided to take with me (my other t-shirts can double to ride my bike in), in addition to what I'm already wearing (which is only one pair of underwear, two pairs of loose fitting shorts, one pair of long pants over the top, 4 t-shirts, my explorer socks, a pair of sports socks, my runners... I think that's all but who can be sure. I was considering tying my sarong around my waist aswell...
Then he suggests I take my massive red duffel bag as carry on. I have not one but 3 planes to get on though so I'm not really happy with this plan because I think it's a bit big and the cabin staff might get narky at me, even if I could get away with it for the PP to Singapore stretch.
Eventually he tells me if I take 4-5kg out of my red duffel bag it will be under 30kg which is ok (even though I only have a 20kg ticket, normally they are ok with that until you go over the magic 30 number). So I take out my tent and my sleeping bag in the middle of the airport and remove my tent pegs and put them back in my red duffel just in case the security guys at any of the checks think I might stab someone with one of them.
So now I have 5 pieces of hand luggage to keep an eye on BUT NO EXCESS BAGGAGE FEES! and I'm very thankful to those little mini carry on luggage trolleys they have at Changi airport. I keep peering over it and counting and making sure I still have all five pieces - tent, sleeping bag, hydro pack, helmet, and kite (ok so this bit is a luxury but I just couldn't leave it behind!!). I still have another 2 planes to get on so hopefully I don't have any more issues to deal with!!
The Takeo Orphanage
Immediately as I walk out of the internet place after my last entry I meet a Cambodian girl, Kanha. Kanha is a 19 year old orphan girl who now helps teach English at this little orphanage in Takeo. She asks me if I would like to visit the orphanage she lives at. Of course I jump at the chance. It's a small distance away and Kanha has her bicycle with her and suggests I ride with her - so I jump on the back and ride side saddle like the Khmer do until we get to the guesthouse I'm staying at and I pick up my own bike.
I meet all the kids at the orphanage - they are currently aged 11-18 years old. There is currently about 30 orphans but at times there are more like 100. I introduce myself and they are impressed at all of the distances I have been riding!
The big focus is on learning English so that these kids will have a chance at getting a decent job. They also get taught about maintaining good eye contact at all times. They all do their own laundry, and they have a cooking roster, so each day 3 kids will work together and cook dinner for everyone. There is a small two story building, and the boys sleep downstairs, and the girls upstairs. They have a communal wardrobe (boys and girls separate). Mattresses and a mosquito net go up at night time, and during the day they get packed away to create more space.
They have 3 separate classrooms, but the roof really needs repairing as there's lot's of holes and I imagine it would disrupt learning in the wet!
I meet Big Al who is a Phillipino guy who runs the place basically by himself. He says he could do with a hand and is on the lookout for volunteers and I promise to spread the word and apologise that I have to leave Takeo the following morning. I honestly would have loved to spend a few days there helping out but I needed to get to Phnom Penh to catch a plane!
I meet all the kids at the orphanage - they are currently aged 11-18 years old. There is currently about 30 orphans but at times there are more like 100. I introduce myself and they are impressed at all of the distances I have been riding!
The big focus is on learning English so that these kids will have a chance at getting a decent job. They also get taught about maintaining good eye contact at all times. They all do their own laundry, and they have a cooking roster, so each day 3 kids will work together and cook dinner for everyone. There is a small two story building, and the boys sleep downstairs, and the girls upstairs. They have a communal wardrobe (boys and girls separate). Mattresses and a mosquito net go up at night time, and during the day they get packed away to create more space.
They have 3 separate classrooms, but the roof really needs repairing as there's lot's of holes and I imagine it would disrupt learning in the wet!
I meet Big Al who is a Phillipino guy who runs the place basically by himself. He says he could do with a hand and is on the lookout for volunteers and I promise to spread the word and apologise that I have to leave Takeo the following morning. I honestly would have loved to spend a few days there helping out but I needed to get to Phnom Penh to catch a plane!
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
I can eat noodles with chopsticks!
So it's been a few days since I've posted anything here - my apologies but the internet connection speed in the town of Kep was a true test of my patience so I decided to occupy myself otherwise - exploring the crab market and the beaches around town instead! And of course put my feet up for a bit and read some book.
The ride from Sihanoukville to Kep was not nearly as challenging as the other way around. I think it was partially because I ate a tonne of food on the dive boat, and also because I got all the hills over and done with first thing in the morning before the heat picked up too much!
I don't mean to brag but I'm turning into some kind of chopstick eating noodle pro! Still got a few more chances to practice though to polish up this new skill!
Todays ride was particularly beautiful. I only spent 5km on the highway, the other roughly 120km I spend riding the back roads. I meet a guy who gives me a private tour of his pagoda. There are a lot of pagodas here but it was only the first one I have been to see. I think it is easy to over do the pagoda seeing sometimes! He asked me if I'd seen any of these other pagodas (probably famous if you're into pagodas) and seemed really disappointed when I hadn't.
I also met a boy who spoke really good english (almost fluent). He said he'd been learning it for 3 years now at both private and public schools. I found another lady who was selling fried banana, and also some really really good sticky rice with rhubarb in the middle, wrapped up in vine leaves. Yummo.
And now I'm in the town of Takeo! Yep I finally found it! Tomorrow I ride 80km back to PP on National Highway 2 (fingers crossed!). The word is that NH2 is bicycle friendly with a nice wide shoulder so I'll suss it out for myself and see how it goes! I have a nice clean room and an ensuite bathroom all to myself for the fine price of $5USD. I'd be in my tent for that amount of money at home!
The ride from Sihanoukville to Kep was not nearly as challenging as the other way around. I think it was partially because I ate a tonne of food on the dive boat, and also because I got all the hills over and done with first thing in the morning before the heat picked up too much!
I don't mean to brag but I'm turning into some kind of chopstick eating noodle pro! Still got a few more chances to practice though to polish up this new skill!
Todays ride was particularly beautiful. I only spent 5km on the highway, the other roughly 120km I spend riding the back roads. I meet a guy who gives me a private tour of his pagoda. There are a lot of pagodas here but it was only the first one I have been to see. I think it is easy to over do the pagoda seeing sometimes! He asked me if I'd seen any of these other pagodas (probably famous if you're into pagodas) and seemed really disappointed when I hadn't.
I also met a boy who spoke really good english (almost fluent). He said he'd been learning it for 3 years now at both private and public schools. I found another lady who was selling fried banana, and also some really really good sticky rice with rhubarb in the middle, wrapped up in vine leaves. Yummo.
And now I'm in the town of Takeo! Yep I finally found it! Tomorrow I ride 80km back to PP on National Highway 2 (fingers crossed!). The word is that NH2 is bicycle friendly with a nice wide shoulder so I'll suss it out for myself and see how it goes! I have a nice clean room and an ensuite bathroom all to myself for the fine price of $5USD. I'd be in my tent for that amount of money at home!
Sunday, January 1, 2012
How to drink champagne underwater
It's been a lovely 2 days off the bike. I have had my feet up relaxing on a boat the entire time (apart from the 5 dives we managed to fit in when I was underwater!)
For any divers reading this the visibility was pretty poor (like between 1-4m) but the sponges were cool, and the fishies were nice, and diving is cool anyway and just fits in so well when you feel like taking a few days off the bike that the low vis didn't really matter that much. I am now a certified Advanced Open Water Diver!!! And scored a free t-shirt (which is great because I only had the three I was wearing at the airport).
Buuuut... we did have one dilemma - what do you do when you're planning a night dive starting in 2011 and finishing in 2012 and need to have a new years toast??? The guys at Scuba Nation Cambodia have it all figured out!!! Here's how it works - all you need is a pot from the kitchen, a bottle of champagne, and a piece of oxygen tubing from the divers first aid box!!!
1. kneel on the ocean floor
2. turn the pot upside down and fill it with air using your occy (you might need to take a bit of extra lead so that you don't float up too much too!!!)
3. pop the bottle of champagne in the air pocket created by the pot
4. insert oxygen tubing
5. use the tubing like a straw take your regulator out of your mouth and have a drink!!!
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE :)
Tomorrows plan is to retrace the 110km back to Kampot then continue a further 10-20km I think (need to check the map before I go to sleep) to the little town of Kep. Meant to be a lovely spot. Will write more then.
For any divers reading this the visibility was pretty poor (like between 1-4m) but the sponges were cool, and the fishies were nice, and diving is cool anyway and just fits in so well when you feel like taking a few days off the bike that the low vis didn't really matter that much. I am now a certified Advanced Open Water Diver!!! And scored a free t-shirt (which is great because I only had the three I was wearing at the airport).
Buuuut... we did have one dilemma - what do you do when you're planning a night dive starting in 2011 and finishing in 2012 and need to have a new years toast??? The guys at Scuba Nation Cambodia have it all figured out!!! Here's how it works - all you need is a pot from the kitchen, a bottle of champagne, and a piece of oxygen tubing from the divers first aid box!!!
1. kneel on the ocean floor
2. turn the pot upside down and fill it with air using your occy (you might need to take a bit of extra lead so that you don't float up too much too!!!)
3. pop the bottle of champagne in the air pocket created by the pot
4. insert oxygen tubing
5. use the tubing like a straw take your regulator out of your mouth and have a drink!!!
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE :)
Tomorrows plan is to retrace the 110km back to Kampot then continue a further 10-20km I think (need to check the map before I go to sleep) to the little town of Kep. Meant to be a lovely spot. Will write more then.
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