It All Started So Well ...

A late and longer post for reasons that will become clear. A slightly later breakfast, yesterday, didn't give too much of a long lie as the bags needed to be packed and the bikes stowed in the support vehicles. We all set off on a road trip to  the Palace at Padmanabhapurum, India's answer to a National Trust property. A magnificent 16c building run by Kerala Tourist Board, despite being in Tamil Nadu. After a lunch of dosas at an adjacent local restaurant we mounted up and took off in searing heat (hotter than the first day). It was an easy ride south to the coast through busy and chaotic villages, then we paralleled the ocean east through rows of delightful, searingly brightly coloured homes with a welcome sea breeze. Everywhere we were hailed and waved at and cheered by groups of kids and adults alike. A minibus of primary school kids drove by deafening us with their screams of delight and there big smiles. Then we turned off onto the quietest, virtually traffic-free, country road of uncharacteristically velvet tarmac whilst the support crew deviated along the parallel main road. How much safer could it get after the mayhem of the previous day. We were waylaid by a rep from the Tamil Nadu tourist board making a video about the health and mental wellbeing advantages of cycling and "would we please do an interview". Everyone took one step back leaving me up front to wax lyrical about how good cycling was for folk. Then it all went horribly wrong ...

Spinning along at 15mph, the lady in front of me moved out to go round a fallen tree at the edge of the road ... that turned out to be 1/4 the way across the narrow single track road, so I did likewise, but not quickly enough. "Ah", thinks I, "I'm going to get raked by its wispy twigs". But no, because it was an obstruction, it had been trimmed of the flexible bits leaving branches as thick as you thumb. Pity it wasn't trimmed back past the edge of the road. Or moved completely like the blokes did afterwards. My RH bar end was snagged to a stop instantly twisting the bars to the right and high-siding me off the bike. I landed with full force on my left hip on the tarmac, swiftly followed by head and elbow. Brand new helmet performed brilliantly but will now need replacing. I was laid out in the road, trying not to black out and throw up, in absolute agony. Erica (nurse/midwife) was brilliant with me whilst we waited for the minibus to get to us. I was lifted aboard with a useless left leg and dislocated jaw. We arrived at the hotel and everyone was so helpful. Now I know how a wheelchair user feels. Senthil the guide was magnificent and he and driver, Jomy, researched local hospitals and drove Anne and I for an hour to find, at the second attempt, one that had an A&E doctor on duty (Sunday night). We are big fans of Ch4 '24 Hours in A&E' so knew what to expect. St George's this was not, but I really can't complain. I had the ministrations of a doctor, 2 nurses, radiologist, an examination, 2 pelvic X-rays and a painkiller injection in the bum for the princely sum of c£8.50, various medications for c£7.50, and a brand new crutch for c£7.50. Compare that with the cost of the 16.1/2 minute mobile phone call to our travel insurers at £33.00 !!!!!! Should have used Skype!  Anyway, the verdict was: no fractures, thank God!  Just soft tissue damage, although it's hard to believe when the pain score goes from zero lying down to 10+ as soon as I try and move. I can't put any weight on it at all. I'm crawling around the room on all fours; most undignified!  

So, back at the hotel around 10:30pm, we had a meal in the room that the hotel staff saved for us from tea time, then we had to pack everything for Monday morning's 04:30 wake-up call. A short nights sleep! The group were catching the 07:10 "express" to Madurai.