wee + oops = ouch


There is a wonderful natural waterslide in Lençois. There's loads of iron in the water, making it look all black and brown, so that when you swim in it you can barely see anything - and certainly not the bottom. It was so much fun, but because you are sliding down rock it really scratches your butt in places.


One should note that it is particularly slippery. Sam was standing up near the bottom so I stood up to speak to him face to face. Unfortunately I slipped - really badly. I landed on the side of my head. I believe the sound I heard inside my head was a mix between Chonk and a Slap.
In the split seconds during the fall I thought to myself, "Uh oh. This is not good." I think I must have hit my right shoulder first, because it was also hurting.


It wasn't funny. I could have fractured my skull, broken my neck or maybe worse had if I landed on a more jagged surface. On the other hand, it is funny :)
I got up out of the water - actually amazed that I was able to do so - and was intrigued by the fresh color of my blood dripping into the water. Sam said we'd better go immediately though I said it was a shame not to have another go on the slide. But he convinced me otherwise.


I went to the pharmacy to get some antiseptic and he said better go to the hospital. So here I am. I hardly waited at all. Maybe I got preferential treatment because I'm a gringo.



I told them I didn't want any anesthetic, but unfortunately the word impossible is the same in Portuguese.


Now that really did hurt. I could feel him literally shoving that needle under my scalp.


Note the blood on the tray and on the floor. Cool, huh?


All done. Only two stitches... dois puntos. And because it was a public hospital it was all FREE! Yay!!!


I then insisted on serving the doctor.