Infection vs Pain



A few weeks ago in Gualeguaychu I accidentally kicked a rusted, metal fence with my little toe. Being such a dusty area - and wearing open-toe shoes - I decided it best to seal the cut with little more than a plaster. I used a trick which Bedouins taught me (through demonstration) after I scraped off a portion of my toe during a fall in the Jordanian dessert: they used hot coals to seal the wound and stop the bleeding.

There was no Bedouin tent or camp fire around, so I used a cigarette lighter. It hurt like hell but it worked. The picture above is the healing that took place in only one week (obviously the cut used to be bigger and deeper).

And then in our hut in Cabo Polonio, when I was stumbling around in the candle-light (i.e. darkness), I kicked the rusted, jagged corner of a broken, metal chair and subsequently cut myself again - I'm not prone to accidents, I swear! And as a consequence of the heavy rains in combination with a poorly sealed door I was constantly stepping in puddles of dirty water. Hence I used the best method I now know to deal with a cut quickly, to prevent infection. Fire.

It is quick, but let me reiterate... it bloody hurts!
Beware the blue flame.