I want to ride my bicycle
L'Esprit de la Mer
Dr Chris Bates
Wed 13 Jul 2016 06:22
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Last night there was a gusty wind and the boat was
lively , swinging and rolling so not much sleep .I decided to stay on board for
a rest but Penny being of sterner stuff set off in the longboat for the 4 mile
passage to the village . It looked a rough one and I was glad not to be going
.An hour later the longboat returned , came alongside and asked for ice . Why do
you neeed it? Theres been an accident . To whom I enquired .
To your wife was the reply . What sort of accident? Dont know . I^m coming .
Don^t need you there is a doctor on site . I^m coming . There follow a 20
mph race along the reef into biggish seas . Bang bang with my back screaming
every time the longboat crashed into a wave .Penny is OK . A hole had appeared
in the floor and she had gone through it twisting ankle and knee with swelling
.The fijians had made her a compress of leaves to take away the pain and
swelling and thisseems to be working amazingly well .
I deciced to walk back to the boat rather than face
another beating in the longboat .The walk was an undulating 5 miles through
jungle but in sight of the sea along unmade tracks . Followed by a half mile
swim out to L^Espri de la Mer . If only I had a bicycle it would have counted as
a triathlon .
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