Chiang Mai is truly one of my happy places; it's easily up there with Norfolk Island and Queenstown among places where I love and feel so happy and comfortable. After a tough slog in Southern Africa or gallivanting the Middle East, Chiang Mai, with its great food, numerous temples, and cheap massages, is the perfect antidote. I would end up here again after visiting Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, and Kuwait (and having my trip to Iran cancelled). In the Middle East there is virtually nowhere to get a massage or have a drink. Four trips have now done to Thailand and I always find myself back to Chiang Mai.
This morning I went out for an early morning walk, getting a coffee as usual. When I'm in Chiang Mai I usually just take it easy but I don't want to spend all my time eating and getting massages. On my first trip to Chiang Mai in 2020 I went to Doi Suthep but didn't go any further than that. As an unplanned trip I decided on hiking Doi Pui. I could have had a motorbike driver take me up but decided to save a few baht and hitchhike. In an inexpensive country like Thailand, it's easy to just throw money around. I ended up with some cooler weather at Doi Suthep but thought I'd hitchhike further up the mountain, where I had not yet been. one more lift would get me to Doi Pui, where it was nice and cool. Rarely one to back down from a challenge, I decided to tackle the summit of Doi Pui at 1,865 metres (still, nothing in comparison to Damavand or Kilimanjaro). I nearly turned around twice, but decided to press forward. From the lookout there wasn't much of a view at all as it was very foggy. Suddenly it started to rain heavily, and I then walked quickly. There were no stairs, ropes, or railings to hold onto, only trees and branches, and I was hiking in sandals. I was more concerned about my passport and DSLR camera getting wet. There were no shelters to take cover in, either, so my only option was to get out and find cover somewhere. About 20 metres before I got to the road I fell backwards and then tried to catch myself, landing straight on my left wrist. It was disfigured. I knew straight away that it was broken! I was in shock, as I had never broken a bone before. I was impressed that I made it to 40 without breaking a bone. Hurriedly I made my way to the park office where the park rangers had a look of horror in their faces. They had me sit down and then propped my left wrist up, and they called an ambulance for me. I was scared and shaking...I had never broken a bone or spent any time in a hospital before. It seemed like an eternity as the ambulance would have had to fight traffic all the way up Doi Pui.
The ambulance would eventually carry me down the mountain, and suddenly I had to face my biggest fear, and in a foreign country: doctors and hospitals. I felt absolutely helpless, and since traffic was heavy it took nearly an hour to get to the hospital. I was wheeled out of the ambulance, in a state that I had never been in before. I'm used to getting up on my own and doing stuff, and they wheeled me into the hospital room. I was all muddy rather than bloody, as both the park rangers and the doctor thought I fell off a motorscooter. Across from me was a Burmese man who was struck by a cannonball; since this is the closest hospital to the Myanmar border, a lot of patients are brought here since Thailand's medical system is far better.
When I was about two and a half I cracked my chin open in the bathtub, and that's the last time I was ever in hospital any type of treatment. This is a totally new experience for me. I wasn't expecting this, as I was expecting hitchhike back down the mountain, have dinner somewhere, and have a rather quiet evening. After waiting about an hour the doctor came, and he attached my thumb and index finger and then put a weight on my arm.
He injected some anaesthesia into my wrist, but I could still feel some pain as he was setting the bone, so he gave me an extra dose. Although I was cringing, I knew I was gonna be alright. This would be the perfect time to be travelling with a friend or a partner. A temporary cast was put on my arm, and I was given some painkillers. It turned out I suffered a distal radius fracture. The distal radius is the most commonly broken bone in the human body, and is most commonly broken when the person puts their hand out when they fall, such as when snowboarding or on a motorscooter. Thankfully I wasn't put on antibiotics, but the doctor told me that if the bone had broken through the skin I would have needed surgery straight away and been prescribed antibiotics. At the end of the ordeal I was surprised that my hospital bill was only $75 (US), when I was thinking as an American that I'd be I would be going into insolvency. The X-rays were 80% of the hospital bill. At about 7PM I was released And I got Grab bike back to my hostel. My dorm mates were shocked when they saw the configuration I'll be in for the next several weeks. Although still in pain, I still have my feet and I decided to do what I love most in Chiang Mai: eat and get a massage. Buttoning a shirt, tying my shoes, and even having a shower will be a challenge for the next several weeks. The massage therapist felt really bad for me and helped me have a shower and get changed. For her help, I shouted her dinner. I called my mother, who was visiting my father, and showed them what happened today.
A few days later I'd get a permanent cast on my arm and then I would do stuff as normal. I've always had a reputation for being tough as rusty nails but even I'm a mere mortal. I'll get through this.
