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Friday, 18 March 2016
Tuesday, 1 March 2016
Viral infection - Time off in Liverpool
I had a great send off by friends and family in Dublin last Saturday! Many thanks to Run-Logics owner Ash Senyk's for his incredible hospitality and also to his helper Danny and all those that came out to show their support. Around 3:15 we were walking towards Dublin Port.
After a sleepless night I arrived in Liverpool and set out across England after a breakfast I couldn't finish for I was ill. I only managed to walk twenty km on my first full road day of my attempt to walk around the world. I had walked from Liverpool to Widnes on a chilly day feeding an insatiable thirst, almost as if I was in Australia! I had more trouble eating, for I could only nibble on my food and after a couple of small mouthfuls, I felt like vomiting. Clearly something was not right.
Just before the Church View Pub in Widnes, Karma my cart got several thorn punctures in a strip along a narrow path which I was obliged to walk along as traffic was so busy. That day I met many wonderful people along the way, such as John Shaw who had earlier given me great directions. Later he came out with a monster snack pack and said to me.. " Us Scouse love the Irish, we are all essentially the same! " Thorns are a nightmare for this kind of a cart. Luckily I don't come across them that much. In the past when I did I usually just got new tyres and inner tubes. I will also have to get some if that goo to put inside inner tubes. Cyclists say the goo slows them down, I say punctures slow you down!
After making repairs to Karma I went inside the bar to watch the Carling Cup Final which featured Liverpool the soccer team I have supported since I was a boy. The team I once supported fanatically lost on penalty kicks to Manchester City, my next city on the walk. I had by then become concerned about my illness and had decided it needed attention. In the bar, I got talking to a friendly group of eight lads and when I told them about my concerns they gave me the names of the hospitals to avoid if I wanted to continue my walk! The Whiston Hospital was highly regarded. After one of the lads called Dave Chatterton offered to mind Karma, I took a taxi the nine kilometres to the A&E there for only £8.80! As many people said to me that day; things are properly priced there, not like over in Ireland. Inside the hospital, there were about fifteen people ahead of me. I produced my European E111 health card and the first class treatment I received was all covered. Unlike in Ireland, this hospital had serious manpower at their disposal and there was very little waiting for me. I had taken the precaution of taking copies of my medical records which included breathing and CT scans after my run around the world, not to mention running through much smog and areas of Indonesia where tyre dealerships burnt waste tyres at the side of the highway. After a chest x-ray and other checks, I was finally discharged at three am. Their diagnosis was a viral infection, the advice I received was just to rest until I recovered before continuing my walk. The treatment I received in Whiston Hospital was first class! There were, at least, a dozen personnel in total who were working on me at various stages performing many checks. With no place to stay that night I was allowed to sleep there. At breakfast time, Dave texted me and kindly picked me up. He very generously offered to hold onto Karma until I recover. We had an interesting chat about travel, as he is well travelled having spent a considerable amount of time in India, a place he loves after four trips there. On Dave's wi-fi, I booked a room in Liverpool in which to begin my recovery. Thanks also to Fergus Owens, Barry Drennan and John Shaw for their kindness and effectively sponsoring my stop in Liverpool.
After a sleepless night I arrived in Liverpool and set out across England after a breakfast I couldn't finish for I was ill. I only managed to walk twenty km on my first full road day of my attempt to walk around the world. I had walked from Liverpool to Widnes on a chilly day feeding an insatiable thirst, almost as if I was in Australia! I had more trouble eating, for I could only nibble on my food and after a couple of small mouthfuls, I felt like vomiting. Clearly something was not right.
Just before the Church View Pub in Widnes, Karma my cart got several thorn punctures in a strip along a narrow path which I was obliged to walk along as traffic was so busy. That day I met many wonderful people along the way, such as John Shaw who had earlier given me great directions. Later he came out with a monster snack pack and said to me.. " Us Scouse love the Irish, we are all essentially the same! " Thorns are a nightmare for this kind of a cart. Luckily I don't come across them that much. In the past when I did I usually just got new tyres and inner tubes. I will also have to get some if that goo to put inside inner tubes. Cyclists say the goo slows them down, I say punctures slow you down!
After making repairs to Karma I went inside the bar to watch the Carling Cup Final which featured Liverpool the soccer team I have supported since I was a boy. The team I once supported fanatically lost on penalty kicks to Manchester City, my next city on the walk. I had by then become concerned about my illness and had decided it needed attention. In the bar, I got talking to a friendly group of eight lads and when I told them about my concerns they gave me the names of the hospitals to avoid if I wanted to continue my walk! The Whiston Hospital was highly regarded. After one of the lads called Dave Chatterton offered to mind Karma, I took a taxi the nine kilometres to the A&E there for only £8.80! As many people said to me that day; things are properly priced there, not like over in Ireland. Inside the hospital, there were about fifteen people ahead of me. I produced my European E111 health card and the first class treatment I received was all covered. Unlike in Ireland, this hospital had serious manpower at their disposal and there was very little waiting for me. I had taken the precaution of taking copies of my medical records which included breathing and CT scans after my run around the world, not to mention running through much smog and areas of Indonesia where tyre dealerships burnt waste tyres at the side of the highway. After a chest x-ray and other checks, I was finally discharged at three am. Their diagnosis was a viral infection, the advice I received was just to rest until I recovered before continuing my walk. The treatment I received in Whiston Hospital was first class! There were, at least, a dozen personnel in total who were working on me at various stages performing many checks. With no place to stay that night I was allowed to sleep there. At breakfast time, Dave texted me and kindly picked me up. He very generously offered to hold onto Karma until I recover. We had an interesting chat about travel, as he is well travelled having spent a considerable amount of time in India, a place he loves after four trips there. On Dave's wi-fi, I booked a room in Liverpool in which to begin my recovery. Thanks also to Fergus Owens, Barry Drennan and John Shaw for their kindness and effectively sponsoring my stop in Liverpool.
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