Riikka maailmalla: Fear and loathing in Las Galeras

The past few days have been somewhat more challenging than we ever could have imagined and haven't been not quite as was planned. Leaving from the town of Samaná, only a minutes before we hopped on the guagua, I burned my leg on a steamy hot pipe on my motoconcho. It only touched my leg for less than a second but I was immediately worried. Straight after, all our stuff was thrown on the top of the guagua, and along went all my medicine and the first aid kit I so preciously value now. There was no chance for first aid, no chance to pour cold water on the burn (since I didn't realize room temperature water would do as well), also because we were squeezed in so tightly with the other people there was no space for any sort of action. All we had was sun lotion spf 30 so that's what we put on as a first aid, having no better idea of what to do.

The burn had a pretty grose blister which popped on the first night here in Las Galeras. It turned out I had burned away the first layer, epidermis, of my skin and, utilizing the always reliable Internet sources, I diagnosed myself with a second degree burn. Not really understanding the possible severity of having a second degree burn here in the tropics, nor the chance of infection, I kept going as usual. After no signs of improvement, we consulted Annika's friend, a professional in burn care, at home. The burn was to kept clean and covered at all times, no swimming allowed (damn it!), and signs of infection carefully monitored. I drew a circle around the burn area to assess infection (if the redness starts to spread out) and we used all our best skills to make do with what equipment we have. We were out of proper size wound dressings in a few days and are now cutting pieces of plaster to cover the burn. The challenge is the size of the burn, about 3 x 5 cm, of which the skin is almost completely burned off (yes, it looks very disgusting). If only we had been able to do a proper first aid! The pharmacies here don't have any wound dressings (they don't have much of anything else either) but thanks to careful planning and economical use of the first aid kit the things we have is just about enough until Sunday when we will meet a friend bringing us all the good stuff from home. Last night we also discovered the healing power of nature, cutting some aloe vera from the garden and carefully trying it on the skin. After noticing the effect it had overnight, the first minimal signs of improvement after 6 fearsome days, I am now challenging the surgeon in Finland who said I might actually need surgery to make the burn heal. Antibiotics in my pocket, fresh aloe vera on my skin, a los díos le pido, por favor, please make me recover from this without infection or surgery. Or at least, allow me to swim for the rest of the trip!

Oh but there's more! If my burn is the loathing part, the forces of nature provided the fear part for us as well. Annika got really, really sick. We're still not sure of the origin, since we've been eating pretty much the same food and so far I'm okay but it definitely was a bacteria from hell. Not being able to keep any food or drink inside of her, she was sick for two nights and two days, with high fever, eventually making her so weak she could almost not speak. At that point I started to wonder if I should call an ambulance. But thanks to our most lovely neighbour, our first host here in Las Galeras, who called the doctor for a consultation and happened to have one portion of electrolyte drink, and who organised a ride for me to the local clinic to get the right antiobiotics (for 0,09 euros, seriously), she is now slowly getting better. And she's hungry!

Dear diary, here's some travel ABC's for the next time:

- Always, always be ridiculous of how much medicine or first aid stuff you pack. Don't trust the local pharmacies or hospitals to be able to provide you what you need. You really never know what might happen even if you try to be careful of what you do and how you travel. Pack enough hand sanitizer, antibiotics, plaster, pain killers etc. Next pharmacy I get to, I'm buying any wound care things they have, any electrolyte drinks they might have. Don't think you won't get sick if you haven't been sick before. If you're having second thoughts about taking something with you, just take it. Oh I wish I had brought the extra wound dressing, hand sanitizer and the electrolyte drink I so trustingly left home.
- Be careful of what you eat. Drink enough and have plenty of drinking water with you.
- Have a stash of salmiakki for the bad day.
- Have a travel insurance.
- If there is no Internet connection, have basic knowledge of basic first aid and how to treat illnesses. If you have Internet connection, still have basic knowledge of basic first aid and how to treat illnesses.
- Have a dictionary or a basic vocabulary to explain what is wrong and what you need in the local language.
- If you're dehydrated, make yourself an ORS-drink: 1 litre of water, 1 teaspoon of salt, 8 teaspoons of sugar (kiitos Riku). And drink it!

Photos of my burn wound only to be posted privately and not for the faint hearted!