Snorkelling in Perhentian, or not !

We woke up bright and early and had breakfast at our hotel before picking out snorkels and fins for our snorkelling trip. We were all really excited about the prospect of seeing both sharks and turtles as they are pretty much guaranteed so hurried to get ready. However, just as I left our hut with Chris just slightly ahead, I somehow managed to slip backwards as I was wearing my stupid croc flip-flops that have zero grip and I should've binned them both ago. I'm unsure exactly how I managed it, but as I was falling backwards I managed to rip a huge chunk out of my knee even though I landed on my bum?? All I could feel was excruciating pain and I started screaming especially when I looked down to see blood everywhere and fat hanging out of the sides with leaves, dirt, sand and stones buried deep inside. Neil, Haze, and Reggie weren't in any rush to come over, as they said that when they heard me screaming they just thought it was Chris winding me up!

Obviously, I needed to get it cleaned and stitched up, so the guy we were supposed to go snorkelling with called a water taxi to take me to the other side of the island to go to the clinic. The guys thought it would be really funny if they put me in a wheelbarrow to transport me to the beach but I wasn't convinced it would be the best plan. So with Chris on one side and an Aussie friend Dave on the other side, they helped me hop down to the beach leaving a lovely train of blood behind me. The water taxi guy was in fact really nice and pulled the boat right out of the water for me so I wouldn't get wet, and tried to make jokes with me the whole way, which was about 10 minutes away although it did feel like forever. Bless Haze, she refused to go snorkelling and instead wanted to stay with me, but I managed to persuade Neil and Reggie to go.

Someone must've rang ahead as when I got off the boat and to the jetty there was another wheel-barrow waiting for me although I still hadn't plucked up the courage to go in it. The clinic was empty which to be fair isn't surprising as it's a tiny island and to be fair I swear it is a lot cleaner than anything you would get back in the U.K and the staff were really friendly.

A baby monitor lizard

As soon as I got in, they laid me down onto the bed and started taking the bigger things out of my knee, whilst I had Chris on my right and Haze on my left squeezing the life out of their hands. The nurse kicked Chris, the doctor and the water taxi driver out of the room whilst she gave me a tetanus jab in my bum. Chris used this as a perfect opportunity to go outside and have a cigarette as I think deep down he couldn't take much more. The taxi driver was also the same; throughout my time there he acted as a translator for us and the clinic staff and helped pin my feet down and it would've been a great deal harder if he weren't there, but he kept having to run out of the room, as he kept turning green. However, he did find it very amusing as did everyone else to hear my constantly swearing as they must never have heard a woman swear before as they kept giggling like little girls!

Palm trees

Eventually they got me cleaned up and although I kept begging for a general anaesthetic, they gave me a local one. I was feeling optimistic and thought that it would be just the same as the previous injection they gave me, but I was wrong. The local anaesthetic was probably more painful than cutting my knee open in the first place! I swear I screamed the whole of Perhentian Islands down, I have never felt anything like it as it's supposed to be a pain killer! Then then had to stitch me up, 7 in total, but at least there wasn't any pain, but the feeling was still really weird, I just wanted to throw up everywhere! Then finally, it was all over once they bandaged me up. I then had to sign a declaration to say that I am willing to let them operate on me and stitch me up, a little late now though. Then they gave me some hard-core painkillers to use only when the pain is unbearable, and only for 3 days, no idea what they were, but they worked, 8 anti-biotics to take a day, anti-inflammatories, iodine, bandages and some gauze pads. All this for 15 ringgit, which is £3! That includes all the treatment, stitches injections and everything! We were expecting to pay a fortune! Not even worth claiming on my travel insurance! The three of us then went outside and waited for Neil and Reggie to arrive for their lunch from their snorkelling trip and we were right near to their stop.

Haze and Reggie when they were out snorkelling

Haze

Hazey and Reggie snorkelling

I then managed to persuade Haze to go and join them for the last little bit so she didn't completely miss out, so Chris and I went back to our resort and I passed out on the sofa in the bar...

Charly after her traumatic day !

Even though these aren't our photos from snorkelling, it was our camera bag and this is what the others saw...

So anyway...

If you are squeamish it would be best if you didn't look any further down this blog entry as there are photos which Haze dedicatedly took whilst my leg was been stitched up etc. But for those of you who like a bit of gore...

Jus after falling over

At the clinic

Cleaning it

Putting the stitches in

One I'd been stitched up

Me high off any the drugs they gave me

Snorkelling in Perhentian, or not !

Long Beach Perhentian Kecil, Malaysia