We arrived in St. Thomas on March 12th, 2012 around noon. By 1pm that day we were in a taxi cab on our way to the hospital.. While riding a motorbike up a narrow hilly street we were run off the road. Rough start.
Sean put his foot down to keep us up right and he suffered a break and a severe medial sprain. The gentlemen who ran us off the road offered to call an ambulance. We assured him we would be okay with a much more affordable taxi ride. When the taxi-van arrived he proceeded to pick up passengers and make stops as he explained that is was all on the way.. We learned quickly that Caribbeans like many other cultures don't really respond to the american's need for urgent service. We like things easy and now! Especially, when you are gritting your teeth from the pain.
The experience at the hospital was much the same. After sitting in the waiting room for about 20 min. Meri asked for some ice.. Ha, what a novel idea! They were none the less irritated that she bother them with this urgent request. Sean realizing that we would be there for a while without being seen, he began to medicate him self (thanks to our family practice doc, who makes sure we leave the country with all the appropriate antibiotics and emergency meds. We love you Burman!). Thank goodness for this, because little did we know it was going to be another four hours until anyone would offer Sean anything for the pain.. grumble.
At the end of this long day, the E.R. doc happily told Sean that he only had a sprain (when in actuality he had four fractures). The good doc, sent us on our way with a walking boot, a large bill, and the prognosis that if Sean stayed off it for the next two days he would be well enough to walk on his foot by the end of the week. We discussed returning home then realized that if Sean was going to have to sit with his foot elevated for two days there was no better place.
We just had to change our plans a bit, which entailed switching the motorbike for a car. Once we had the car, some crutches, groceries, and Sean's prescriptions, we were off to Redhook to catch the car ferry to St. Johns.
After arriving on St. Johns, it suddenly felt like everything was going to be okay. The noise was gone, and best of all the cruise ship traffic was gone!
Then atlas we finally arrived at our original destination. Ah, Cinnamon Bay Campground!
After settling in it became apparent that Sean, for good reasons, was not going to be a "happy camper".. yarp yap yap.. ;)
However he still made himself useful from his trusty comand post. Cooking and swatting lizards.
Thankfully, his mood changed when we changed the location of his command post, and got him a beer
The campgrounds were so picturesque and just steps away from the beach, below is the path that lead from our tent to the ocean.. A bit rutty for crutches but Sean made it work.
Jared's recommemdatios were spot on. We enjoyed a lovely meal and a tasty painkiller (the local's specialty cocktail = rum, coconut, more tropical juice, and nutmeg).
After dinner that evening we were headed back to camp, we utilized the cargo wheel barrow to transport Sean and save his now sore arm pits.
Our trip was unexpectedly extended after missing our flight. We stayed at the Island View hotel on St. Thomas and had some really great meals around town.
One perk about traveling with a broken foot... You get to cut to the from of airport lines.
