A Tribute to Delta Hospital

Well, first of all I want to update you all on the status of my sunburn because I know that you're more than curious to know how that's working out for me. And the reason for this update at this point is because I have pictures.

First of all, when I got this sunburn I went to the Pharmacy on Phi Phi island to see if they had any burn cream. It was looking pretty terrible and had achieved the status of "worst sunburn ever" in my books. Anyway, this lady gave me some cream called "Solcoseryl". I have no idea what that is, but apparently one of the ingredients is protien from calves blood. Sick. I bought it anyway and she says to me, "you should put this stuff on and cover it". She gives me gause and medical tape and a needle to rupture the blister.

Well I take these supplies knowing full well there is no way I'm gonna get rid of the blister. Momma always told me that's the bodies natural reaction to a burn and it does it to protect you. So I ditch the needle. But I go ahead with the cream and gause and tape.

Mi Kyung and I doctored up my injury and I"m good to go, especially since I have to carry a 15kg backpack the following day and the burn is on my shoulder. Now that hurt.
So I get to the new place, Ao Nang, where I am now and it's fine and feeling good. I go have dinner and then when I'm getting ready for bed I decide to remove the bandage.

Now, if there's one thing I've learned from this experience. You don't put a bandage or tape of any sort on any part of a burn, not any part, because when you remove the bandage you remove your skin in large chunks. I was almost screaming bloody murder as I removed this bandage, which ended up leaving me with a nice square cut from where I removed quite a bit of my very tender burned skin. (Ok nurses, sometimes I'm not the brightest, I know...blame my mother...or something).

Anyway, it's been about 3 days and it still hurts, although I braved the pain and went swimming in the ocean anyway. It stung a bunch, but the beach was too beautiful to pass up. It doesn't look infected or anything and once the burn and massive lacerations heal I'll be good to go.

That aside, Ao Nang is a beautiful place. I've heard mixed reviews from others who've been here, but I've really seemed to enjoy myself here. I think that the crowd of people here differs a lot from a place like say, Ko Phi Phi which is a very young and drunken scene, not so much my style. The crowd here is a little older, lots of families, and tons of Europeans. So you know what that means...60 year old German men with beer bellies in SPEEDOS! Yahoo!

Well, I'm off to an island tomorrow called Ko Lanta and I'll spend about three days there on my own. Mi Kyung is going to Phuket for a night before returning to Korea. I'm happy as always to be moving on to a new place and discovering something else...hopefully not discovering anymore painful sunburns and incompitent pharmacists.

Hope you're all having a fantastic March in Vancouver...enjoy your rain!

PS if I hear James Blunt one more time I think I'm gonna punch a baby! That's all that's played from every single kiosk in Thailand!

........

Well after all that, I finally remembered everything to upload pictures and the friggin computer is being a pain (more than my sunburn...) so the pictures will have to come later!

Sorry!