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Saturday, June 21, 2014

Going home as cargo

Ever heard about the people that go away on a cruise holiday arriving as passengers and going home as cargo? Here's a real twist.

We sensibly decided that our last night in Port Lincoln prior to a trip home to Perth to visit family would best be spent going out for dinner to the Marina Bistro rather than cooking etc. The crews of  Urchin, Easy Tiger and Zofia had a meal together having just welcomed back B1 and Maree from their trip home 2 days before. A nice time was had by all and the Bloke and I, in high spirits and  already completely packed, (a rare triumph) decided that since 6 of us could not fit in the car to get back to our side of the marina, that a 10 minute stroll to walk down a dish of crumbed calamari was the go.

We were on the home stretch, not 100m from the gate to our wharf (and fully sober - honest!) when I stumbled and rolled my ankle. I knew immediately this was NOT GOOD. We were to fly in 10 hours and my foot looked like it had sprouted an egg. Bother and yowch! Ice, anti-inflamatories (oral and topical) plus a bandage were are all enlisted to make the bad thing go away.

Foot Selfie

The bad thing didn't go away and by morning, hopping was better than walking which is OK when you are on a boat and everything is within reach but not when in an airport and unable to negotiate to check-in, security etc... except by moving along the walls or hanging onto someone like a human crutch.  People 'look at you funny'! The Bloke had things sorted in no time however. I was in a wheelchair quicker that you could say 'walking sticks' and I found myself being scissor-lifted on and off planes and being inserted into baggage halls like a bit of cargo through the back door!




Hats off to Qantas customer service, they really looked after us and moved our seating forward to make things easier etc ... and of course provided the wheelchairs and theme park rides on the scissor lifts and golf carts. Very embarrassing though!


The Bloke almost felt left out in this household of hobblers


Post script
We collected our car on the way from the the airport from Quattro Motors seeing as The General had conveniently arranged for it to be serviced in readiness for our visit. Imagine our surprise when our friend Pat Chellingworth stepped out from her workstation for greeting hugs sporting a surgical boot. She had the same fracture as me and even on the same foot! 


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