Remember That Scene in Slumdog Millionaire?

Linda and I had just finished up our overnight trip at Safari West where we had the fortune of seeing elephants, a leopard, a bison, two wild dogs, monkeys, and several spotted deer. One of us - I'm not sure who - had the idea to take a final group photo with our drivers and tour guide, where Linda was going to pose with them first. She handed me her camera and off I went trying to get the perfect angle, and then it happened.....

All I remember is slowly walking backward when suddenly, my left foot landed in watery sludge and immediately thereafter, the back of my head slammed into the edge of a concrete sidewalk that passed over the waterway. Somewhere in between...or after..., my body began to sink. My immediate thought was, "Oh please tell me that I did not just fall into a sewer like in that movie!"

This all happened so fast that no one even realized I was "missing" until I yelled, "Ow!" Quickly, I was grabbed my several men who pulled me out. The spot where I hit my head was in pain, but other than that, I seemed OK. Immediately, I imagined what it might have looked like to watch me fall into this sludge, so I started laughing hysterically. (Maybe this was my way of easing my - and everyone else's - obvious concern.)

I was rushed to the gas station bathroom where Linda filled a bucket with water so that I could rinse off. The sludge was thick enough that this required some rubbing. I was not sure what smelled worse - the water I used to clean myself or the stuff I fell into. Once I was "clean," Linda handed me the only clothes I had that were not soaked.

I thank Linda for being there. My immediate reaction would have been to wash my hair, but once we realized my head was bleeding, she reminded me that this water would increase the possibility of an infection. Thus, she got a huge bottle of water and a first aid kit. Now, the debate was whether to go to the hospital. (Hello! I don't have a job at the moment.) Linda insisted that regardless of the depth of the cut, I should go due to the possibility of infection. This is India, after all. I agreed.

Stephen, our country manager suggested I stay local rather than wait the 2.5 hours it would have taken to drive to the next main city, Mysore. Thank goodness for this because the local hospital was quite small (i.e., two rooms) and Dr. Sally was able to take care of me right away. Six stitches (Linda thought it should have been ten) later, I was off on our drive to Mysore.

Again, Linda was amazing. She held my hand, rubbed my back, and took note of everything Dr. Sally did. Yes, iodine was poured into the wound (the worst part of all of this, by far!), a sterile needle was used to inject Novocaine, and a Neosporin-like substance was put on prior to the bandage. Linda also helped make sure that Dr. Sally left most of my long hair on my head. After all, I just spent 2 years growing it out so that I could donate it to Locks for Love this summer.

The doctor's orders were simple - don't wash hair for 8 days and change bandage every other day. Can you believe this cost me 300 Rupees, or $6 US!?

The thing I feel worst about is Linda's camera. In all the chaos, we did not realize for a while that it was left in the ditch I fell into. Aziz, our driver, graciously stuck his arm down in the sludge and retrieved it. At this point, we have removed the memory card and dried out the camera. The camera won't turn on but at least Linda has traveler's insurance, which should cover the damages. If not, I will figure out Plan B with her. Right now, I am her photographer. We have become fast friends so I am already her sidekick.

So what about this safari we went on? It was so neat! We rode a jeep through the forest, trekked through the bush, rode an elephant in the bush, rode a jeep by the canal at night, and even slept in a tree house! I did not realize that seeing an animal in its natural habitat so different from seeing one in captivity - but it is! Imagine running into an elephant in the bush knowing that at any moment it could chase you.

The most amazing part was seeing the leopard and then driving for only 5 minutes before running into a village. Can you imagine living that close to leopard territory? Had I known this, I might have thought twice about the run I went on earlier that day. I should have known of the potential danger when the guard said, "The animals usually don't come out during the day." However, given all the women wandering through the bush in bright-colored saris, I figured I was OK.

Mysore was amazing and so was the 2.5 hour drive. Given the crowds and pollution of Chennai, we were pleased to breath fresh air, see other wild animals - like monkeys on the side of the road and cows blocking traffic - and take in the acres and acres of lush land and clear water. Mysore itself was adorned with palaces currently being lived in and older ones which have been converted into hospitals and schools. We had dinner overlooking a park before heading out on our overnight train.

So I guess I had my Indian adventure, and now we are back in the swing of things volunteering. Thank you again, Linda!