Another trying week....

My life keeps lurching from fiasco to fiasco. Just when a run of crap finishes, something else starts up and its very annoying. That’s how I ended up back in hospital for another three days, but more of that in a minute.

So, I left Perth on Friday morning, having apparently recovered from the abdo/ flu/nose saga and moved down to a hostel in Freo ( that’s what they call Fremantle round these parts) because I was booked to have a followup scan there early on Tuesday morning. And I was a bit over the city anyway, having had a good mooch about for more days than I had originally planned.

Lisa, ( Pom) Danja ( Dutch) and Pia (German) whom I’d got to know over the few days I had spent in the Perth hostel were all going off to do various things, so it was a good time to move on.

And no wonder Pia bought a car a few days later; I wouldn't fancy carrying all that gear.

The hostel people were great and allowed me to leave my stuff there while I went for an early walk around, looking at some of the buildings, statues and street art. It's quite cool; various figures, some sculptures, five giant tent peg things, a photographer, and a mob of brass kangaroos outside the main council building down by the Supreme Court. 

You would think that I could find them though, especially as they’re pretty big and the gardens are pretty small. But I couldn’t and what’s more, the concierge in the main reception reckoned he’d never heard of them. Turned out he was just a lazy arse who couldn’t be bothered because I eventually did find them, about 100 metres from his little empire and out on the main road. In my defence, I had walked all around the gardens and building but had missed out this corner and so didn’t spot them. Hard to miss I know, but I managed it.

The Supreme Court was odd though. Gowned and wigged barristers, defendants looking very familiar in conspicuous and ill fitting suits alongside their feral, fag puffing entourages, all standing in the shade of palm trees. Half a world away but just like any given weekday outside Southwark Crown Court, apart from the palm trees of course.

So after my arty ponce about, I rode down to Freo, checked into the hostel there and ended up sharing a room with Ange who turns out to be a cartoonist and astronomer. A Pom from London who has lived in Oz for 30 years but never meant to, and is great company.

Anyway, I managed one night in the hostel then woke up feeling very ill; high temperature, the shakes, vomiting, massive headache and more abdo and chest pains. Rather worryingly, Lisa had apparently said a prayer for me the night before, designed to help me heal from the first sickness. I reckon she must have accidentally hexed me, although she no doubt meant well. Either that or God had the hump. I tried getting up but failed because I couldn’t stand up  or walk and it took me several hours before I could get myself together sufficiently, and to the hospital. I was only there for about five minutes and hadn’t even spoken to the triage people but I must have looked a bit of a state because two nurses appeared from the emergency room, dragged me through to the business side and admitted me immediately. And gave me some lovely morphine.....

Luckily, I’d taken my treatment  papers from last week, so they got to the bottom of things quite quickly,  and once again I avoided abdominal surgery because the IV antibiotics did the trick. But the doctors weren’t keen on letting me out to ‘self care’ as they call it, even after two nights, and particularly when they discovered I knew nobody in Perth:

“We can’t let you go unless we know there is somebody nearby who can help you if this happens again”. 

“ But I have to go because I've got a scan on Tuesday morning and I can’t miss that”

“ Maybe we’ll transport you down there and bring you back then”

“ Nooooo..... I’ll be fine, I got myself here this time, so I can do that again should I need to. And anyway, you’ve fixed me.....haven’t you?”. 

“ Yes, but somebody should be with you, just incase”. 

“ Well, there isn’t anybody but I’ll use my EPIRB if I really can’t manage. And anyway, I’ve run out of clean knickers so I have to go’’.

But once again, they quarantined me thanks to me having spent one night in St George’s , Tooting, back in September with epiglotitis. It meant I had my own room, my own bathroom and was well away from other snoring and farting patients in the ward across the corridor. And a great view of the rather funky carpark.

So now I’m back in the hostel and I am actually being a bit cautious until I feel better. Gerty is enjoying the rest too, parked right outside the front door and just under my window. But I forgot to cover her up, so she’s got a bit wet, but needed a bath so its all good.

One of the great things about travelling and staying in hostels is the crossing of paths with other wanders, people whom you would probably otherwise never encounter. The city centre hostels tend to be more gap year or back packer orientated, but those slightly further out is where the seasoned weirdos lurk. And I suppose I’m now one of them, having been on the road for eight months, with no particular agenda other than to keep going, having very few possessions and taking things as they come. I quite like the unencumbered lifestyle, particularly now I know how it goes. It did take a bit of getting used to but I can do it now, having learned who to avoid, who to chat to and that most are self sufficient transients doing their own thing for any number of reasons. Travellers, workers, people between lives and people who like being on the move. All ages, and mostly Poms, Krauts, Dutch, Kiwis, Aussies, with a few other nationalities thrown into the mix.

Fremantle is lovely though, lovely old colonial or Edwardian buildings, a port town and a former dock for ships that plied the oceans long before air became the favoured mode of long distance migration. 

Bookshops, arty farty cafes, more chemists than I have ever seen in one town - either people are really ill here or its a script scam - and an unhurried pace of life. It has a real sense of community and togetherness too, with a bit of substance and history; I really like it.