I had one on each foot, covering the whole top area. Not a nice site to wake up to. Especially as I was leaving to York that day. So I made a treck to the hospital. I got the free bus as advised by the hostel people, and as most people would do I got off at the stop named mounte hospital. I walked into the main entrance and asked to see a nurse only to find out I was at a private hospital and the one I needed was the other side of the city. I had gone 10 stops to far. So running out of time I got a taxi to the correct one. The doctor had a look at my feet and decided to r
emove the blister and dead skin and cover with a very strange sticky bandage thing. (its going to hurt when removed). I then told them the swelling had made it very difficult to walk, so they got a lady from another department down to help me walk again. As I was in so much pain from the blisters being removed I found it impossible to walk so she offered me some crutches, I tried to refuse explaining that I had a backpack to carry around and that I don’t usually find it so hard to walk. But she insisted and gave me a new pair to carry around with me. After that I hobbled down to the bank to pick up my bank card and then on to the bus station to catch my bus to York.
York is the oldest inland settlement in Western Australia, about 2 hr bus rides east of Perth. After a long day I was looking forward to a nice stake and a pillow to rest my unlucky head. I had already pre booked the hostel so all I had to do was find it. The Hostel was empty. I had a 16 bad dorm all to myselfJ, and what an amazing hostel. The best I have ever stayed in. Just a shame there weren’t a few more people to exchange experiences with. I had my amazingly large stake down the road at the castle hotel and then hit the pillow.
Saturday was a day of exploration around this quiet old town. I managed to walk as far as the residency museum to find out how York became the first in land settlement in Western Australia. I then walked up the Avon river to the swing bridge, no
t a swing bringe as you would imagine but a suspension bridge. The backpackers owner Vicki then took me to the skydiving jump site to talk to the instructors about jumping with my feet as they were. They told me the good news that I would not need my feet to land as I would land on my rear. We stuck around to watch some landing but as the wind was too strong no one was able to jump that afternoon. In the afternoon I went for my evening meal at the local train carriage café, an old disused carriage that has been converted into at café. The food was delicious. Then after watching some aussie TV I wend to bed to energise myself for the big day.
Sunday the 15th of February 2009 will be a day I will remember for a very very long time. I was picked up at 9am and taken to the Skydive jump site, After some basic training I sat and waited for what seemed to be an eternity till my jump at about 1pm. I was then suited up by Andy who was filming me while in a very nervous state. We had a practise and then took a walk down the the plane. As I was the first one out I was sat next to the doors. The wind was so noisy as we took off, but the views were amazing. At 8000 ft the doors were opened, and for some strange reason all my fears were gone. I just wanted to jump. After a few seconds sitting at the door it was time. 3,2,1 GOOOOOO. WOOOOOOOOW, it was so a
mazing. Words can’t describe how great it was. After about 25 second free fall the parachute was opened. Still calm and full of excitement the instructor Andy let me take control of the parachute. He then told me to take it into a spin, This was a bad idea. It felt great but it made me feel a bit sick. We then landed, rear first and then Andy tumbling over me. I was speechless but he still got me to say a few words to the camera. I then had to sit for a while to rest my head before the bus took us back.That evening after watching the video over and over again I went to local co op and got myself some Kangaroo meat. My first taste of Skippy, Yum yum . Then it was off to sleep.
And its now Monday afternoon that I am writing this rea dy to post when I get back to perth. I woke up this morning and headed of to the tourist information centre to get my badge. And on the way back I went around the York motor museum. Here I got to see the oldest VW in Australia amongst some other great cars. I could go on but I won’t, just come to Australia and see for yourselves. I will be catching the Bus in a couple of hours back to Perth, I don’t really want to go back to perth yet, but I have to go to th e hospital to get my bandages removed.
N.B. I wrote this before catching the bus to perth. I am now back at my first hostel. Its tuesday morning and I am just about to head off to the Hospital. I will update this at some point next week. Untill then, have fun.
