Romania and the Carpathian mountains

[captinktm]

Nice trip to Romania, had the intention of getting in as much of the Carpathian mountain ridge on the 950. Romania is a great place apart that is for the police and the hospitals.

[skipper]

vid is great - now tell us about the police and hospitals.

[Wonkyconk]

Nice video and nice riding too.

[Paul-S]

Excellent

[V_King]

carpathian mountains are goooood (thumbs)

video brought up some good memories :woohoo:

[CBSTD]

Braveman taking a nine fiddey into the Carpathians, bad enough fighting a 250 XCF in that heat, how did you find the shepherd's dogs .....

[captinktm]

Braveman taking a nine fiddey into the Carpathians, bad enough fighting a 250 XCF in that heat, how did you find the shepherd's dogs .....

I never have a problem with dogs, mind you some think I am closer to a dog than a human. I will look out another vid I have with them chasing me down the track, but as in Turkey if you stop they stop as well.

[captinktm]

vid is great - now tell us about the police and hospitals.

It's a long story, but you did ask.

This trip went without a visit to either the station or the hospital which was good. But 2 years ago was a complete nightmare. I was there to compete in the Red Bull Romaniac's and before it started I had cop'd a month driving ban! Riding with the wife on her XR200 to go shopping in Sibiu we were stopped for speeding in a 50km zone, only a matter of 12km over. We were escorted to the nick and fined as well as receiving a suspended month ban so I could still compete. I know what your thinking, well what yuh crying about? Well if you have traveled on their roads you will know that there are far more dangerous hazards than doing 62 in a 50 zone, and in the villages where they need the control the trucks hammer through flatout and no one drives unless they are smoking and on the phone. But this year I was ragging around far faster and never saw a cop.

Now the hospital account. I crashed while riding in the mountains by my self (I do it all the time) it was a freak crash, as a flat stone kicked the rear wheel up and I and the bike forward somersaulted down the track at 80 kph. I landed head first breaking 12 bones, but with a total of 18 fractures, 8 of which were ribs! One of which punctured my left lung. So I was in a bad way. It took 6 hours to get rescued and into the hospital where the real pain started. I have over the years had a few crashes (I call it riding tax) but this was probably the worst experience of my life. With all the damage I had they insisted on moving me from trolley to ex-ray to bed with a sheet several times, and with a 8 ribs a broken right arm, left collar bone front and back, it was very distressing. Even more so when I was jabbed in the ass with a needle which was lying around! Eventually they left me alone, and I started to plan my escape, yes really! But the head man came to see me and said you can't go anywhere, your left lung cavity is filling with blood so we must put in a drain! When? Now! So I was wheeled into an operating theatre which looked like a kitchen (more fumbling with the sheet). He had not told me much about the operation but when they strapped my arms and legs down I assumed it was n't going to be pleasant. He gave me a local and cut a hole in my back, then took a hand drill and drilled through into my chest cavity between my ribs, hurt? oh yes. Then I spent the next 10 days with a vacuum pump attached until the lung had healed. The food was so bad that even the locals did n't eat it. The nursing staff spoke no English at all (not their fault) so pain relief was few and far between. The orthopaedic consultant came to see me and promptly picked up my left arm which took my mind off the ribs for a while, I tried to whack him but difficult with the right arm broken as well, which I should add they did not spot and was only found when I escaped to Bulgaria. Anyway after 10 days they said the lung is ok now, but would still not let me go due to paper work so the wife came in and we escaped via the rear exit, with dangley bits still attached. They caught us down the street and we were dragged back to sign papers. I then drove our truck ( A merc 10 tonner) to Bulgaria with the wife changing gear, found a private hospital in Sofia which pinned and plastered me up. I have spent 22 years in the army 9 of which were in the commando's so I aint no whimp, but that was by far the worst I have ever been treated. Oh and if you think you have private cover think again, yes they have a private ward but all the operations are still done in the main hospital. The head man said that it was all due to money, but that of course is bollox, I asked him to write across my arm and forehead in Romanian this man has multiple fractures so should be handle with care, but I guess they could n'y afford a pen.

You asked!

[DaveCon]

:pinch: That sounds horrendous. On top of all the physical pain, it can be pretty lonely and worrying stuck in hospital like that. I hope you have no lasting problems from your injuries

On the other hand, what an adventure (thumbs)

[captinktm]

:pinch: That sounds horrendous. On top of all the physical pain, it can be pretty lonely and worrying stuck in hospital like that. I hope you have no lasting problems from your injuries

On the other hand, what an adventure (thumbs)

Well I have a healthy respect for flat stones! Saying that, ridding the 950 on the same terrain over said flat stones did not have the same effect at all. The big girl is so much more stable over rocks. The bike I crashed on was a 300 smoker which are very very unstable in this sort of situation. Lighter is not always better.