Breakin’ Legs on the Dance Floor!

Every year, the Adventurists host a fantastic party in a 13th century castle in the Czech Republic, not far from the German border.  Mongol Rally teams stop and enjoy this fiesta on their way across the continent and Team Shoebaru was invited to participate as well.  We of course said yes and enjoyed the great people, food, music, and venue.

There were several bands that played that night, fire dancers, a tea/shisha room, a club room, several bars, and loads of interesting people milling about, each with his/her own tale of why he/she was participating in such a ridiculous event.  However, beneath the surface of this seemingly benign mix, the ingredients for a perfect storm of ankle injury was brewing.  Alcohol, darkness, dancing, a hillside strewn with rocks.  Around 1AM, Ann tripped and fell while dancing with Nick Dodd (pictured at right) and ended up with a spiral fracture of her right fibula.

Of course, to reach the determination that it indeed was a break and not just a sprain, an X-ray was needed.  An ambulance was called and Ann was loaded up to be taken to the hospital in Klatovy.  “Ambulance” is a term used VERY loosely in this situation as it was nothing more than a van with the ability to have a cot in it.  No medical supplies were present and the van didn’t even have a light in the back.

The hospital in Klatovy also was somewhat lacking in technology and personnel.  They wouldn’t even look at Ann’s injury without her ID and payment for services.  The roughly $10 requested was paid and Ann was advised that she did indeed need to have an x-ray.  Scott then wheeled her into the x-ray room where no lead vests were provided and he too was blasted with radiation without warning before he was able to leave the room.  Also of note was that the x-ray technician painfully repositioned Ann’s leg during this process.  As I was standing outside the door, the only information I have on this comes from the blood curdling scream heard shortly before Scott’s blood curdling “I’ve been blasted with radiation!!!!” scream.  A sub-par cast was then applied by a guy who looked like he could have been Dr. Frankenstein’s assistant – Igor.   Finally with everything wrapped up and roughly $30 paid for treatment, we were able to bring Ann back to the camping area around 6am.   Trying to describe the hospital wouldn’t even do it justice.  All I can see is that there are insane asylums that I’ve seen in movies that look more warm and welcoming than this place.

Sadly for all, the break was too severe and she would need to flown home to the UK so that she could have the required surgery.  Of course this isn’t where the story ends…far from it.  Stay tuned for more!