In the midst of my most anticipated adventure yet I was
fortunate enough to have my parents take a vacation to the Southern part of SE
Asia where I hopped on a plane to catch up with them and spend a few weeks off
the backpacker trail. I met my Mom and Dad in Bali, Indonesia. One of the few
places that packs-the-punch with many of the main highlights SE Asia has to
offer. Nothing is ever easy for the McAllister family and this trip held true
to that standard. I would like to share a story that altered this wonderful
family experience in a way I would have never imagined. The story starts on the
western side of Bali where the three of us were cruising around on motorbikes,
mopeds if you will, checking out our surroundings as it was our first full day at
our new destination on Bali…
….I pulled off the busy two-way road on my motorbike with my
mom saddled to the back and peered behind in hopes to spot my Dad doing the
same but there was no sign. My mom and I waited a few minutes thinking he had just
been caught behind a big truck as we left the petrol stand a couple kilometers
back down the road. As the seconds ticked pops was still absent. My mom and I
road back towards the petrol stand to see where he was but still no Dad.
Logically thinking my Mom and I thought he might have passed us as we were
back-tracking and slipped our vision. After all, my Mom is legally blind
(without her glasses obviously) and I was juggling my focus between the traffic
in front of me and the passing by scooters. We headed back in the direction of
where we had initially pulled over to our homestay thinking he might have
stopped there just so we could reconvene. We arrived at the homestay but Dad
was still not around. I left Mom at the homestay and backtracked all the way to
the petrol station (about 10 KM down the bustling two-way highway) to ask the
lady if she had seen my Dad ride off behind us. Uncertainty of the where abouts
of my Dad was setting in. So I
regrettably sped my way back to the petrol lady passing cars, trucks and
motorbikes alike. I reached her in hopes of some explanation. None was given.
Her broken English and unwillingness to give me her full attention only made
matters worse as all she could do was point and say “man go that way with
you!”. Thanks lady. I unsafely buzzed back to the homestay where I saw my mom
and was met with five words that still make my stomach uneasy, “Dad is in the
hospital”. My head turned to mashed potatoes. My thoughts were jumbled and
there were so many questions I wanted to ask I was held silent.
In all seriousness one horrifying statistic popped into my
head from Southeast Asia On A Shoestring-Lonely
Planet and the dangers of riding a motorbike or any vehicle for that matter in
Bali, Indonesia. Because of the economic and tourist boom in Bali upwards of 8
people die a day in vehicle related accidents as there are so many more people
on the roads in relation to the amount of dangerous narrow roads. That’s 8
times the rate of the US, Europe and Australia together. Bali also has 6 and a
half times the number of people living on it than Seattle, Washington does - so
you can understand the bottleneck of traffic chaos it creates.
As my thoughts settled I tried as hard as possible to
communicate with the front desk attendants in hopes of getting some details to
what had happened. After 5 minutes of bewildering conversation we found out he
was at the clinic. Just a ten minute drive
down the road (in the direction of the accident and where my Mom and I had
pulled over earlier). One of the homestay employees led the way as we rode to
the clinic in hopes of answering so many questions and settling my uneasy heart
rate.
When we arrived to the clinic we walked around back to find
where my Dad resided. Walking past a monstrous 8 X 4 ft window we spotted my
Dad inside lying on a bed. Blood covered
the majority of his right leg, and a gash directly on his left knee cap was the
size of a few golf balls. My thoughts swirled. Mostly thinking of what could be
wrong with his left knee as my Dad had just had that knee replaced a few months
back so it could be done for, for a second time. By the time we got into the
room and stumbled out a few obvious questions the nurses had put eight stitches
over the already withstanding scare from the 20 staples and the knee surgery.
He was conscious and talking in full sentences so I could breathe just a tad
easier. Before we all knew it we were in the ambulance on the way to the
nearest hospital with an x-ray machine to x-ray the left knee in hopes that the
artificial knee cap hadn’t been busted.
After a chaotic hour long ride in the ambulance he was
rushed into the hospital where he was brought into the x-ray room just a few
minutes after getting in. That hour gave us all a chance to really catch our
breaths and talk to my Dad about what happened. After losing control around a
sharp corner my Dad and the motorbike tumbled into a ditch. Since my Dad was in
good spirits it wasn’t the severe scrapes on his face, arms, and legs that
worried me, it was that darn gash over the replaced knee. It was just a short
waiting game now in a hospital that I will never forget.
Even though Bali is the 2nd wealthiest part of
Indonesia and its 17,000 islands, it still resides in SE Asia with very low
cost of living and general medical practice still incredibly far behind a
western country. The hospital we were in was really something else. It seemed
like 2/3 of it was getting remodeled with Balinese men waltzing around in their
sandals and tank-tops carrying various
machinery all while chain smoking cigarettes. Nothing like filling a hospital
with cigarette smoke. Health code risk? What’s that?
Anyway, after the x-rays came back things were only
positive. Thank goodness! The knee was still in good shape. If it wasn’t there
was a good chance my Mom said that they might have to go home. Something I would never wish upon them. The fact that their beautiful vacation across
the world was now ruined. Things weren't all peaches and cream though. Since
the stitches were obviously not coming out anytime soon all water related activities
were a no-go for my Dad for the rest of the trip. No afternoon dips into the
pool or 28 degree ocean swims. And the worse
part of it all was no diving or snorkeling in one of the most beautiful places
on the entire world to do it. Things 110% could have been worse for my Dad. Although
being the former marine biologist that he is, he loves all sorts of underwater
creatures. So he’d sadly be deprived
from them for this trip.
Three restless nights passed before the open wounds healed
enough for him to get a good night’s rest. Once they did the next major concern
was making sure the gash in the knee did not get infected. Something that is
still up for debate a few weeks later as a few of the stitches are still in the
knee as the knee hasn’t healed exactly how he would have liked.
From the time when I heard my Dad was in the hospital till
the time I laid eyes on him was one of the more terrifying 15 minutes of my
life. No matter how well you keep your composure you still run every realistic
situation through your head, something I definitely did. Just because of how
crowded and over-run the roads are in Bali and that ridiculous Lonely Planet
statistic about fatalities everyday (a statistic I can’t help but believe. I mean come on, its Lonely Planet, it’s like
the coolest and best!!.......). My parents and I still had an unbelievable time
soaking up the rays and culture in what is Bali, Indonesia. I feel so grateful
I got to spend part of my amazing adventure across the world with the two people
I love most.
Below are few pictures from the day of the accident and crazy adventure
To end on a little more of light-hearted note below are a few more pictures of the experiences and great times I had with my parents during their time on Bali. Hope you enjoy!
To end on a little more of light-hearted note below are a few more pictures of the experiences and great times I had with my parents during their time on Bali. Hope you enjoy!
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| Ancient Temple/Monkey forest |
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| Extremely playful monkeys...especially when you have food |
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| Banjar natural hot springs |
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| View point for Pura Ulun Danu Bratan Lake |
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| Parents and I with Homestay family. Such a precious group |
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| Mom and I snorkeling Japanese shipwreck. Amed, Bali |
