Mishaps and hospitality

In Bulgaria our Irish friend Darren managed to knock off the toenail on his left large toe, a trip to the hospital for him!
In the Turkish Baths in Göreme our French friend Claire fainted in the heat and needed a taxi home.
On the way to Sivas our bus developed a problem with the suspension and needed a garage stop which delayed our progress and the search for a camping site.
During one stop our eldest traveller Cliff (who I think is 69) fainted, I think he enjoyed the attention of the ladies and he needed a quick visit to the hospital.
And Claire (again) managed to sink into the mud at a hot spring. Sinking to her knees in just two seconds she had to say au revoir to her flip flops.

On my wedding anniversary I managed to copy Darren's accident of a week before and caught my large left toe on a tent peg ripping the toenail! En Route to Erzurum we discovered an out of the way hospital and the following happened.

"Stop the bus quickly there is a hospital", so the bus pulls up to a garage opposite. Viv, the tour guide, and I walk to the hospital. When greeted by the receptionist I point to my toe. I’m shown in to a clean new room where the nurse cuts off the bandage (no English). A doctor looks in, a second doctor looks in, a third and a fourth.

Eventually a pretty lady doctor comes in who speaks a little English, the toenail needs to come off!! Doctor one places my foot over a bin half filled with old dressings and blood, and pours on iodine. Then the only bit of Turkish I understood for the whole visit, I just knew that Doctor one said to Doctor two "Distract him for a minute". Needles go in and the nail is pulled off.

By this time we have been joined by two local coppers who want to know what the bus is doing at the garage opposite. They look on and smile, by now the room is full of people looking on at my pain and smiling.

I am told to dress the wound daily and take antibiotics! Where do we get dressings and antibiotics from? Two minutes later our lady doctor appears with dressings and tablets. I am then ordered a porter who takes me in a chair to the police car outside. The police were then told to drive me to the bus, which they did! The bus is now surrounded by locals asking questions and laughing.

Our lady doctor then explains she was finishing at that hospital and was only there to say goodbye to friends. What a miracle! She then discovers that our hotel in Erzurum was opposite her home. She then gets a lift for herself and family to town showing us the way.

All this was done for FREE as well, no questions asked. Thank you to all at the hospital and the people Turkey.