Posts Tagged ‘accident’

Falling off a motorbike may have held up my plans to fly a plane (London)

Monday, July 26th, 2010

All things considered. This summer is going pretty well. London is warm and sunny. Friends and family are well and in good spirits. The skateboard ramp we built in Peru in December 2009 got a 6 page write-up in Concrete Wave skateboard magazine (available in all good newsagents/skate shops). I’m also really enjoying my flying lessons but a potential problem has come to light.

To obtain your Private Pilot’s License you have to have flown at least 45 hours (a proportion of which are solo), pass a number of theory and practical exams and pass a CAA medical examination. The flying lessons with EFG Flying School, at Biggin Hill, had been going well so before committing the next chunk of money I decided to get my CAA medical examination completed. I didn’t want to pay for a lot more lessons and then find out I couldn’t fly solo for medical reasons. I’m fairly fit and healthy so I didn’t think it would be a problem.

Unfortunately I may have been too honest when I completed the pre-medical questionnaire. Within the multitude of ‘yes/no’ questions about my family medical history, previous operations, etc. they threw one in about head injury or concussion. Not thinking much about the consequences I mentioned my motorbike accident in Belize last year, due to the head trauma I received. Those that read the blog may remember that the accident was in the middle of nowhere and although I was seen by some extremely well qualified doctors they weren’t Belizian and there are no medical notes, scans, x-rays, nada… It was only as I was relaying snippets of this information to the doctor during my medical and I could see his face dropping further with every new detail that I wished I’d just answered ‘no’ in the first place. To cut a long story short, he’s going to have to refer my case to the CAA and ask them for advice. So what should have been a formality (I am otherwise fit and healthy) might turn into a show-stopper or potentially costly round of brain scans. Seems that nothing is ever easy…

It wasn’t a totally fruitless visit though. In what was a rather surreal moment during the medical I discovered some interesting facts about my old school house-master. Bear with me on this. Part of the medical involved an ECG scan, where the doctor stuck 8 electrode-pads to my body (4 of which were on my chest). The hairiness of my chest meant that before he could stick the pads, the doctor had to cut away some of the hair to make 4 bald patches. He must have thought, as hairdressers do, that cutting hair is a good time for small talk so he asked where I went to school. Turns out he went to school with, and was best mates with, my old house-master (15 years before he was my house-master). I also now have an inkling why my house-master was so good about all my misbehaviour at school. Seems that he was quite a tearaway in his time. Who would have guessed it?!

I’m hoping we can get this ‘previous head trauma’ thing sorted, especially as I had already started building the website for planning this adventure and have sunk a fair bit into flying text books, lessons and the medical test. Guess I’ll have to wait and see.

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Posted in england | No Comments »

Recovery is going well at the Lost Reef Resort, Placencia, Belize

Thursday, July 23rd, 2009

A while ago someone told me that everything happens for a reason. Regardless if whether that’s true, I know that I couldn’t have picked a better place (away from home) to have a motorbike accident. Recovery in the Lost Reef Resort is idyllic and Lisa and John (the owners) are some of the most friendly and generous people I have met. Two world class doctors were staying nearby so I was seen immediately by the best of the medical profession. Maria and Rosa work here and they are treating me like a little brother. They’re also helping me with my Spanish, although I don’t know how good it was before the accident. Bill, the next door neighbor, has a lot of mechanical experience and is helping me fix my bike and luggage. It also seems that things are booming on the Placencia peninsula, so you never know I might have even found a good investment opportunity. (I’m going to look at some land next week!)

A couple of days ago Maria took me for a walk to see her family. Parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, the whole lot… The ladies were making tamales, which we later cooked over a fire in the garden and ate. Although many of the family could speak English they patiently helped me through introductions, explanations and general chit-chat in Spanish because they knew I needed help remembering and practicing the language. I also received a lesson in Belizian fruits and coconuts in their garden. Did you know there are three types of coconut in Belize (green, yellow and red). Maria’s cousin, Steve, then showed me how they catch and prepare lobster. I was offered a trip out in the boat to set lobster shades but unfortunately that was vetoed by the doctors in my family, due to the risk of hitting my head again. (Probably a sensible decision.) Maria’s mother said the swelling needed to be massaged out of my ankle, which we have started with amazing results. After a just a couple of days all the bruising has gone and my ankle is almost back to normal. There’s something to be said for mothers’ remedies. She also sympathizes with my mum and can’t understand why anyone would want to ride a motorbike to Argentina! And if I’m honest, there have been times this week when Argentina has felt a long, long way away. Got to get back on the horse though. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, and all that.

Maria then walked me back the the beach resort before she started work that evening. So bear in mind that she did all of this for me in her afternoon off. I hope that gives you some idea of the generosity of the people here. And this is just one of the many ways they are all making my stay here as comfortable as possible.


Find out more about Ollie’s trip at his Greasy Sprocket website.

If you’re on facebook and you want to see any photos then visit the actual blog here.

You can also see photos from Ollie’s trip in in his Greasy Spocket Photo Gallery.

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Posted in belize | 1 Comment »

When it actually happens you don’t have any last thoughts! (Lost Reef Resort – 7,884 miles)

Monday, July 20th, 2009

Being constantly confused is frightening. I now understand what my grandma (with dementia) is going through and I really feel for her. Today I woke up in a strange place and had no idea how I got there. At first I thought I’d got really drunk and found my way here. Then as bits started to come back I realised it wasn’t the drink that hit me but the road. A guy called Winston found me wandering around a dirt road near Placencia, Belize. He stopped and apparently I asked him where I was. He pointed to the spot on my map and I then said, “No. What country am I in?” At that point he realised something was wrong and he brought me to Lisa and John’s beach resort (www.lostreefresort.com) in Riversdale, Belize. It appears that I either hit a rock or mud, came off my bike and hit my head pretty hard. Thank God for bike helmets and body armour. More importantly, thank God for people like Winston, John, Lisa, Bill, the doctors that treated me, Maria, Rosie and everyone else at the Lost Reef Resort, Belize. These people have taken me in, had me seen by world class doctors and are doing everything they can to make my stay here as enjoyable and comfortable as possible. I can’t tell you anything about the accident because I’m still pretty confused about a lot of things and my short term memory is shot. I’m told it will eventually return but it’s a matter of time. The good news is that I banged myself up very close to paradise, so the convalescence is an enjoyable experience.

I’ll fill you in soon on how these people are looking after me and what they are doing to help my body and mind recover.

In the meantime I need to reiterate how important proper motorcycle equipment is.

  • If I hadn’t been wearing motorcycle boots I could have lost my right ankle.
  • If I hadn’t been wearing knee and shin guards I could ave lost my right kneecap or perhaps leg below the knee.
  • If I hadn’t been wearing a proper (certified) helmet I would not be writing this now.

It doesn’t matter how hot it is or inconvenient the motorbike kit is to wear. It’s definitely worth it. A few pictures of the bike. (No idea if I took the one of my bike on the road!)

And a final note to my mother. Sorry mum. That was probably the worst 60th birthday present a son could give to his mother. I’ll try to be more careful in the future!

Find out more about Ollie’s trip at his Greasy Sprocket website.

If you’re on facebook and you want to see any photos then visit the actual blog here.

You can also see photos from Ollie’s trip in in his Greasy Spocket Photo Gallery.

Become a fan of Greasy Sprocket on facebook

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Posted in belize | 3 Comments »

What would your last thoughts be?

Thursday, July 9th, 2009

About 5 hours ago my bike and I came within a few inches of falling down a mountainside. An accident that at best would have been serious and at worst would have meant a box each for the journey home. I’m not telling you this because of the event. Motorcyclists all over the world are seriously injured or killed everyday. I’m telling you this because of the ridiculous thought that when through my mind as we approached the point of no return. Here’s what happened.

I was enjoying myself, winding my way through the mountains to San Cristobal de Las Casas. The bend in question was a left handerand I was coming uphill so the drop at the side of the road was on my right. As I came round the bend I was faced with an oncoming pick-up truck in my lane, that was attempting to overtake a car. (Blind bend overtaking is not uncommon in Mexico.) The oncoming truck left me with nowhere to go but further right, and sharpish. As the truck swerved back into it’s lane I managed to get upright, to avoid getting clipped by the truck and to start braking (hard) before trying to turn left again to make the corner before we ran out of road. Mexican roads don’t usually have a hard shoulder. The edge of the road normally drops about 10 inches to flat grass or gravel. In this case the edge of the road dropped to a few inches of flat grass and then down, down, down. We made it but with only a couple of inches of tarmac to spare. Kind of like tight-rope walking on the while line at the side of the road. Thankfully it wasn’t wet.

As the bike and I swerved and wobbled towards the edge of the road I’m sure my life should have flashed before my eyes or I should have thought of a list of things I should or shouldn’t have said or done. Or loved ones I wanted to speak to. But no. My final thoughts would have been:

“I wonder if I’ll be able to repair the bike after this? I hope the frame and engine aren’t too badly damaged.”

I think it’s time to get some perspective on this trip and perhaps try to get a little less attached to the bike…

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Posted in mexico | Comments Off