I slept late, because I had too much sugar at night. This morning started with oats that tasted like soap. But I couldn't afford to throw them away so I just ate them!
Then I hiked up towards Mt. Siriu, through a beautiful beech forest. Back again in sheep land, it was cold, windy and grey. Clouds were blown over the mountains and I was happy about my wind jacket. But the day got better and nice sunny. I managed to follow the trail most of the time and even dealt with 2 sheep encounters, slowly thinking I might be able to handle it. Views were gorgeous and I stopped for pictures a lot!
Just before I wanted to stop for lunch, I passed a summer sheep farm. The house was far away, no sheep in sight and just 2 dogs running at me. I was able to handle the aggressive one with stones. But then there were more and more dogs running towards me and I saw the shepherd AT LEAST 100 m away, thinking it's OK to just stop and wait so the dogs will bark at me, he'll come to lead me around the sheep and that's it. But the dogs came running at me, barking, not impressed by me first talking to them, tben pretending to pick up stones and throwing my backup as they came MUCH too close! I was surrounded by at least 10 barking and very aggressive dogs, one bit me and the others joined in. I hit them with my hiking poles but it was a closed circle and whenever I hit in one direction, somebody bit me in the back. No chance until the shepherd, running to the scene, was there...
I was standing there, bleeding and all he did was yell at me why I walk alone and that I should have seen there is a dog... I yelled back!!! Full with adrenaline, I didn't realize how bad my injuries were. At first I wanted to continue, but when I saw all the wounds and when the adrenaline wore off, I realized that there is no way. Standing there, crying, looking at the shepherd kind of: and now??? He looked away, wanted me to go go the house to wash the wounds. His father came and send the shepherd for alcohol to the house. Meanwhile a car stopped. Soooo lucky!!!! All I saw this morning were 2 quads and the 2 sheep flocks.... and there wouldn't have been cell reception! The driver looked at me and wanted to bring me to a hospital. I still refused, thinking it's not THAT bad. His sister driving with him spoke German!!!! Can you believe it?! That's just like a miracle. I could actually talk to somebody, who understands me!!!!
I looked at the blood and wounds (especially one big one on my left leg), couldn't walk anymore and agreed to go to a hospital. I am so greatful for these people and meeting Domni, who speaks some German. It was a rough drive down to a paved road and in total at least 40 mins.
The hospital staff was totally unprofessional. 3 people using alcohol to take off all the dried blood, putting bloody things everywhere, standing each other in the way and not even seeing all wounds. They put dressing on, gave me a tetanus shot and send me to another hospital that is specialized in infections. Thankfully, Domni stayed at my side and her brother drove to the next hospital.
I had wounds on both legs, but the left one was so bad it hurt too much to move it at all. I could stand on the right one though. Plus one bite to my right hand. Again, up in a wheelchair to the next emergency room. I met the first person that spoke English, but it was "only" a nurse. They gave me a rabies shot and prescription for antibiotics, my stomach and the pain. I insisted on somebody looking again at the wounds to see if I need stitches! But they said they couldn't do it, if I would need them, so they sent me to a THIRD hospital!!!
In the third hospital (a private one) there was no doctor, but the nurses promised to look at my wounds. Do I have to mention that nobody spoke English?! But they did a MUCH better job!!!! Taking their time, really using gaze with alcohol, looking at each wound, putting it into the holes (up to 2 cm deep) and putting professional dressings on. They said I should come back the next day so a doctor can look at me!
Domni and her brother said, they will take me to their home! Isn't it amazing????? It was already about 8 pm, when we finally where at their house, nearly 1 h drive from the last hospital and with a quick stop for my medicine. I was wondering how we will do it, since I couldn't walk at all... And as great as it is, that Domni speaks German, she doesn't speak it too well and I always had to ask 10 times for her to give me any information e.g. about what the nurses said and so on. So I didn't ask anymore but waited and thought they will come up with some idea.
This family is very creative. They drove up as close to the house as possible, got a office chair and helped me get the 2 m into it. Then they rolled me to a room with a bed. Gave me soup, brought me to the bathroom and back to bed. They found a very old wooden crutch and somehow we managed all this together, since the office chair didn't work at the doors.
Tomorrow they will drive me to the hospital again and then we will see! I don't think the doctor will do anything because I guess its too late for stitches then, but it won't hurt if they look at it again! I was at first thinking of staying in Romania, but I am afraid the healing takes longer than I want to and according to the doctor here, I need rabies shots again in 3, 7 , 14 and 21 days. Although I still need to find out if I can skip it because my last rabies shot is 4 yrs old. But I think if I can get crutches, I am able to take a bus to Germany. Sitting is no problem, as long as I don't move the left leg! But maybe I will have to stay a few days in a hotel or something in Ploiesti until I am more mobil and it hurts less. Let's see tomorrow.
I am still going to keep hiking and follow the mountains, as soon as I can. But I think my Nepal tour isn't going to happen!!! Romania alone in summer is certainly not going to happen anymore. And since its not a continuous route, I don't think I want to do the parts that were anyways not real highlights. But first, I have to get fit again!
So all in all: it hurts, it's not fun and really annoying, I cried a lot but I was totally 'lucky', am fine so far (if I don't get infections) and hopefully will be hiking soon again :)
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