Day 73: eMangusi to Mduku Clinic

All police stations should have these guys?

It was new road again after the first 22kms which took me through the Sodwana Bay state Forest. At first I wasn’t allowed in as a security guy stopped me and warned me about wild animals. There was no ways I was back tracking now so I asked what wild animals there were. He mentioned rhinos. Lekker I thought. The section I had to ride through was only about 15kms long so I said I would be through in less than an hour so don’t worry. He eventually relented and I was let through. The funny thing was that the only animals I did see were cows and guinea fowls. So much for the warning. So on I went. 

I rather like this pic. Too bad about the resolution.

Yeah right.

So where are the dangers?

I was now a little later on the road somewhere between the Phinda Resource Reserve and the False Bay Park and it was time to find a spot to sleep. I approached this one house and was let in. I was met by a friendly girl who explained that she couldn’t give me permission as this was her moms place, plus that I would have to get the local chiefs permission as well. Aha, I thought. Then lets do that. They were also very concerned for my safety so they also didn’t really want me camping out in the garden for fear that something might happen to me. So after a phone call or two I followed her and her sister to the chiefs house where I met his wife, Mrs Gumede who turns out worked at the local clinic nearby and said I should stay there. Cool, I can do that. So I walked with the girls and we arrived at the clinic where I was allowed to pick a spot. Before that though I was shown inside to where the bathrooms were and on the way out I spotted an empty room with a bed and asked, could I maybe just crash there? They said yes. Awesome!! I thanked the girls for helping me out before saying goodbye and returning to my room.

Sisters on the outside and friend in the middle. Thanks again ladies.

Bed clinic style.

I made myself comfortable and just lay back as the night winded away. The somewhat silence was then broken with the terrible scream of a child. It was truly a scream of incredible pain. I lay there wondering what it was about. I found out later when I saw for myself. It was a small baby who had some major burn wounds on its one arm with the some of the top layer of skin burned lose causing it to shift down, revealing the pink flesh underneath. I couldn’t help but think, just scream kid. Scream those little lungs out cause I cannot imagine how incredibly sore that must be. I then spoke to the one nurse who came round and he was interested in what I was doing as he had never heard of someone doing something like this. He also mentioned that it was the unfortunate reality around the winter time of each year where they get the majority of their burn victims mainly through negligence. Keep children well, well away from flames and flammable liquids. We both agreed.

Distance 100kms