Travels with St Jude: Asia

Three years have passed, since the Penang incident. It's been a long three years.

My spinal fracture was unfortunately non-union, which means the bone was too badly damaged to heal properly (I smashed it good!) so my doctors kept me under a lot of restrictions and limitations for a very long time. For two years, most forms of exercise were forbidden to me (including dance, zumba, and sport), and I admit that I indulged in a certain amount of eating my pain, anxiety and frustration, meaning I gained about 20 lbs.

A year ago, the docs finally okayed me starting to slowly build up my activity, so I spent the last year trying to gradually build up my fitness levels (which ain't easy when you're middle aged). My body's not back to where it was before the accident, and probably never will be - I've got some residual nerve damage affecting my lower body, especially my right leg, that means I'll always be weaker than I used to be. But that's life! And we all get weaker as we age. So onwards and upwards.

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My first trip, after the accident, was a work trip to Hong Kong, a few weeks after the brace came off in Autumn 2016.

I had half a day free before my flight home, so I decided to try and do something "normal" for me - I took the peak tram and went for a walk on Victoria Peak.

Those of you who know the peak may have spotted the flaw in my plan.

The peak has a circular walking route, well maintained with safety barriers, that gives spectacular views over the city. However, its a long way up. And some of the drop offs alongside the path are pretty steep.

I managed to hold it together for 3/4 of the route. I had to walk on the side of the path furthest from the edge, and avoid looking at the edge. But I was managing.

Then I reached a point without a safety barrier.

Now, to be clear, the path at this point on the walk veers slightly away from the edge, so you have a 6 or 8 foot wide paved path, then 15 feet of grass, THEN the edge. Perfectly safe, right?

I started crying hysterically.

It didn't matter that my rational brain knew I was perfectly safe, a good 20 feet from the edge. I knew the edge was there. I knew there was no safety barrier. That was enough to set me off.

(I never used to be scared of heights.)

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Since that day, my mind has been slowly healing, along with my body. I've taken short trips to Taiwan, Thailand, Bali, and Australia. And now, 3 years to the month after my accident, I'm strapping on my hiking boots once more, and setting off for an extended period of travel.

Leaving Singapore overland, the plan is to work my way up the East coasts of Malaysia and Thailand, then hop down to Indonesia for a couple of months, then finish in Cambodia and Laos.

I'm excited. I'm a bit scared. I'm hopeful for a brighter future.

Good travels, to all of us.

And yeah, I bought really comprehensive travel insurance!

Space is at a premium in Hong Kong.

There's no room to build out, sandwiched between the hillside and the sea of Hong Kong Island, so everyone builds up. People live in high-rise apartment buildings, and work in high-rise offices. Even the public transport is tall and skinny (the narrow double decker trams that dash from one end of the island to the other).

With so little space available, every inch space to breathe is precious.

That's why I love Hong Kong Park, and especially the walk-in Edward Youde Aviary. Visitors meander along wooden walkways set 10m above the ground, with a bird's eye view over the forest... and the 90 species of bird that live in the aviary.

It's truly wonderful.