re-cycled adventure - it just doesn't work

I've been wagging the dog with my tales at this bar...talked about sailing the high seas from Perth to Europe,driving a Ferrari backwards on the autobahn,crashing and landing severely injured in hospital

(in my neighbour's Renault 5, not the Ferrari)..

..and of course, falling in love with a bear of a manwho's played a fair hand in this tale thus far.Tonight we're beginning in Asia,with Juergen and I on our Woolworths' bicyclesready to cycle the East Coast of Bali to Malaysia/Thailand border.It may seem incredulous to tackle such a journey with bikes from Woolworths,however it's something I recommend.Unlike the German couple who brought their hand craftedespecially-for-them designed bicyclesand were too scared to leave them any further than 2 feet from their physical bodies,we had zero fear of the bikes being stolen.Even the Balinese and Lombokians could easily recognise crapfrom 'the real thing'they left us,and our bikeswell alone.Understandably we threw them out at the end of the trip -they'd rusted and looked a little out of shape after having been thrown aroundon boats, planes and trains.We were laughed at,like seriously,

when we took them to the little bike shops on the side of the road for repair.When the chains fell off.When the gears stopped working...and yes, when the tyres went flat.People nudged each other and laughed at us, but we didn't care,the bikes did their job.that's why I recommend Woolworths bikesfor rough and ready tours through Asia.On the other hand,riding thru the east coast of Malaysia wearing bike pants and T-shirtsis something I would NOT recommend.Unless of course one does not mind being spat onand verbally abused by older Muslim women now and again.It was an unusual adventure and a great experience...the islands of Indonesia and Malaysia are stunningly beautiful,crystal clear oceans and soft sandy beaches...it just was a shame I couldn't swimfor 8 out of the 12 week tour.First to backtrack a little....with Juergen I'd earned the name 'pechvogel',translated into English means a 'bird of ill omen'.I earned the title fairly and squarelyhaving been in a car accident that almost killed me,then followed it with another one 4 months later.

Innocently sitting in the back seat of my sister's car - can you believe it?I ended up with osteomyelitis after that accident,my already very injured leg held together with 70 screwshit the back of the drivers seat and cracked the damaged bone.True to pechvogel form,it was the leg that was almost amputated.I didn't complain about the one months stay at the Royal Melbourne Hospital,Being hospitalised in two different countries gave me the chanceto authentically compare the experience of public hospital systems.When in pain scream very loudly for drugs in one hospital,and have nurses hand out drugs from a night trolley with a nudge nudge wink wink "take what I didn't want for later" in the other.The difference in how infection was treated was an eye-opener.In Germany I was isolated in a room by myself,nurses ALWAYS wore masks and glovesand made sure any instruments or bandagingto clean the infectionwere in pristine-sterile clean condition,individually unwrapped from sterile packging.ALWAYS.Zero exception to the rule.In Melbourne the infection was severe enoughto have antibiotics pumped directly into my heart through a tubewhich was sewn in under my right collar bone,kinda guaranteed killing the infection.It wasn't severe enough to guarantee quarantine tho',