http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Katha-Turbostern/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Katha Turbostern en-us Wed, 23 Dec 2009 08:03:40 +0000 Wed, 23 Dec 2009 08:03:40 +0000 Ever tried travelling on crutches I did. It requires some logistics and is exhausting but it works. And I was glad to get moving again.The first Saturday in September I travelled to Bonn to see my friends Katrin Simone and Anke. I went by train and as I needed my hands for my crutches I took two backpacks for my luggage and carried one in my front and one in my back. My friends picked me up http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Germany/Baden-W-rttemberg/Weinstadt/blog-447817.html On Thursday my mum my aunt Lore and I left for Bayreuth which is about 300 km from here to attend the Bayreuth Festival. It is a very famous festival where operas by the German composer Richard Wagner are played.We spent the night in a very nice hotel and the next day we were picked up at the hotel by a shuttle bus at three p.m. Wagner's operas are very long that's why they usually start http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Germany/Baden-W-rttemberg/Weinstadt/blog-433556.html I don't have much to tell you at the moment. Just wanted to let you know that I'm getting better and better. I'm still on crutches and will be for another week. Then I'll have an appointment in my hospital again and see how well the leg healed.I was discharged from hospital four weeks ago. The leg was really sore and kept me awake for many nights during my first two weeks at home. Painkillers did http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Germany/Baden-W-rttemberg/Weinstadt/blog-430232.html 2009 is definitely not my lucky year. I'm in hospital again with a broken shinbone this time. How could that happen I still can't believe it myself.About two weeks ago I bought a pair of new running shoes because I wanted to start running soon. To try the shoes out I did a bit of running in the shop. I could feel one of my legs in a very strange way. It was the shinbone of my left leg exactly http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Germany/Baden-W-rttemberg/T-bingen/blog-421389.html Last Friday I picked up my friend Rebi in Ulm and then we drove to Regina's place which is not far from Munich in a most beautiful area. We were looking forward to a true girls' weekend. Regina had cooked lunch for us and after lunch she showed us around the as I said before beautiful area. We hiked up the Blomberg a mountain that she flies from quite often. The mountain is about 500 metr http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Germany/Baden-W-rttemberg/Weinstadt/blog-419505.html Sorry for not giving an update for such a long time. I was just so busy that I didn't have the time.We had two more tasks from Aspres. On Wednesday a 104 km task was set at first but they changed it again to a shorter one of 89 km due to the cloud development. The pilots didn't even get to fly that task the overdevelopment was so severe that the task was stopped before the first start gate ope http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Germany/Baden-W-rttemberg/Weinstadt/blog-416873.html Yesterday was another nonflying day. The weather forecast had predicted northerly winds that would turn to westerlies in the early afternoon. So Aspres was chosen as the site of the day. But when we got there the wind was blowing over the back pretty strong and everyone was sceptical whether it would be launchable. But all the pilots set their gliders up a task was set and we had a briefing. http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Hautes-Alpes/Laragne-Mont-glin/blog-413743.html On Saturday there was a forecast for pretty strong winds so the day was cancelled after the morning briefing. Days like that always give me the opportunity to catch up with some sleep you never get enough sleep during a hanggliding comp and with some work. In the evening we had the Pizza and Paella Night. We all had pizza and paella who would have thought that huh in the nearby village http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Hautes-Alpes/Laragne-Mont-glin/blog-413245.html Yesterday we flew off Aspres which is about 40 km north of Laragne. Things were pretty exciting because the helpers hadn't had had a chance to check out the setup order before all the pilots arrived. So we had to familiarize ourselves with how they were supposed to set up and give the arriving pilots directions at the same time. But it all worked out alright. A 120 km task was set via Colombe Ro http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Hautes-Alpes/Laragne-Mont-glin/blog-412550.html Yesterday we drove up the Chabre because there was a chance that conditions would be good enough for a task. When we arrived up there it there was still a pretty strong northerly wind. Still the pilots set up their gliders.There are about 120 pilots so there are three launch lanes that they launch from. When they launch from the Chabre there is an ordered launch meaning that they have to lau http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Hautes-Alpes/Laragne-Mont-glin/blog-411934.html My days here in Laragne were pretty busy. I did some work but of course I also tried to do a little bit of sightseeing including many of the very ancient towns in the area. One day I went to the Aspres launch with Monica and the boys. And of course more and more pilots and team members from all over the world arrived. It was just great to see everyoneI will have two jobs during the comp. I wi http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Hautes-Alpes/Laragne-Mont-glin/blog-411386.html I had two more weeks in the rehab hospital. Actually I had been supposed to be there for three weeks altogether but the doctor there extended my stay by one week. The last two weeks were not much different from the second week. Eight therapies per day. Try and do as much work as possible. On my last weekend we did some more hiking. In my last week I got one day off rehab because I had to trave http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Hautes-Alpes/Laragne-Mont-glin/blog-409384.html EnglishMy days here in the rehab hospital became even busier during my second week here. I've got up to eight therapies per day. During my free time I try and do some work. Actually the doctors have certified me unfit for work but as I am selfemployed there are some deadlines to meet some customers to stay in touch with and some things to prepare. If I don't do that I reckon there won't be http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Germany/Baden-W-rttemberg/Reutlingen/blog-401626.html EnglishDuring an in inpatient rehabilitation you are quite busy believe me.Last week I wrote that I had arrived in a rehab hospital in the town of Bad Urach not far from Stuttgart. I saw the doctor she talked to me and she examined me and then she decided what therapies I would do during the next three weeks.But the therapies didn't start until Monday so I had time to relax a little bit and http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Germany/Baden-W-rttemberg/Reutlingen/blog-399201.html EnglishSorry it took me so long to post my next entry. But not much has happened since my last one and I have heaps of stuff to do.I'm still doing the same things go for a walk every morning go to rehab three times a week including physio gym and pool swim on the rehab free days. As happy as I am of being back on my legs as much I'm having a hard time at the moment. There is rehab itself t http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Germany/Baden-W-rttemberg/Reutlingen/blog-397318.html EnglishRehabilitation is hard work believe me And learning to walk again is not easy.After being discharged from hospital I started ambulant rehabilitation. Three times a week I go to a rehab place not far from where I live. When I'm there I do physiotherapy gym and exercises in the pool. Physiotherapy takes half an hour. I'm alone with the physiotherapist and she gives me workouts especia http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Germany/Baden-W-rttemberg/Weinstadt/blog-391270.html EnglishMy week here in hospital was completely different from how I had expected it to be. On Thursday morning the doctors turned up in my room. They told me that they had been pretty surprised that the Australian doctors didn't want me to weightbear for another ten weeks. They said the bones had healed pretty well and the reason for operating patients was to mobilize them as soon as possible. T http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Germany/Baden-W-rttemberg/Weinstadt/blog-384742.html EnglishI'm back in Germany. My trip was pretty special so I thought I'd tell you how it was.I was picked up at Monica and Scott's place by an ambulance that took me to Sydney airport. There I met Bernd and Ulrike the doctor and nurse from Germany who had organized the flights and who would accompany me all the way to Frankfurt. And they had done a pretty good job I could just lean back and did http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Germany/Baden-W-rttemberg/T-bingen/blog-383288.html EnglishTomorrow I will fly back home to Germany. I will be taken to the airport by an ambulance fly via Singapore to Frankfurt and from there an ambulance will take me to a rehabilitation hospital in the city of Tbingen. I will be accompanied by a German doctor and a German nurse travelling first class for the first and most likely only time in my life. The doctor managed it that I don't ha http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Newcastle/blog-382061.html EnglishOn Friday last week I was finally discharged from hospital after four weeks. I am staying with Monica and Scott now. Monica came to pick me up on Friday afternoon and the two of them had prepared a very nice surprise.The house seemed to say Welcome Katha as they had put up many balloons. And they had invited some friends for dinner so we had pizza and a birthday cake with Adriaan Dusti http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Newcastle/blog-379601.html