Monday 28 September 2009

Feet

After 8 months of only occassionaly wearing shoes in 2008 on the boat I came home to face the fact that very few of my shoes now fitted me. So they went either to the skip or to the charity shop depending on their state of being. Someone somewhere got some really nice dress and evening shoes for a good price hopefully:) The soles of my feet had harded up quite well, with all that salt water. I still prefer to be in sandals than shoes, and only wear shoes now for special occassions, trainers for the gym etc but suspect I shall be back in socks and boots come the wet and cold UK winter.

Taking about the cold, I have yet to acclimitise back to UK temperatures. Even after a year back here I am still finding it cold. Now those of you who knew me before will find this surprising, normally I love it when the temperatures are 55-60 degress, when it gets into the 70s I'm complaining it is too hot. Now, after spending the best part of 2008 in above 30 degrees I have found this English summer cold. In fact when I returned to Auckland in November 2008 it was 82 degrees and I was wearing thermals! When I got back to the UK in early December it was so very cold, yes I know it really was cold, we went down to -10C here which is exceptional (sorry I'm mixing Fahrenheit and Centigrade as usual)

I can recall only 3 days this summer, excluding my time back in the Algerian Sahara, when I felt comfortably warm! I seem to constantly have a fleece on at the moment when in previous years I'd have still be sleeveless at this time of the year. It was really great to be back in the desert earlier this year in that dry heat, temperatures way above 30 during the peak of the day, down to 6 at night and under 10% humidity - perfection!

Now, the eagle eyed amongst you will have noticed a weather widget has appeared on the left hand side of my blog which tells the temperature in Delhi, where I shall spend the first month, in Rayagada, where I shall be based and here at home. As I write this at 11 am UK time, with I think a +6 hours difference to Delhi, the respective temparatures are 35, 29, 16. Bring it on! But this hides humidities of 35%, 96%, 72%. So acclimitising to my new home will be an interesting expereince. It will be like being back in Vanuatu but without the sea air! Will I manage to acclimitise quickly or not? We shall see.

Anyway enough about temperatures and back to feet. Those have clearly reacclimitised and I have become a soft soled European again. Because I have cut my foot! Right on the sole of the heel, about 3/4 inch long, not deep, but right on the outside edge where, of course, my weight goes down on every step and reopens the cut! Dasht! I know I am not a quick healer. Curses abounded this morning. And this just as I was thinking my feet would acclimitise quickly to the grit and grime and to even walking barefoot a bit. Then this happens. And then I go and read MikeT's blog from Koraput where he is describing all the debris one's feet encounter. Curse, curse, curse - a minor but annoying happening. Remedial action is now required - a tender loving foot care regime between now and leaving may solve this.

5 comments:

  1. Make sure your foot heals up quickly, a dodgy foot in Delhi is a bad idea.
    I haven't worn anything but sandals or flip flops since I arrived in India so you should be at home. As for fleeces - not worn one of those since early July back in the UK.

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  2. My thoughts entirely Hilary. I managed to get through Vanuatu without any infections even though I had a huge blister on the ball of my foot after a 9 hour round trip hike up a volcano. But the thought of cow dung etc underfoot in India, no! Better get it healed quickly.

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  3. Oh dear! I would avoid sugar and starcxhes for a couple of days and eat nutrient rich foods instead. Make sure to have at least 8 hours of sleep a night. Olive oil, red clover tea (?) may also help. do you take natural source vitamins? It sounds like your immune system is a little on the slow side if you take a long time to heal wounds. Spicy foods might stimulate your immune system too. Do you have a local herbal shoppe?

    With vitamins...I suggest taking them as natural source and in separate amounts. Maybe even take some to India with you. Get vitamin E,C,B all in condensed forms (vitamin pills) but made from natural source...therefore they are really food supplements rather than synthetic additions.

    I hope this might help.

    Sounds like you might need some more sandals for India! The weather sounds amazing...for me it's the humidity not heat that wears me out. I'd love to know if it's possible to acclimatize to massive humidity...hmmm...

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  4. Give me humidity any day - I hate the cold - yet live in New England. Gah.

    Good luck with your feet. Use your cut as an excuse to kick back and relax ;0)

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  5. Molly, I just bought a treat this morning - some good foot cream. Now all I need is someone to massage them for me!

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