my left toe

My trip to Merida was fabulous, and heart wrenching, and heart warming, and heart breaking, and as you can guess – it was an emotional roller coaster.

My return was a bit different. I tend to pack light, however, this time I had a few bulky gift purchase requests, plus I was gifted an amazing, and huge, oaxacan bedspread, and Tom was gifted 4 bottles of wine. As you can imagine my suitcase, which should have left me handsfree was bulging, and overweight.

So Wednesday afternoon I decided to head to the mercado and purchase a sabucan to hand carry the big bedspread, and a collapsible roller bag that will be great for future trips but had been left behind when we moved. This was about 4:30 in the afternoon, the mercado at Santiago was closed up, I tried Centro Historico, but none there, so continued on to Galvez.

I was successful, and got an adorable plastic, and stylish strawberry shortcake bag with a zipper top for 35mxp. Please let it hold up through three airplane transfers, and two security checks.

Somewhere along the way I also bunged up my left big toe. Right in the outside corner. It broke the nail, into the meat. Ouch!

So Thursday am, I jam that sucker into my shoes, not sandals, but shoes. The sandals stay behind, shoes are for ice cold planes and returning to frigid VA.

Long story short, it was a miserable day, three plane/airport changes, bunged up toe, large sabucan that needs to go in and out of the overhead. Personal bag with my purse and electronics, as well as a few breakables I am bringing home. Travelling just the way I hate, burdened with bags.

So upon arrival at home in Virginia I pull out a tub and the epsom salts and soak that poor bunged up toe which is now infected, guess I didn’t clean it well enough the night before. Tom got the magnifying glass and tweezers and pulled out another chunk of broken nail and trimmed loose skin. Peroxide wash and antibiotic cream and I thought ok, this will be cleared up in no time. WRONG!

Yesterday was 1 week post travel day. Daily, and sometimes twice daily hot saltsoaks, lots of antibiotic cream, and no shoes! I wore runners the day we did a bus and walking tour. Ouch! mostly I was in sandals, my feet were always cold.

Two days ago, after a soak I went to work on it, cleared out more dead skin and found a little sliver of something… this is not easy for a girl with a pot belly to do.

Anyway, today, hallelujah, ojala, only the tiniest of discomfort. Unfortunately I must wait one more day before I resume my walks with the dogs.

so rather than gruesome infected toe shots, now that you’ve read the gore, I will share a few photos from dog walks before I left on my trip.