An Unexpected Clash With A Cactus

Today, on the recommendation of Inndulge owner, John we drove south to Borrego Springs a straightforward but fairly long drive with a number of options for the return journey. Many of the scenes to our left as we drove parallel to the edge of the Salton Sea could (at least from that distance) have been the Mediterranean. The desert is ceaselessly fascinating. On the one hand good quality and fairly busy roads; on the other and only yards away, harsh and unpredictable land baked in merciless heat even on this early November day when it reached 91^oF (32^oC).

The Borrego Springs Visitor Bureau was a welcoming place and furnished us with a map which showed the locations of the Ricardo Breceda sculptures which are now in my photostream at www.flickr.com/photos/johnoram . It was an exciting business tracking them down in their field placings and it was already becoming clear that it would be too much to find and photograph them all under an intense sun and its painfully bright light when I had my accident.


Accidents by their nature happen in a moment and I was quite shocked, as I photographed the Jeep sculpture, mindful of snakes but not expecting to tread on a cactus. With no warning its vicious bundle of spines penetrated all parts of my trainer's sole and, in several places, my foot. Out of earshot of Greg in the car and out of his line of sight, I then found the problem with this kind of plant enemy. It is too spiny to easily remove with your fingers and when you try, it sticks to or even penetrates your hands. I had the Jeep to lean on and  gingerly removed the shoe with only a handkerchief to protect my hand and the sole looking a bit like a porcupine. I limped back to the car avoiding the spiny relatives of my assailant and we started picking at my foot, my sock, my handkerchief and shoe.


On arrival in Borrego Springs I had noticed directions to the Fire Station and went there for paramedic advice and for assistance in removing spines from my sole which required protection and a tool. They were very persistent. The firefighters who do not see many cactus stricken British tourists in their part of California, two hours drive from a major hospital (San Diego or Palm Springs) were very helpful and hospitable. With my shoe restored and advice to get a tetanus shot, I stayed for a chat and to photograph their vehicles - also now on Flickr.

Friendly people must be the norm in Borrego Springs. We were getting very hungry after the loss of time and drove down to Carlee's at 660 Palm Canyon Drive. There was an exceptionally large menu for a town with a population of around 3000 and several other restaurants. The food was excellent and served in a friendly and charming way. We had considered a mountain drive back to the Coachella Valley but my incident and the rising heat rather took the wind out of my sails. With a wish to reach Desert Regional Medical Center during normal hours, we opted for the safe return route the way we had come on S22, 86S and I10.

Visting the ER (Richards Center) was an educational experience. It was not busy but any waiting is managed a bit like Disney. There is always someone to see, somewhere to move to from initial clerking to receiving my injection. Treatment was very efficient and professional but comes at a cost. Without even seeing a doctor I paid $160 for the jab. I left with a prescription for prophylactic antibiotics to fill in town and that cost another $11.99. The price of peace of mind and relief that it did not happen somewhere without excellent medical care.