Our Halloween Adventure

Our last full day in Borneo was Halloween. There were organized kids activities throughout the day, such as pumpkin bowling and a Halloween-themed scavenger hunt.

A trick-or-treating around the resort was planned for the early evening. Lydia was all decked out as Snow White, looking very cute and revved up to get some candy. But, as we were getting ready to leave our hotel room, she took a tumble on some stairs and injured one of her fingers. The finger was crooked, swollen, and Lydia couldn't bend it.

While we knew that there's really not much that can be done for a broken finger, we felt like we should get it checked out...meaning we would have to get off the resort and visit a local Malaysian health clinic. Yikes! This was not the off-the-resort "cultural experience" that we wanted!

The hotel manager kindly arranged transportation for us and quickly exchanged some money for us in the local currency (the Ringgit). And, we were off...

The ride to the nearest city with a clinic was about 25 minutes long and we traveled through a fairly rural area. Although most of the homes were small and slightly dilapidated, they appeared habitable and it didn't seem as impoverished as some of the places we've seen in Thailand, China, and Hong Kong. And, we could see big screen TVs flickering through lots of the windows!

The clinic was located in the city center of Tuaran, which was bustling with activity. The clinic looked nothing like any type of medical center in the US.

It didn't smell like one either! The waiting area was filled with people of all ages with all sorts of ailments; it also had a giant fish tank that looked like it hadn't been cleaned in a long, long time.

I really wanted to take some photographs inside the clinic but thought better of it. Malaysia is an Islamic country and all the women working in the clinic were wearing headscarves and dresses that reached the floor; I, on the other hand, was wearing a sleeveless shirt and a knee-length skirt. As if that wasn't enough to make us stand out (and to potentially offend the local population), Lydia was still dressed as Snow White. It was pretty clear that Halloween was NOT being celebrated in the city. I'm sure that a few people went home to tell their families "you'll never guess what I saw today..." I did take one pic of Dave and Lydia:

The doctor's office looked like a disorganized storage room at the back of an old convenience store. The doctor sat behind a desk that was piled with newspapers. The x-ray machine on the wall looked like it had been purchased in the 1970s and been very well-used since then.

Surprisingly, the doctor was excellent. He had a great bedside manner and he spoke very clear English. He came to conclusion that Lydia had sprained, not broken, her finger and simply prescribed some ibuprofen.

Then, the moment I'd been dreading - paying for the visit. Without insurance, no clue of the "urgent care" center rates, and prescription of ibuprofen that had been filled, I was sure that it was going to cost and arm and a leg or be some long, bureaucratic exercise.

The bill: 15 Ringgit...or $5 US. We handed them the cash and walked out. Very simple!

When we returned to our hotel room, we found a tray of cookies and chilled milk that hotel staff had left for Lydia wishing her a quick recovery. It ended our final evening on a happy note.

No doubt we'll never have another Halloween like this one!