On Friday 25th of January we started our trip to Austria with a 950km car drive during daytime. In the past I always drove to The Alps on Friday night to arrive on Saturday morning early on the destination. Since 2 years we started to drive on Friday morning, so we could easy drive when the light of the sun is still on and arrive fresh on Friday evening. No tiring nights anymore and a relaxing Saturday in the destination. Also this year, the trip of 950km stretched from Amsterdam to Seefeld in Tirol (Austria) passing by e.g. Frankfurt, Ingolstadt (Audi town), HerzoggenAurach (Adidas city), Munich, Garmish Partenkirchen. The trip took about 10 hours as the road was crowed with lorries and was quite busy. Also some accidents happened on our road (The A3 from German border to almost Munich) so we had some slow down moments. But we made it sound and clear and arrived at 18:45 in Seefeld. My brother arrived about an hour earlier, but he took another route. The 1st night we could not sleep in our apartment yet as it was rented it out that week, so we booked a bed-and-breakfast for 1 night. The same place we also stayed last year, convenient located in the centre. On Saturday morning we could finally go to our apartment but it was not ready before 14:00 so we first unpacked the car with our luggage to store them in a room which was ready. We then walked into town to meet with the rest of the family (Li my sister, Manuel my brother, Astrid my sister-in-law and Robin my 7 year old cousin). It was a warm welcome in the town where we came almost every year the last 25 years. We decided to have some nice lunch outside in the sun on the freshly re-opened en re-owned terrace of Hotel Wetterstein. It was a nice lunch where Hua ate some nice Thai food. The waiter who thought Hua was Thai asked her to give her honest opinion on the food as she asked to make it as spicy as possible. And spicy it was and also very nice. I decided to eat Thai soup and cheese soufflé, both also very nice. In the afternoon we wanted to try the also re-opened Olympia swimming pool with the 140 m-long wild water slide, apparently something unique in Austria. Robin, Astrid and Manuel where also there. Robin wanted to go on the slide with me, but we had to wait until 17:00 when it opened. It was worth waiting, what a slide it was, fast and exciting. You also go a bit outside in the cold to end inside again…..an amazing 140m trip which we took a few times.

In the evening we wanted to visit the yearly snow festival but we were to tired to to go out. The next day Sunday we went to the Gschwandtkopt for our 1st day of skiing. First we rented our ski’s, Hua the standard ones and I the VIP ones. Renting is cheaper for us while buying will cost about 750 euro and renting every year about 180 euro’s. If we would ski more in a year buying would be cheaper, but now I will have the newest material every year.

Skiing went super this day, it was a bit cold and windy (in the east of Austria big storms went over Vienna and Salzburg), but overall a nice day getting back the feeling. We had lunch inside and I ate my first Kaisersschmarren (local pancake specialty). The next day, Monday it started with the sunlight in our eyes and could freshly start this day. Hua had her first class but apparently her level was higher then the others so she started a private class in the afternoon with a French guy who also was some free-style skier. This was good while most teachers ski in front and look back over their shoulder, but this teacher skied backwards with giving instructions right that moment. After having a nice lunch with our own decorated Austrian rolls we started the afternoon. It was a nice day for some good skiing ahead….until about 15:05………I was skiing well and fast. It was a nice slope and I had the right mood. But going maybe to fast and trying to make a quick curve my ski might get stuck in the snow. I crashed, my skis unlocked and made some head rolls…. Stopping a few metres below. When I got up my upper right leg hurt, first I thought a muscle strain but looking down and seeing the blood on the snow and my cut trousers……I knew it was more serious. I lay down again and my brother was quick there. It appeared to be a fresh fleshwound of about 10cm long and 5 cm deep. What happened we only can guess: or my ski stayed behind and then went down cutting my leg or I fell on my ski when going down. Anyway the ski is like a butchers knife and made a deep cut. Li and Astrid skied down to get some help and within 5 minutes the First aid arrived and diagnosed the cut. Immediately I got a pain killer via infusion. It was bleeding heavy and he ordered an helicopter. This was the moment I was shocked, a helicopter, just bring me down on a banana and seal the scar at the doctor. Apparently it was to heavy….. the helicopter arrived soon. I was an a to steep part of the slope so it could not land very near me. It landed 30 metres above me and unloaded the doctor and rescuer. They treated the wound and got me ready to be picked up by the helicopter. After a few minutes the helicopter got back again with a big rope under it…on this rope I would hang together with the doctor and rescuer. I don’t remember hanging under the helicopter anymore but the videos prove I was there. Down the slope I was boarded into the helicopter and got off to Hall in Tirol, a town near Innsbruck (Capital of Tirol). In Hall I would be helped sooner. When I arrived there, the 1st thing I saw was a car garage and thought is it there I would be helped. But in the hospital I first had to sign a waiver for a risks and my ski trousers were cut. I would be until 18:00 before I got operated. Waiting in the hospital bed I had to arrange the insurance etc. and waited and waited until I was ready to be operated. Hua and Manuel arrived at 19:00 and also waited. The bleeding stopped a few hours before but it was a long wait until 22:30 when I finally went into the surgery room. I got full anaesthetics, as local would need to many nerves to shut down. I was ready at midnight and went to my room with fresh 11 staples in my leg. I hoped I could go out on the next day but had to wait until Wednesday for the doctor give his final word that I could go. It were long days recovering and waiting. On Tuesday morning Robin called me and he afraid I had lot of pain, my little cousin so worried. He made me a nice drawing. Luckily the whole family came on Tuesday night and gave me already my birthday present, a Nintendo DS lite with brain training.  On Wednesday I was woken up at 7:00 AM, the day before it was 6:30 AM. And because I knew it was my last day I thought, ok lets get dressed and get the hell out of here. Unfortunately I had to wait until 10:30 until all the dismissal papers were signed. I the meantime I walk, slowly very slowly, throught the hospital chamber and made some pictures of it. At 11:00 I ordered a taxi to bring me back to Seefeld, a half hour drive for the price of 70 euros. Luckily all insured. Back in town first had to go to the drugstore for medicine for thromboses and painkillers and then took the bus to the slope to surprise my family with the return-of-scarleg. The next few days were easy doing some work, reading emails, drinking gluhwein at the bottom of the slope and looking at my family enjoying the skiing. Friday I had to check the wound at the local doctor, who happens to be half dutch. He told me I walked to much but could drive my car back to Amsterdam. On Saturday morning we drove back in about 9 hours with a few more stops to stretch the legs. Day by day I can walk better. Only normal walking stairs and driving my bike is a no go area. Next Tuesday the staples are taken out by the doctor here in Amsterdam and then continue with the recovery. A scar will be always on my leg, a reminder to this holiday. Actually it was a nice holiday and took the loss as a loss with no looking back. Looking forward kept me walking. I had no pain from the moment I fell down until now. Only my muscles have a little ach and the staples are itching.

Have a look at the pictures on Hua’s page and my page:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/disings/sets/72157603849575980/   (contains 2 bloody pics)
 
http://www.flickr.com/photos/yanghuawawa/sets/72157603846881459/  (no blood)

Or the video’s on youtube of me hanging under the Heli.

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=2F6D05D13A54BA2F   (no blood)

 One example (me being picked up):