Dear All,

Liberation from hospital arrived the day before yesterday - Yipee!!!! Dear All,

Liberation from hospital arrived the day before yesterday - Yipee!!!!

Yesterday I checked my inbox and was rather overwhelmed to find 146 (!) emails from friends and fellow bikers from all over the world wishing me a speedy and good recovery. I had intended to write yesterday but was so bowled over by such generous well wishing that I had to take the evening to recover. Talking or recovery, before I relate how mine is proceeding I wish to take a moment to say Thank-you. First and foremost to Lois and Robb who did a brilliant job of scraping me and my bike off the road and mountainside and into care. The Nuro-Surgeons, Plastic-Surgeons, Doctors and Nurses at Clinica del Sur who did a fantastic job of piecing me back together again. Ziggy, my boyfriend, who flew out to Bolivia straight away and has provided me with the best nursing I could want. Frank, for being Frank and being the ultimate guide to La Paz. Lois, Robb, my sister, my mum and Ziggy for being my reporters. And all of you for taking the time to write and wish me well. Thank-You!

In the reports circulated I believe it was mentioned that I have no memory of the accident. This is still the case. I remember riding out from the Hotel in Copacabana and then there is a blank until I 'woke up' in hospital about a week later. At that time I was still in intensive care and even though I had periods of lucidity my memory from those days is still fuzzy. The fuzziness unfortunately clouded over a visit from Peter, a representative from The British Consul.

I was most flattered to find out that I had warranted such a visit but was also amused to learn that he apparently spent the entire visit regaling me with tales of British subjects who had carelessly died from their lack of familiarity with South American customs. He was very grateful that I was proving not to be such a burden and left thanking Ziggy profusely for being such a capable British subject. Jolly good show all round, eh what.

Many of you wished me a speedy recovery back onto my bike. Unfortunately this is not going to happen very soon. The main drawback at the moment is my right arm. My right shoulder and elbow were dislocated and despite being placed nicely back into their respective sockets are still protesting due care and attention. I am under Doctors' orders to wear a sling for the following month, a distinct disadvantage on a motorbike.

The other reason is that I do need to return to the good ol' blighty for some more medical treatment. There's a possibility I may need another operation on my left mandible, but one way or another I am definately due for some rather drastic dental care. It may be quite a status symbol for some bikers (and footballers) to sport a craggy smile as prove of their sporting credentials but I am far more inclined to having rather flawed credentials and a more favorable smile.

I am really NOT looking forward to getting back to a cold British winter but thankfully the Doctors advised me not to fly too soon, with caution about pressure on my brain, so Ziggy and I are heading off tomorrow to the jungle for a few days. I have had moments of being quite angry with myself for so drastically curtailing my "Amazon Attack" therefore I'm hoping that Rurrenbaque will provide a suitable, albeit brief, substitution. Either way I'll try not to get bitten by anything bigger than a mosquito or have the Amazon attack me as visciously as the Andes!

More upon my return,

Yours, Amalia