We traveled by microbus (I love the microbus) to the geothermal plant and the entire time (as we were wearing hard hats), I kept thinking, "something about removing the energy from the earth in the form of hot water steaming-- at rapid speed-- from the earth seems like it might anger Mother Nature. Still, the entire concept was pretty remarkable.
After the geothermal plant, we headed to the suspension bridge that swayed back and forth 173 meters above the ground. I think the thing that amazed me the most was the fact that 80% of the people walking across the bridge were elderly. Granted, it was 12:30 on a Tuesday, so that may have had something to do with it, but if I felt like I was drunk and holding on to the edge of the bridge, they had to have felt worse!
We headed to lunch at a small restaurant that had a specialty of buckwheat noodles and chicken. We had a bit of wild mushroom rice (which was delicious...maybe because I was starving) and then the main course. As soon as I took a few bites of the buckwheat noodles, I instantly felt sick. My stomach started to hurt, my throat was scratchy, and the inside of my ears started to itch. I drank some water and tea and didn't finish the meal.
We walked outside to a waterfall behind the restaurant where there were large sandals you could stand in to have your picture taken. I sat down on a bench and said that I didn't feel very well. Stacy offered some Graval (motion sickness medication) and I asked if anyone had any Benedryl-- no one did. I took the Graval thinking it might help...after all, we had been winding through the mountains for a while.
After we got in the car, Jeff asked if I wanted to sit near the door. I accepted. He asked if I wanted to go back and not head to the Sake Brewery-- our next stop. I said I would wait a few minutes to see how I felt.
About 5 minutes later, I started to cry. Jeff instantly put his arm around me and yelled to the driver that we needed to get to a doctor. Instantly, the Rotarians started to make phone calls (a phenomenon we later called the MRP, "Magic Rotary Phone"). After about 15 minutes, we stopped in a parking lot to wait for a phone call-- we were in the mountains and had to find a doctor. Things for me were getting worse. I was informed we would be there in 5 minutes.
By the time we arrived at the doctor, my hands had involuntarily shut into what looked like lobster claws. Everyone helped me into the doctor's office and the doctor tried to convince me (through the interpreter) that I was hyperventilating from the stress of being abroad. After about 20 minutes and the back of my neck breaking into hives, Stacy and I convinced the doctor that it wasn't hyperventilation, but an allergic reaction.
He hooked me up to an IV. Stacy and the interpreter stayed with me while the rest of the team (at my insistence) went to the Sake Brewery.
After an hour, I was still swollen (eyes, hands, ears), but my stomach felt better. I told the doctor I was not comfortable leaving until I wasn't swollen. He gave me medicine to take for the next 5 days and, after about 20 minutes, I felt good enough to leave.
I even managed to make it to the evening Rotary meeting and participate in giving our presentation.
That night, Stacy and I stayed in the hotel instead of with our families. I am forever grateful to her for staying with me through the entire process and waking up in the middle of the night with me when I was having heartburn to text message her boyfriend (who is a doctor) to see what I should do.
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