A couple of days ago I set out on a leisurly walk through town and up towards the hills. A familiar walk, I have done it many times and it affords some great views of the mountains and Chachapoyas. There were plenty of Holas and Buenas Dias's going on.
What was not on my agenda was the sudden appearance of a pack of large dogs showing up and scaring me sh*#less. They growled and threatened and in true pack form one of them circled around to the back of me checking my retreat. Tell the truth I really wasn't sure what to do, having never found myself in this position before.
The growling turned to snarling and barking. As I was digesting just how bad this was they lunged forward, one of them snapping and then biting at my leg. He got such a hold on my knee that I had a hard time pulling away.
Just as I figured a mauling was iminent there was a shout from an adjacent field and a farmer came running down calling to the dogs. Two complied immediately, the other two (or was it three?) took their time, no doubt feeling deprived of their afternoon snack.
Shaken (such a tame word) I did a rapid retreat with a very tender knee. When I got back to my room I discovered that indeed there was a very intensly raised and bruised area, with what appeared to be 2 small toothmark indentations. I checked my pants to see if they had been punctured and in one spot there was a tiny hole. Kudos to the pants for acting as an impressive barrier.
OK. Rinse and rub with mouthwash, the closest thing I had to antiseptic. Then I wonder... hmmm, agressive dog bite in a country where nobody vaccinates their dogs. I have a slightly grazed area and two toothmnarks with the smallest of skin surface actually broken.... Onto the internet and check into rabies protocols.
Every site I checked said that vaccinations are required for even the smallest of scratches. Great. I check around town and am told that there is no rabies in the dogs in the area. Back to the internet which says it doesn't matter even if the dogs look healthy shots should be given as a precaution.
On to the Doctor (with a tourism office translator) who looks at the bite and says infection yes, rabies no.
Doctor says fine, internet says no. So I sit in my room wondering what to do... I mean who am I to argue with the World Health Organisation, the Centre for Disease Control, and the British Health authority?
My brain says chances negligable. I mean surely people in the area are bitten by dogs all the time without fatal consequenses. But the niggle reminds me of my very intimate lifelong relationship with Murphy's Law.
I suppose my brow will remain worried for the next few weeks until it becomes clear that I will have worried for nothing. Or so I hope. On to the antibiotics it is.
So far I am giving this trip a 4 out of 10.
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