Well the end of 2007 was interesting but I knew that I was in for an excellent 2008.

On one side it could be seen as terrible but to me it’s been one of the best years ever.

I’m sat here typing with a broken scaphiod in my right hand with my arm in cast after breaking my wrist in a bizarre and freak snowboarding accident in Milton Keynes. YES before my actual snowboarding holiday!

I’ve worn out my knees and have had to have anthroscopy in my right knee and a lateral release, which allowed me to wear amazing paper pants and involved the cutting of around 6 inches of tissue around my knee. With physiotherapy still ongoing. I’m so looking forward to having the next one done. I’ve had my zygoma broken whilst being on the end of a punch from Gary at karate and another broken nose from getting my face squashed by Casey in BJJ. Whilst with the consultant at Brighton hospital viewing the x-ray of my face to check that my zygoma had healed properly he was more concerned about the top of my right eye socket as it appears that I broke that too. Not sure how as I don’t especially remember being hit there? (I’m still trying to get a copy of my x-ray, it amazing to see an x-ray of your own head!)

I have just had a blood test for Helicobacter Pylori as it now appears that I have been eating human fecal matter. Ever since returning home from travelling Asia I have been unable to eat bread due to servere indegestion which temporailly stops me from breathing from the pain. After numerous trips to my doctor Dr Rogers and the pain becoming more frequent he believes that I have this strange coil shaped bacteria living in my stomach

… and with thanks to the Wikipedia:

Helicobacter pylori is a gram-negative, microaerophilic bacterium that inhabits various areas of the stomach and duodenum. It causes a chronic low-level inflammation of the stomach lining and is strongly linked to the development of duodenal and gastric ulcers and stomach cancer.

… and again:

Person-to-person transmission by either the oral-oral or fecal-oral route is most likely.[3] Consistent with these transmission routes, the bacteria have been isolated from feces, saliva and dental plaque of some infected people.[3] Transmission occurs mainly within families in developed nations yet can also be acquired from the community in developing countries.[64] H. pylori may also be transmitted orally by means of fecal matter through the ingestion of waste-tainted water, so a hygienic environment could help decrease the risk of H. pylori infection.[3]

Even with all this I’ve still had an amazing year with trips to 10 countries, meeting Dorota, an amazing girl who also shares my passion of travelling, scuba diving, adventure and knowledge with which I went to the last 8 countries with:

Norway – Oslow
Romania – Bucharest, Translyvania

Turkey – Alanya
Netherlands (x18) – Amsterdam, Scheveningen, Kinderdijk + many more places I can’t think of right now
Brussels (x3)- Belgium
France – Paris
Egypt – Hurgharda, Luxor
Czech Republic (x2) – Prague, Svoboda Nad Upou, Pec pod Snezkou
Poland (x2) – Krakow, Wroclaw, Tychy, Kolo, Warszawa
Germany – Berlin

So for 2009 I will try my upmost not to eat developing world feces and hope that I don’t get stomach cancer. We have booked a trip to Venice, have one planned for Sydney and not sure what else as yet. Ideas on a post card.

Bring on 2009!