A (hopefully brief) descent into Hell

August 5, 2022

The descent

The day ended with a shock Wednesday evening when I was flossing my teeth and a chunk of one of my teeth broke off. A significant chunk, leaving a noticeable gap. Unsettling, and obviously a problem; but Rachael’s lights are out and there’s nothing to be done tonight anyway so there’s no point waking her up to share the bad news with her. She’ll find out soon enough.

The shred of good news is that there’s no pain for now. It doesn’t keep me awake or bother me in the morning, and when Rachael sees the promising weather forecast for the day and suggests this is the best day for her to take a long hike on her own while I bike a more challenging loop up into the national park I’ve been talking up, I go with it. She has a great hike, I have a great ride. In the back of my mind while I’m riding though is the tooth situation - how we’ll deal with it and what it might mean for the tour. It doesn’t help that an additional fragment breaks off while I’m stopped for lunch.

I bring it up with Rachael when I get home, but it’s almost time to leave for our dinner reservation so we defer thinking about what to do until later and start gathering up the items we take with us when we go out. We have a mental list we go over whenever we leave together, and remind each other to make sure we’re not forgetting anything. Keys? Phone? Glasses? IPad so we can look over photos? Wallet?

There’s no wallet. We look around in puzzlement at first, then with increasing concern as we’ve checkled all the likely places and now try the improbable ones. Eventually the ghastly reality sinks in - the wallet’s gone, apparently lost somewhere on my ride today. Unbelievable and devastating.

It’s time to leave for our reservation though, so Rachael grabs her purse so she can pay for the meal (we’ve long ago learned to carry our own sets of cash cards as insurance against catastrophes like this). We do our best to set this aside while we enjoy our meal, but it keeps cropping up. Where could it have been left? What did I have in it? Is there anything in it that would help someone find and contact us if they picked it up?

An unbelievable 24 hours. Hell.

Resurrection

We wake up early and start taking steps to deal with our two problems. As far as the wallet goes, we quickly decide to defer cancelling credit cards or contacting the police. I think I know where I lost it - by the side of the trail toward the end of the ride, when I experienced a mild SVT episode. The standard drill when I have one is to lie down until it passes, which normally happens very quickly - as it did this time. As a part of this though, I empty my jersey pockets and put the camera, phone and wallet in my helmet so I’m not lying on them when I lie down. I somehow most likely failed to pick up the wallet when I started up again.

it’s a very quiet trail, the spot I was lying down was out of the way, and I’m confident I can find it again. It’s reasonable to hope that it will still be there, and since it’s only about 18 miles away it’s worth going back to look. We decide on that plan; and if it’s not found we’ll contact the police and then start notifying the credit card companies.

Then, the tooth. Rachael starts looking for dentists in Chester, our next stop. We call a couple of them, but there’s no availability for at least two weeks for someone who’s not already a client, not even for an emergency situation. Then Rachael has the bright idea to look further down the road, in Shrewsbury. If we can find a dentist there who will see me we can cancel our stays in Chester and Whitchurch and catch a train from here to Shrewsbury.

On the second call we find success. They’ve had a cancellation for Thursday morning - farther out than we want of course, but better than we’ve found so far. We make an appointment and pay a deposit, and I tell the lady that I’ll keep calling around for an earlier appointment somewhere else in the meantime.

Five minutes later, the phone rings. It’s the dentists office again. Coincidentally they’ve just had a cancellation, on Monday. We accept of course, and then shuffle the schedule. Chester and Whitchurch are out, and now we’re going to Shrewsbury for five nights, arriving Sunday by train. Probably a good thing to be there for an extended period anyway, since I’m likely to need some down time after the dentist has his way with me. Still a bad situation of course, but the best outcome we could hope for today.

Back to the billfold. Over dinner last night we reminded each other of similar times over the years when we’ve retraced our steps trying to find an object lost or left behind, sometimes successfully, sometimes not: my glasses in a grocery store in Westport, New Zealand; her pannier left on the sidewalk after breakfast in Truro, Nova Scotia; her purse left by the side of the road in Burgundy; my wallet left in a post office on the Danube; her glasses lost in Kufstein on the Inn; my glasses on the Zen Trail in Saint George, Utah; and of course the mother catastrophe of them all, the trip ending lost pannier in Spain, along with our passports. The list goes on.

We’re just packing up to leave on the bikes, checking off items on the list: Garmins, rear lights, GoPro, gloves, glasses, Rachael’s wallet this time, when the phone rings. Rachael hands it to me, assuming it must be the dentist’s office again. I put the speaker on so she can listen in.

It’s a female voice, but a different one this time. Hello, is this Scott Anderson? We have your wallet.

I think only someone who’s suffered through an experience like this themselves can fully appreciate the rush of elation we both experience. Instantly a Pandora’s Box of ills flies out the door, and immense feelings of relief and gratitude rush in.

To make a long story short, these people run a guest house ten miles west of here. They’ll be in all day, so we can stop by any time. We’re warned that there’s a climb involved up to their place, and we’ll likely want to walk the last bit. A few minutes later her husband calls up with the generous offer to drive down and meet us at the bottom of their hill but we take a pass. I’m curious to see this guesthouse and come away with a better picture of our saviors.

They’re right about the hill of course, and we do walk a good chunk of it. It’s a steady 18% or more for the last third of a mile, steep enough that it’s no fun to push even, especially when a brief shower starts up. Once we’re there though we’re invited in for a beverage and we sit around the table chatting for about a half hour before it feels like we should let them get on with their lives. He’s a very interesting man, well traveled. They spend their winters in the Algarve and he and his wife have taken several trips to Canada and the US, typically to open, empty country with dramatic landscapes - the Canadian Rockies, Big Bend, Yosemite, southern Utah, Monument Valley. He startles me when he talks about how unnerving it was driving up Moki Dugway in southern Utah, an amazing bit of road that I memorably biked down myself 35 years ago. I doubt that even many Americans are aware of that place.

We coast off the hill, stop off at the beach in Llanfairfechan for lunch sheltered from the wind in the nook of a building, and then bike home along the coast again - the third time in three days I’ve ridden this exhilarating stretch, always with a strong tailwind.

And about the wallet - his son (who’s there also, his nose buried in his laptop) found it when he was out on a run, maybe a mile or two from his home. So, not what I’d thought at all. It sounds like it just fell out of my shirt pocket while I was racing home, maybe after having worked loose after bouncing along that slate trail earlier - something I don’t think has ever happened before, that I’m going to have to think about.

And how did they find our phone number? when they googled the name and address from my drivers license both our home phone numbers came up. That wouldn’t have occurred to me. Later, Rachael proudly pointed out that this wouldn’t have worked if she hadn’t figured out how to get a dual SIM card, one that keeps active both our number overseas and hers from home.

Westbound the way to pick up the wallet, pushing into a strong headwind. Does it always blow in this direction here?

I mapped out the most direct, least hilly option to their place, which unfortunately includes some of this. We’ll find a different route on the way back down.

It looks like she’s out of breath pushing up this last bit. At least there’s a brief shower to keep us cooled down.

One of the happier moments of our lives. We won’t forget this kindness.

The view from the guest house. They live in a spectacular setting, just a mile from the coast and high up in the foothills. It would make a fine base for a hiking break or a stopover on a longer trek.

Rhiwiau Guest House, our recommendation for your nespxt stay in Wales. Bring your eBike, maybe.

We saw this church and tree earlier, it it didn’t have horses sleeping on the ground in front of it then.

On the Promenade in Llanfairfechan, heading home after our lunch break.

At Watson’s Bistro again. Celebration is definitely in order.

Pan roasted Chicken breast - charred hispi cabbage - spring onion mash- bacon crumbs- champagne sauce.

The special of the day, as it was when Rachael ordered it also two days earlier.

Heart

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Ride stats today: 21 Miles, 1,600’; for the tour: 1,623 miles, 88,500’

Today's ride: 21 miles (34 km)
Total: 1,622 miles (2,610 km)

Rate this entry's writing	Heart	11
Comment on this entry	Comment	20

Suzanne GibsonOh my gosh, so glad about your wallet. I hope the end of the story of your tooth is also positive. Wish you didn't have to wait until Monday, though. Frightening that there are such long waits, even for an emergency! Good that you aren't in pain at least. I have my fingers crossed.
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2 years ago

Susan CarpenterHallelujah! The chips continue to fall your way
You had me a little worried, until your cheeky email reply last night!

How resourceful the couple was to find your number, and the eSim was a savior. I’ve taken to carrying a laminated “business card” with my US and Euro phone number as well as emergency contacts should anything happen

Good luck with the tooth!
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2 years ago

Scott AndersonTo Susan CarpenterThanks, Susan. A laminated business card seems just right. For the moment we’re just writing up a note on paper at least. Not that it will ever be needed again of course.
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2 years ago

Scott AndersonTo Suzanne GibsonThanks, Suzanne. I don’t know what to hope for with the tooth, but I suspect an extraction is in the cards. It’s half gone as it is.
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2 years ago

Graham FinchYou seem to have done well getting an appointment to see a dentist. The UK's system is now infamous. Hopefully it all goes well. Good luck!
Are you insured?
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2 years ago

Scott AndersonTo Graham FinchI don’t think we’ll be covered for emergency dental overseas, but we’ll see. If it’s more than we care to cover ourselves we can always fly home.
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2 years ago

Scott AndersonTo Graham FinchAn update. Yes, I’m covered for emergency dental, which I assume would include this. I’ll have to pay out of pocket and file a claim afterwards, but it’s good to know what I should have known already. Thanks for prompting me to research it.
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2 years ago

Graham FinchTo Scott AndersonObviously it depends on the treatment you need and get, but UK dental costs should not be as high as those in the USA.
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2 years ago

Jeanna & Kerry SmithWhat a happy ending to your - yet another!- lost and found story. The pure joy of recovering a lost wallet is almost worth the worry of it's being missing. I hope your dental emergency story ends just as happily.
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2 years ago

marilyn swettWow - I couldn't believe your last post as it was so similar to our last few days! A couple of days into our drive home, Don had a crown fall off his tooth. It was the same one he had reattached in Columbus. Not painful, but needing a dentist visit. Then the last night we camped, I discovered that the sleeve in my wallet that holds all of my credit cards and health ID's was missing! We think it might have happened back in Iowa. Luckily no charges had been made and we were able to cancel the cards right away. But very stressful along with the stress of moving to AZ!
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2 years ago

Keith AdamsWOW! What a day on the emotional roller coaster! I'm glad it ended on an up note instead of disaster.

Hang in there!
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2 years ago

Scott AndersonTo marilyn swettThat’s an astonishing coincidence. I see that yours came first so we’re blaming ours on you.
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2 years ago

Bob DistelbergIt’s not enough that you two have these amazing cycling adventures. It’s that you throw in these extra plot twists to make the story even more exciting. And with any good adventure story, hopefully there’s a happy ending. So good that the wallet is back safe and sound. Just get that tooth issue resolved!
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2 years ago

Kathleen ClassenHow incredibly stressful all round. Such a wonderful happy ending with the wallet. I have my fingers crossed for the tooth. I had the same experience, but while home, which is so much easier. They were able to save the tooth but it needed a crown. Hopefully yours will work out equally well.
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2 years ago

Patrick O'HaraWowzas! Sometimes the cycling gods are with you!
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2 years ago

Scott AndersonTo Patrick O'HaraPretty remarkable, alright. We could hardly believe it when we received the call.
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2 years ago

Scott AndersonTo Bob DistelbergIt’s true, we like to drum up a crisis every now and then to keep up interest. The wallet is a good example of this. The broken tooth though - that’s taking things a bite too far.
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2 years ago

Rich FrasierSo I was right to be worrying about you. I’m so glad the wallet issue worked out so well! Good people everywhere!!
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2 years ago

Scott AndersonTo Rich FrasierYes, there are good people everywhere. Now if only this dentist I pulled out of a hat proves out to be another one.
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2 years ago