Some things are just not in the plans….but I didn’t die.  Yesterday we went to Cachoeia do Amor which are beautiful waterfalls outside Paracatu.  It’s a rough road to get there and no cell phone service the whole way.  There are places to rent rooms and it’s such a peaceful place with no one there.  We made our way to the trail head that leads you to the smaller falls where you walk down the unassuming rocks.  In the distance you can hear the larger falls. It’s peaceful, beautiful and we are completely alone.  Thorne (I call my husband Ken from his middle name) stepped down a rock and said “be careful it’s slick” at the same time as I slipped and fell, and immediately felt the excruciating pain in my leg. Ken abruptly grabs me and harshly says you have to get back now, and I slide back onto the dryer rock with his help.  I didn’t understand at the time because I was in so much pain but soon realized I was in real danger. The look on his face told me I had escaped something far worse than my leg injury.  If I would have slipped anymore I would have been swept over the 200ish foot falls.  We did a survey of my injury and I tried to stand but I couldn’t.  Panic starts to creep in…we are alone and no search and rescue crews to call like we would do in the back country at home.  Ken looks for an easier way out, but I can’t crawl through the jungle type forest.  We decided I had to crawl out the same way we got there because it was not safe for Ken and Nick to carry me out.  Now if you know me, I am afraid of creepy crawlies and snakes and now I am on the ground with everything that frightens me. I had to block that out of my mind because I had what felt like Mount Everest to climb.  So one rock at a time I scooted, crawled and was lifted by my guys until we reached the top an hour and half later.  They carried me out to the car from there.  Then the 2 hour drive back to Paracatu with every bump radiating through my leg.  I just kept praying that I didn’t break my ankle. We arrived at the hospital and Ken had called for help from his crew to come translate at the hospital. Ken is fortunate to work with really great people that dropped everything to help us. Brazil has government hospitals and I have never experienced this before. They were very nice and I received quick service with an x ray and a quick meeting with a doctor.  It’s not broken hallelujah! I have a severe sprained ankle and strained my knee and hip.  They bandaged me up so I couldn’t move it and said we could find crutches at the pharmacy.  I am resting and healing at the hotel for a few days. Nick was a trooper and snapped a few pictures to remember this unfortunate end to our waterfall hike and kept things light by cracking his funny jokes. Laughing through tears was what his momma needed.  I hope to be up and going soon.