Mishaps of the Murray Marshmallows!

We have a few funny mishaps to report, both on and off the river.

Day 3, on the river, we entered B's dad Greg and another paddler Luke into the Murray for their 'easy' 8 km leg. Normally, paddling 8kms at 11kms/hr should take 45 min, so after waiting for them to come around the bend for one and a half hours our ground crew started to worry. Two hours later, they tiredly made it back to the banks. They reported that due to their bad balance in the boat, they fell in over eight times! Four kms in, they ended up being rescued by another paddler who encouraged and guided them to the end. The Murray Marshmallows voted this guy the MVP of the race.

Off the river, on the evening of Day 3, I was feeling somewhat sore after my paddle and was offered a massage from our 'mum' on the Murray, B's aunt Maree. To lessen the friction Maree generously applied some Finalgon cream. Ever heard of Finalgon cream? Me neither.

After a few minutes my shoulders and neck started to feel a bit hot. This was followed by an intense burning sensation and redness so I decided perhaps this was a good time to read the directions. This is what I found out *read below now*.

Needless to say the massage came to a halt. Panic arose in the room, wet towels were thrown about and ice was quickly applied to my burning skin. After about 30 minutes B's mum suggested I visit the first aid. By then it was starting to cool off but regardless, the doctor applied his very smart antidote, aloe vera. Saga over! I found out later that the use of Finalgon cream was banned in the AFL. Nice.

Usage

Directions: Always test personal reaction on a small area and wait for at least 5 minutes before use. Apply thinly onto the affected area using your hands, a cloth or paper towels. DO NOT RUB IN. Do not apply to broken skin. Use about 5mm for an area the size of your hand. Keep away from eyes, nose, lips and other sensitive areas. Wash hands with soap and cold water after use. Finalgon may cause intense local heat and redness of the skin in some people. If the effect is too strong for you or you are experiencing pain: Remove the cream with cotton wool soaked in cooking oil. Apply ice packs or local anaesthetics to relive the symptoms.