Nov 24 2009
Do Not Point With Your Feet
Back in 2004, when I first went to The Land of the Tiger, I was armed beforehand with a list a mile long of things to get, things to do, things NOT to do.
Don’t drink the water. Or milk. In fact, don’t drink anything where you haven’t opened the bottle by yourself. Don’t eat any food from a street vendor or any fruit that you can’t peel. And forget the ice. Learn to love room temperature beer.
Eat only with your right hand. Accept gifts only with your right hand. Avoid winking, whistling, pointing.
Expect to barter for pashminas, jewelry, rugs.
Don’t make eye contact with the monkeys. Or the beggars. Don’t be surprised to see people urinating on the side of the road.
If you’re in a car and you hit a cow, get out and RUN. Far and fast.
Take your own syringes in case you need to be admitted to the hospital. DON’T get admitted to the hospital.
If you’re bitten by a snake, make sure you remember the markings so you can accurately describe it to the doctors (in the hospital you don’t want to go to).
Make sure you have the strongest mosquito repellant that is sold. Don’t forget your malaria preventative. TAKE IT.
Get your immunizations:
- Polio booster
- Tetanus
- Hepatitis A & B (the whole series…no skimping)
- Typhoid
Take Immodium with you. You WILL get diarrhea. (AKA Delhi belly.) (Just make sure you don’t let one of your travel companions use yours when she forgets hers, because by the time you need it, there will be none left. Ehem.)
The list goes on. And on.
Annnnnnyyyywayyyyyyyyy, I remembered all of this when I found out I was, once again, leaving on that jet airplane. Last Wednesday – when I figured out we’d be leaving in two.weeks. – I also figured that I should check with my friend the travel nurse to see if anything had changed – any new vaccines I needed or rules I hadn’t heard of.
Why yes, Hotfessional, your typhoid immunization is only good for two years. You’ll need a booster.
Of course, when I offered to come in immediately to get poked, I was told that the first opening they had was on December 7th. Four days after we leave.
After making 17 calls, in Michigan AND in Chicago, I had struck out. Not only did I need the typhoid shot, I needed the malaria pills AND the antibiotic. (Did I forget that? Oh, yea – you should also have Cipro with you. Just in case.) (They never tell you ‘just in case’ of what. And really? Do you want to know??) No one would give me the prescriptions unless I came in for the consultation. And no one would give me a consultation because EVERYONE is apparently going to the underdeveloped world for Christmas.
I finally called our travel coordinator and told him I couldn’t go unless he pulled some strings. He pulled.
I’m getting my shot. (Arf, arf.)
At 7 tomorrow. Seven in the morning. A. M.
—- I hate injections. I hate mornings. Do you see how tomorrow is going to go? Send vodka. Sealed. No ice. —-
![[del.icio.us]](http://images.del.icio.us/static/img/delicious.small.gif){kind=small}
I’d say that all those shots would be a dealbreaker for me, except that I’ve done the same thing. Only, the country was Estonia and the occasion was my brother-in-law’s wedding to a woman he met there while he was in the Peace Corps.
Are you planning to buy any pashminas? If so, I’m jealous.
Jen on the Edge´s last blog ..The Martha does Christmas, 2009 edition
I hope they give you a smiley face sticker after your shot!
Oy. At 5:45 a.m. out here, I’m sending you much love for that shot. And for the trip.
Jeez. You have to be a first-rate Boy Scout to travel to India, don’t you?
Be prepared!
ALWAYS be prepared.
Tuli´s last blog ..Tools
Dude, that is a LOT of preparation. Hope you have a GREAT trip!
Shelly´s last blog ..Christmas Carols
Well, it’s 9:16 a.m. so it should be over now – hopefully you’re napping/sleeping off the vodka. (I’d like to be napping right now myself…)
I suppose this list should turn me off but it just makes India sound even more exotic, colorful and interesting! Can’t wait to hear the stories of your adventures!
Violet´s last blog ..A Love Letter to You
Have a nice trip.
lceel´s last blog ..Tuesday – and More Meanders 11-24
Hope the injection went okay – - hopefully you were still “sedated” from the Vodka . . .
Liz J in Central Illinois´s last blog ..Smile Dammit
This was a timely post as I am heading to India in January for work and I have a consultation today. We were just talking about customs and not offending anyone in our meeting earlier so I will take your tips and give them to the rest of the group that I am heading over with. Good luck on your shots and your trip!
Are you SURE you want to go to The Land of the Tiger?
Fannie´s last blog ..Updates (Starring good news!)
Great post. Yes, I’ve been there and done that (not India – Africa – but it’s the same). Your healthcare system sounds about as efficient as ours. Have a good time and I hope your arm (butt?) has recovered from the jab before you go.
Vodka, no ice, on its way – lol
AF´s last blog ..Why Do We Do This?
Good luck. That’s a lot to remember–plus the booster!
Green Girl in Wisconsin´s last blog ..irony appreciation 101
That is the only sucky part of travel- I hate the freaking shots and the malaria pills made me a little loopy. I always also take acidophilus pills daily (the active bacteria in yogurt) and I have never once gotten sick while traveling even though I always eat from the street vendors and have been known to drink & brush my teeth in local water. Yes, even when it’s lumpy and poo coloured.
God damn! I am soooooo jealous. Have a spectacular time & I am looking forward to photos!!!!!!!!!
repliderium.com´s last blog ..The One Where Martha Stewart Apparently Crawled Up My Ass And Made Herself Comfortable
Good heavens! Good luck! I hope you get a really nice pashmina out of all this…and none of the bad stuff.
Red Hamster´s last blog ..Thanks for online shopping
Wow! I had no idea that you had to go through all that to go to India. Eeek!
Well I hope you have a good time, in spite of all that. Bring back lots of pictures and stories…..good stories, not “I got malaria and had to use my own syringes” kind of stories!
DogsDontPurr´s last blog ..Needles revisited
Oy. Not sure the travel experience is worth the trauma of the prep. Good lordy. This is why the Matron is a Minnesotan. We stay put.
Minnesota Matron´s last blog ..Another One for the Stage Mother Books
Yes, the tales I’ve heard concerning things that happen to one’s orifices while there are intimidating, but everybody I know whose been to India would go back in a heartbeat as well. I hope you get one of those rare and beautiful expert injectors who could pierce a spine with a sword and not have the patient feel a thing!
I always get the nervous interns.
tattytiara´s last blog ..Heeeeeeeeere titletitletitletitletitle!
Baby, I’m pretty sure if there’s one thing that’s impossible to contaminate with germs, it’s vodka. As a matter of fact, in order to be extra careful, you will need to take along enough vodka to pour over everything you eat. And drink. And touch.
It will be a much safer, and enjoyable trip. Yeaaa, work!
Krissa´s last blog ..There just is no good title for this. I mean what on earth would you call it?
HOLY HELL!
OK, I don’t wanna hide in your suitcase now. Just send me a postcard.
And I am sending kisses for your boo boo.
Oh! One more thing. I read that when Humphrey Bogart and Kathrine Hepburn were filming “The African Queen,” everybody on the crew got sick *except* Bogart and John Huston. That’s because all they drank was alcohol!
So yeah, stock up on the vodka!
DogsDontPurr´s last blog ..Needles revisited
ACK! I hate immunizations. HATE THEM.
You’ll be glad you got yours, along with the vodka. No ice.
Hyphen Mama´s last blog ..Twenty days? Sheesh, I was positive it had only been 19….
Any place where I’d need to take all those precautions had best have some prize money for me at the end of my visit.
Dingo´s last blog ..Furby
That reminds me of the Seinfeld episode when they go to India and George paints his Timberland boots black and refuses to use the bathroom the whole time he’s there.
Kristabella´s last blog ..600