Vaccines and Sunscreen

Warning: If you are squeamish about bodily functions, or think that they should not be discussed publicly, then this blog posting is not for you and you have obviously never travelled to Africa

The last time I was in West Africa, my biggest problem was keeping my weight at a healthy level. I shed the pounds when I got malaria, but they stayed off because of Montezuma's Revenge (aka traveller's diarrhea).

This time I've gotten all the required vaccines, and I've gone the extra mile with Dukoral. It's an anti-cholera vaccine that supposedly does wonders against traveller's diarrhea as well. My parents used it when they travelled in Vietnam and Cambodia and they seem to be fine. The real test will be when I succumb to my addiction to frozen bissap bags, as I inevitably will. Frozen bissap bags, for those who don't know, are the most delicious concoctions ever to tempt white travellers with weak digestive systems. They're made by boiling hibiscus (bissap) flowers and pouring huge amounts of sugar into the resulting syrup. Dilute it with a little water and you get juice. This juice is then bagged and frozen. When it's 45 degrees outside, there is nothing better than those bags of frozen bissap juice... but they're not exactly pasteurized.

And then there's malaria. I was on the best antimalarials when I got it, so this time I've opted for a cheaper brand - Doxy - that will probably do a better job. Unfortunately, one of its side effects is increased sensitivity to sunshine. I'm already about as sensitive to sunlight as you can get without being albino. The guy at the drugstore gave me a weird look when I walked up to the cash register with the store's remaining stock of SPF 60. I'm just disappointed they didn't have anything stronger.

12 days to go before take off!