The ‘Belly’ Crisis

I am almost over a bad bout of gastroenteritis and about 70% fit, subsequently the reason for a lack of postings. If you are in Bali then it would be called the Bali belly, and if you were in Delhi, India, then it is the dreaded Delhi Belly.

Most of you that have travelled regularly to Indonesia will have, at one time or another, suffered from this painful malady. Stomach cramps, diarrhoea, vomiting and in general, feel like killing anybody that says “Hi, how are you?”.

Copping a dose of this malady, which is usually contracted by drinking untreated water or eating food handled by persons who have not washed their hands, is not great when you only have a few weeks holiday if you are a tourist. This is one good reason why health insurance when you travel is so very important. If you travel on a budget, then doctors, hospital and medicine bills can, and often are, outrageous and put a large dent in your travelling funds. So ensure you obtain some kind of insurance.

To save yourself all the hassles, ensure you visit your doctor before travelling overseas and get a Hep A/Hep B vaccination combination. It will cover you for 10 years, and, although it will not foolproof you from the dreaded belly, it will reduce the chances of contraction.