Keeping well

It is hot today, it was hot yesterday and it is likely that it will be hot everyday that we are here in India. The heat is un relenting and it makes ordinary tasks so much harder to achieve and drains your stamina extremely quickly. I know how important it is to travel with plenty of water and to keep the body hydrated even to the point that you are sick of drinking but sometimes you think that you will be o.k, that you are fine in the sun and the heat but this is when it will get you. I have been keeping impeccable hygiene standards here in India, antiseptic hand-wipes, bottled water only, not eating from street vendors but I didn’t drink enough water and as such have spent the last 24 hours being sick and now feel exhausted and here lies the danger. It was stupidity nothing more, my own stupidity thinking that I wasn’t particularly thirsty so I’ll wait an hour or so before buying more water at which point I was gasping, and that I would be fine to wander round in the mid day sun taking photo’s rather than finding the shelter and shade. It is a hard mistake to learn but one that I have learnt now and will not make again.

In the western world we are used to everything being safe, Water is safe to drink straight from the tap, Food from roadside cafe’s and even burger vans at the side of the road, here you have to make informed choices. There are fruit vendors with barrows on every corner and sometimes a fresh orange would just be fantastic to pick up and eat but it is just not safe to do so! Buy it by all means but make sure that it is thoroughly washed and cleaned before you consume it as O.K an orange has a protective skin but that skin is going to be touching your hand before you use your hands to place the orange in your mouth, you really do have to think these extra steps ahead.

The final hurdle is dirt and dust, India is a hot country and therefor it is dusty so you have two choices here. The first is carry baby wipes and wipe yourself down all the time, you will however then make your skin wet and attract even more dust so in my opinion the second it is best to concern yourself only with keeping your hands clean, especially under your nails and showering after your day out is so much more rewarding.


Richard Deans 18/4/2011