Traveler’s diarrhea, also referred to as Dehli Belly, Montezuma’s Revenge, Turkey Trots, Aztec two-step, etc. etc. etc., is a common experience that all travelers should experience at least once. The nicknames alone make it sound more like a fun adventure park ride than a painful stomach cramping and bowel movements. Why would I ever wish this upon any person? I believe that every traveler needs to experience this in their adventures. Of course, I would never wish for someone to have it so bad that they need to be hospitalized. Just enough for a couple days of discomfort at most. By having traveler’s diarrhea you probably were trying something new, you will definitely be humbled, and you have a story that lasts a lifetime! Traveler’s diarrhea, or TD, (I figure you can only read the word “diarrhea” so many times in a blog) can happen under certain conditions. It can happen when you eat street food, when you eat in a dirty restaurant, when you eat in a clean restaurant, when you eat at a Western food chain, when you eat at a local’s house, when you eat a bag of chips from the convenience store, or when you drink too much wine at a cafe (maybe that’s a different kind of sickness…). But hopefully you get the picture – you can get TD anywhere so you might as well try something out of your comfort zone! I hate when travelers tell me they won’t eat street food. These are the people I wish TD on the most because they are missing a HUGE part of the culture and some of the best local food you can have. The truth is they probably will get TD after eating at the “clean” Western chain down the street. The other truth is, when I started writing this blog, I had TD and I have no idea where it came from! That day alone I ate at a home, on the street, and in a restaurant. Try new foods, try a place you wouldn’t walk into back home, and if you get TD then at least you were creating a new experience. TD will also humble the crap out of you (pun intended). You will be running to the toilet every couple hours (sometimes minutes), pushing past your hostelmates or your gracious host family. When I was in Cameroon in college, we stayed at a house where we dug holes in the backyard to bury our excrement when relieving ourselves. Sometimes a few girls would be plagued by TD at the same time. Nothing humbles you more than looking out at the Cameroon hillside while you have TD next to another person. If you were feeling really high and mighty about understanding a new culture and country, TD will bring you to your knees or at least the squatting position (depending on where you are located and the type of toilet available). Lastly, getting TD usually involves a good, memorable story. Good might not be the right word… excruciating, disgusting, or hilarious are better descriptors. The story might be the meal itself, the feelings up until the sickness hits, or the ordeal of having TD and surviving. If you’re lucky, all these parts of your story will be worth telling. Sometimes your TD story will involve strangers helping you in unexpected ways turning them into lifelong friends (or enemies). Whatever it is, these are usually the stories I hear on the road and are often the most shared on returning home. With that, I could end this with my most epic TD story but I think I had something at lunch and I’m going to have to run to the toilet real quick… If you do get Traveler’s Diarrhea…In all seriousness, here is what I do when I’ve had any stomach or bowel movement issues that last more than a day (please note that I’m not a physician in any way, shape, or form, but these steps are what have worked for me):
Katie
1/13/2015 03:40:26 am
Remember in China when we made those "tortilla chips" and I was sick from them for a week after your birthday?!
Vicky Ellis
1/14/2015 06:45:47 am
You never fail to make me laugh! Thanks for bringing some needed comic relief to my work day! Comments are closed.
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