Staying healthy
If you don’t have your health, you don’t have anything.
Staying in good health on the road is important and should not
be neglected. The best advice is to exercise your common
sense and listen to your body. You can do things to prevent
getting sick.
Make sure you have the proper gear and equipment for the
current climate and activities. If what you have is not keeping
you warm and dry, strongly think about investing in
something of better quality. Visit the local stores and do some
shopping. Remember, your health and future enjoyment is
riding on what you buy.
Take a look at your current lifestyle. Travelling is sometimes a
lot of work. You are carrying your backpack sometimes for
long periods in a new environment and climate. Over time,
you may start to feel a little run down and tired. Take time to
rest for a day or two. Walk to a local library and read some
magazines or spend some money and visit the local leisure
centre. Sit in the hot tub for a while or do a small workout.
Always try to eat and rest well. You may want to splurge and
go to a restaurant or to an all you can eat buffet. Choose
something healthy and filling on the menu. You may also want
to supplement the meal with some of your multivitamins.
Back at the hostel, you may want to splurge again and ask for
a private room. There you can spend more time in bed without
the hassle of other packers snoring, making noise, or generally
disturbing a much needed sleep.
Staying hydrated is important. Bottled water is the best thing
drink. Drinking tap water is generally not safe and best
avoided whenever possible. Sometimes you may see the locals
drink tap water but realize that you do not have the local
immunities that they do. Also, not all bottled water is the
same. Try to buy bottled water with the natural minerals in it.
Some bottled water is pure H2O with all the minerals removed.
Ensure that the seal is still on the bottle before you accept it.
You also have a support group. I have found that everyone is
generally good and will try to do what they can to help you in
your travels. Backpackers, hostel staff, and even the locals can
help you find specific medical attention. If you have a specific
type of allergy or have medication, feel free to tell your fellow
backpackers and what they can do to help.
Keep in mind what the travel nurse warned you about when
entering into this country. The local population has a natural
immunity to a lot of the local ailments that you may not have.
Try to be diligent in taking whatever medicine is prescribed in
an infected area.
I want to highlight the importance of using your common
sense and listening to your body while travelling. If you are
feeling tired, get some rest. If you are hungry, get something
to eat. Keeping yourself safe and healthy is the paramount
concern while travelling.