"I don't think I'd travel in SE Asia right now"
Reese and I spent a few hours at REI Tuesday night stocking up on travel supplies. The big ticket items were two pair of shoes for her. She sprained her ankle really bad back in January and has some tendonitis giving her a bit of pain. So far she's been using running shoes for walking and I steered her toward some low-cut hiking shoes. I think she'll be happy to do a lot of walking in shoes meant for the task. The other pair she got was like sandales but the toes were covered; same brand as her hiking shoes and very similarly designed but more of a sandal style.
She also got a few more clothes for the warmer weather. The night before I'd picked up some more breathable, jersey-style shirts for the trip. It's going to be in the 90s and humid and with how much I sweat I'll need clothing that's not just cool but quick-drying. Plus, I now have a bunch more great shirts I can wear biking.
Next we stocked up on a small clothesline with built-in clips, camp suds with citronella, four insect-repellant clothes treatment kits and insect repellant for our skin. The clothing treatment is a pretty neat idea. Each kit should be able to treat two pairs of pants and two shirts. So, that means each of us should have four outfits treated for the trip and it lasts for 6 weeks even through washings.
I then asked Reese if she thought four outfits would be enough for the trip. We have a weight limit of 40lbs each person for all the in-country flights, so everyone's been recommended to take clothes that can be easily washed in a hotel room. She thought that sounded good, although we may end up taking a couple more outifts each depending on weight.
One of the REI sales clerks perked up at our conversation and asked, "Where are you going where you'll only need four outfits? How long?"
We told him we'll be in Vietnam for two weeks and were limited by weight. He was pretty surprised at such restrictions and then asked us about whether we were worried about bird flu.
"Well, it's nowhere near as big a concern as malaria or hepatitis A," I told him.
"Wow. I don't know if I'd go traveling in SE Asia right now," he said. That was about the end of the conversation.
Reese and I had heard similar comments before, but not from someone working at REI! I mean, this store is where you go to spend $300 on a pair of mountain climbing boots while also getting ice spikes, a water filter and bear bells for a week in the high Rockies. If we told him we were doing a trip like that he'd probably say, "Sounds like fun! Boy, wish I was going with you."
Instead, we'll be sleeping in hotel beds, showering every day and eating well. There were some two or three dozen cases of avian influenza in humans in Vietnam last year but they seemed to have contained it. And, we've got medication for malaria and shots for other diseases or infections we're not used to while we're there.
Up in the rockies if you leave a candy bar in your tent a grizzy bear could kill you in your sleep because he wanted chocolate. Where we're going we might get a nasty case of diarrhea.
She also got a few more clothes for the warmer weather. The night before I'd picked up some more breathable, jersey-style shirts for the trip. It's going to be in the 90s and humid and with how much I sweat I'll need clothing that's not just cool but quick-drying. Plus, I now have a bunch more great shirts I can wear biking.
Next we stocked up on a small clothesline with built-in clips, camp suds with citronella, four insect-repellant clothes treatment kits and insect repellant for our skin. The clothing treatment is a pretty neat idea. Each kit should be able to treat two pairs of pants and two shirts. So, that means each of us should have four outfits treated for the trip and it lasts for 6 weeks even through washings.
I then asked Reese if she thought four outfits would be enough for the trip. We have a weight limit of 40lbs each person for all the in-country flights, so everyone's been recommended to take clothes that can be easily washed in a hotel room. She thought that sounded good, although we may end up taking a couple more outifts each depending on weight.
One of the REI sales clerks perked up at our conversation and asked, "Where are you going where you'll only need four outfits? How long?"
We told him we'll be in Vietnam for two weeks and were limited by weight. He was pretty surprised at such restrictions and then asked us about whether we were worried about bird flu.
"Well, it's nowhere near as big a concern as malaria or hepatitis A," I told him.
"Wow. I don't know if I'd go traveling in SE Asia right now," he said. That was about the end of the conversation.
Reese and I had heard similar comments before, but not from someone working at REI! I mean, this store is where you go to spend $300 on a pair of mountain climbing boots while also getting ice spikes, a water filter and bear bells for a week in the high Rockies. If we told him we were doing a trip like that he'd probably say, "Sounds like fun! Boy, wish I was going with you."
Instead, we'll be sleeping in hotel beds, showering every day and eating well. There were some two or three dozen cases of avian influenza in humans in Vietnam last year but they seemed to have contained it. And, we've got medication for malaria and shots for other diseases or infections we're not used to while we're there.
Up in the rockies if you leave a candy bar in your tent a grizzy bear could kill you in your sleep because he wanted chocolate. Where we're going we might get a nasty case of diarrhea.
posted by Chris Druckenmiller | 9:58 AM
2 Comments:
Interestingly enough the New York times reported today that avian flu has been successfully wiped out in SE Asia. It's probably one of the safest places in the world right now re. bird flu.
Bird flu, schmird flu. Traveling entails risks. Just like going to the dentist, driving to the mall and eating a lot of cheese.
Enjoy your trip, eat lots of yummy Vietnamese food and don't bring any birds home with you (just in case.)
Carla
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