¡Es el mundo de los insectos!

... y de los enfermedades...

I’ve had a good week and more fun at the gym. Only one bicycle ride to work though :( I could try blaming it on the snow we had this week, but I’ve cycled in <-25C weather and snow conditions numerous times before. I also had my second round of vaccines yesterday. I had an unpleasant headache last night and felt lousy today. Discussing possible health issues during the trip for an ~1.5hr with a travel nurse probably did nothing to help. But she’s given me tons of good information about malaria, dengue and other common diseases. In particular, she’s pointed me to the CDC Traveler’s Health site, the US agency responsible for protecting public health and safety. It’s likely the best site and source of information. I particularly like their interactive map for malaria.

I’ll buy all my anti-malarial and other drugs here in Montreal before leaving, and I’ll have them ship to me while on the road – most likely when I get to San Diego and then in Panama. I was prescribed two different drugs for malaria as it has become resistant to some drugs in certain regions. I’ll be using Chloroquine in Central America. Chloroquine is cheap and simple. One needs to take 2 pills once a week, starting 1 week before getting into an area with malaria, and continuing for 4 weeks after leaving the area. I’ll need to switch to the more expensive Malarone (a mix of atovaquone/proguanil at $9/pill) in Panama before getting into South America. That one needs to be taken every day, starting one day before entering an infested area, and 8 days after leaving it. Once I get through the northern part of Peru, malaria and most other diseases will not be an issue for the rest of the trip.

So far, I had declined the vaccine for rabies but I'm slowly changing my mind. It's very expensive (~$500) with unpleasant side-effects but what if I became enraged (at least more than my usual).  Actually, without the vaccine, it would certainly mean an abrupt end to my trip, as treatment in developing countries is unlikely adequate, and that's unfortunately not the worst case scenario. Maybe it's worth the pain and trouble (3 shots over 3-4 weeks). I'll keep you posted.

I received the result of the second blood test last week, and the trend is good. My level of anemia (red blood cell count) has moved up from 133 to 138. The lower limit of normality is at 135 (13.5g/dl). I’ll try to increase the iron level in my body with a supplement. I could also eat more liver but no one else in my little family can stomach it. It’s too bad because it’s a taste that’s different and that I enjoy. I’ve also given blood 13 times in the last few years, something I won’t be doing again for a while. There are a couple of obvious reasons for this:

• I need all my red blood cells and iron these days (see http://www.cptips.com/blood.htm) and,

• I can’t give blood for 3yrs anyway after coming back from Latin America.

On my way to the travel clinic last night, I had time to stop at MEC and was able to buy a multifuel stove – the Optimus Nova+ – and a MSR water filtering system. A multifuel model can burn regular gasoline which is all I'll be able to find in Mexico southward. I'll also carry Pristine chlorine dioxide for chemical treatment to kill viruses. Chlorine dioxide is unstable, therefore two substances must be mixed before adding it to drinking water. In some cases, dual filtering + chemical treatment is safest. There is a simple explanation of the different water treatment methods at MEC. I haven’t had time to try or read the instructions for the stove and filter thingy yet.

Finally, I’m picking my new Surly LHT at the store tomorrow morning. I’m quite excited and hoping that it’ll motivate me to cycle more. My clock is ticking fast...

¡Hasta luego muchachos y muchachas!

« Camarón que se duerme se lo lleva la corriente. »
(The shrimp that falls asleep is swept away by the current or the unwary are overtaken)