Well, the wild living has finally caught up with me. Sunday morning I woke up feeling a little sick to my stomach. Started having a little diarrhea later that afternoon and by that evening I was running a slight fever and getting chills. I slept most of Sunday and Monday. I had the most vivid lucid dreams. It was so strange to drift in and out of a dream where people who were standing around my bed, disappeared when I opened my eyes and then reappeared in my dream when I closed my eyes again. Kept trying to eat a little congee (rice porridge) but it just made me feel uncomfortably full.
Yesterday, Don took me to the doctor and she prescribed an antibiotic, ciprofloxen I think. Said that I have a stomach bug although it feels much worse. My stomach was churning so much yesterday I thought my internal organs were being rearranged. I spent most of last night sitting on the toilet and also vomiting. I’ll tell you, it’s a real trick to do both at once without making a big mess. I must have thrown up everything I ate during the day but afterward felt much better. Today, I haven’t eaten anything for fear that it would make my stomach act up again. My head is pounding like I have a massive hangover because of the dehydration. So I’ve just been drinking lots of water and taking my medicine. I’m sure I’ve dropped a few pounds by now. I bet I could market this as the new dysentery diet…guaranteed to lose weight.
I know one thing from this experience. I wouldn’t want to have any kind of serious illness while here in Indonesia. Unlike Thailand, which is more modern and developed, Indonesia is still definitely third world in terms of Western health care. It didn’t look too different than the photo above. I think I would have been more comfortable going to a Chinese herbalist than to see the crude examination room I was in yesterday.
So I have no new food stories or adventures to share today. Just trying to rest and recover. Needless to say, our trip to Bali has been postponed but I hope to still make it there before leaving. I told Don I wanted the full experience and he certainly delivered. I been taken for a ride by a taxi driver and now I’ve gotten sick. I’m almost afraid to ask but what could be next?
More to follow as it happens…
Travel with Eric 