How to avoid food poisoning and what to od when you get it

Food poison is the least thing you would want to deal with when you are off travelling far from home, enjoying breathtaking scenery, exploring new places and cultures, and being away from your old work-routines. But avoiding "traveller´s diarrhea" is not straight-forward, and least of all a certain science. I was clearly not well informed when I arrived to Bolivia and Peru. Fortunately, there are some straight-forward steps you can take to significantly reduce the risk of becoming affected. 

Even though street food is often a rewarding step into the culture and life-styles of the native people, there is absolutely no guarantee of decent hygiene levels nor basic food safety in the preparation or preservation of the food. In Bolivia, it is highly recommended to avoid food from street vendors, but also keep in mind that meat is generally poorly treated hence making it a good host for bad bacteria.  

In Peru, my friends warned me about eating lettuce, explaining that it can often be washed with unclean water, thus carrying bad bacteria with it. Home-made mayonnaise and other sauces are also items to be cautions about, as there is no guarantee how long they have been left out. During my 10-days stay in Peru, I ate mainly chicken with french-fries, with exception for the lasagna and pizza that were occasionally offered! 

Here are some steps to avoid food poisoning:

1) Do not drink tap water! - Stay true to bottled / boiled water! Hence, avoid food that can have been washed or in contact with dirty water; (ex. ice).

2) Do not eat fruit or veggies that cannot be peeled. Especially not leafy veggies like lettuce or spinach.

3) Ensure that your food is thoroughly and recently cooked, served right-out-of-the-oven so to speak. Thus, avoid buffets, ice cream bars, home-made sauces (although sealed packages are mostly safe).

To sum it up: "Cook it, wash it, peel it or forget it".

What to do if you get food poisoning:

I was told by a doctor in Sweden that antibiotics is usually not needed in the "western" world, as you will start to recover within a few days. However, it is not a bad option when travelling in Asia or Central / South America. 

Hydration:

The most important thing to keep in mind is to stay hydrated. On my very laborious trips outside my bed room, I bought bread, bananas, and 2 lt bottles of water in which I  added a good amount with salt and sugar from the cafeteria. Furthermore, "white food", like rice, white bread, banana is recommended to eat, and the salt and sugar from the water will keep you replenished on salt and your energy level a little higher.

Private bathroom:

Not only is it convenient to have a toilet close by, but for the safety of the people around you, it is highly recommended to not share the bathroom with others. This will reduce the likelihood of spreading the bacteria to others. For this reason, it is vital that you are extremely tentative with your hygiene. (Always wash your hands after using the bathroom, with soap!) 

Here are some good reads of how to avoid what non of want to go through while travelling:

http://www.wikihow.com/Avoid-Having-Diarrhea-During-Travel

http://www.independenttraveler.com/travel-tips/safety-and-health/food-safety-how-to-avoid-getting-sick-while-traveling

http://blog.sitata.com/how-to-avoid-food-poisoning-what-to-do-if-you-get-sick/

La Paz

I was immediately amazed by La Paz in ways other than the hectic traffic, and I really wanted to stay for a longer time to get to know the city (I had once so anxiously wanted to leave behind) and its different culture. This cultural difference is evident in which ever direction you look in, and I could only marvel at the laborious, yet familiar life style of the natives. I was hoping that my stay would answer some of my questions regarding the Bolivian culture and life style.

   

My Bolivian friend in La Paz had recommended me to visit the fish market to enjoy some Bolivian food for breakfast. So in the morning I set off up the highly inclined streets asking around for the fish market. Along the way, I could not stop staring at the women sitting surrounded by their products in the middle of their neatly organized stands (till the end of the day), the waves of micros (small vans/buses) loudly announcing their destinations, and the very traditional dresses that the people were wearing. I still found the whole atmosphere surprisingly peaceful, despite its very disorganized traffic of pedestrians and micros. I finally found the fish market and entered one of the restaurants, asking for a traditional Bolivian plate.  

There is unfortunately a very limited amount of work possibilities in La Paz, even for those with higher education. Thus, most people go great lengths to earn their living. Yet, the burden is shared among other workers when sitting down to enjoy a good meal. I see women sitting in the streets surrounded by their big pots, out of which they serve their customers who sit down around the constellation. And, there is little of no waste as the plates are washed when handed back. At the end of the day, the pots are stored back into a typical blanket, which the women use to carry things along with them, and brought back home to prepare food for yet another day.  

I quickly learned (the hard way) the tough consequences of not being cautions with the food you eat. Especially food from the street, which can be very poorly treated before / after being cooked, hence carrying a lot of bad bacteria (especially meat!). Not even a half week into my stay in La Paz I got pretty bad case of diarrhea, which after a few days had left my body completely exhausted and dehydrated. Fortunately my friend´s friend, who is a doctor, not only diagnosed it as Salmonella and thankfully gave me some antibiotics to cure it. - I had some of my worst days since my military service, with nausea, headaches, stomach pain, and back / leg cramps! :/ Just had live it through and stay hydrated. It is worth reading up the matter before visiting Bolivia and Peru, because it is not worth it being careless! Here is my blog:
http://motorbiketoursa.blogspot.com/2013/11/how-to-avoid-food-poisoning-and-what-to.html

Could not believe my eyes, but I guess it makes sense to install a ...ski-lift! :)

La Paz is also famous for the numerous outdoor stores that sell camping gear and North Face jackets for a real cheap buck. You can find most of the along the street: Illampu. This is also the very touristic area with countless souvenir and Bolivian handcraft stores, where you definitely will find yourself a Llama t-shirt, a Bolivian poncho, a guitar with a colorful casing, and  much more.

Accommodation: I recommend El Lobo Hostal, which offer rooms from only US$4-5 per night, or next door which has a more of a party atmosphere. Direction: Illampu # 807

Restaurant: Due to my bad experiences with the food in La Paz, I frequently visited these two amazing pizzerias! Martini Pizza and Gladys, both making delicious thin crust pizzas with quality ingredients.

Although I wanted to stay in La Paz for a some time, I did not imagine it this way. Still, as I was recovering my strength and energy, it was about time to leave Bolivia for a short visit to the Peruvian mountains. Even if I am still left with many questions about the Bolivian culture, I will continue to explore as I later make my way across the country. 

Arriving at La Paz & the cultural shock

The "highway" toward La Paz was mostly under construction and the 130km took me around 2-3 hours. I was confused to see so many brick houses unfinished, so many parts of the road under construction but with no workers, and bridge projects merely started, but seemingly left unfinished. Also along the way, I saw many women working in the fields, families moving their animals to / from the fields, a life style that requires a completely different approach and attitude than what I think most "westerners" are used to.

When I arrived at the outside neighbourhoods of La Paz, I noticed a significant increase in cars, pedestrians, and unfinished brick houses. When I had arrived to what seemed as a market, I almost started to panic as a cultural shock of the (to me) poor condition of the people, all the unfinished brick buildings around, and a over-swelled road  with traffic and pedestrians that concerned themselves with nothing but their own business. I obviously had given no thought to how Bolivia could be different from Uruguay, Argentina, and Chile, but here it caught me right up front. - I patiently dealt with it as well as I could till I arrived to La Paz.

View of La Paz 

La Paz did not seem to improve things in my mind, and I must admit I was considering just passing through (if I could ever have found the exit). When I approached the city from above the valley, I witnessed a sea of brick buildings covering the entire valley up to the rim of the neighbouring mountain tops. The seemingly unstructured and enormous city harboured a traffic flow acting similarly to a stream as it evades rocks, cuts turns, ever seeking the shortest route along its path. Very luckily I found storage for my bike and accommodation for myself, so that I could begin to deeper discover this new world I had arrived at. 

La Paz

I must speak out to fellow motorbike travellers, unless you are already familiar or comfortable driving in "chaotic" cities such as Lima (Peru) and La Paz, take caution, or arrange a different way of visiting these cities (ex. store your bike in a nearby city, and take the bus).  

Bolivia 1st Day

At the border

Crossing the border from Lauca park was not a problem (on the motorbike). After passing the huuge lineup of trucks, and some running around at the border control confused as to how and in what order to pick up and fill out papers, I was able to continue toward the Bolivian side of the border, through the no-man´s-land. 

At this point the rain had caught up with me, and did not only wet bags and myself, but caused a short blackout at two offices that I had to visit, thus leaving my bike and my bags out in the rain for longer. At the end though, I past the border and left the rain behind (even if I saw it following me in the side mirror for the next 200 km. 

Rain rain rain!!

Happy camper!

But, these 200 km exhibited some of the most stunning landscapes I have seen! I was amazed by the variety and sharply distinct landscapes that I enjoyed along the road. Unfortunately most of it did not make for good photos, so I can only highly recommend entering / exiting Bolivia along the Bolivian 4-route, through Lauca Park in Chile. I definitely noticed the change of country, as I passed by small clay / brick huts along the main road, many of them with a broken roof. I had so many questions about Bolivia, and the different culture and life styles when I drove on toward La Paz.

Patacamaya

Patacamaya was the first "town" where I felt I had a decent chance to find accommodation, and I quickly checked in at a truck-hostal, for a mere $5 /night, a lot better than the $15 / night I paid in Chile! And at this point the rain had caught up.

Due to the rain and some thunder, the city had (as normal) temporary lost its electricity, which meant that I could not change money, nor put gas in the tank. After asking around, I found a store where the owner both changed money (at a higher rate) and sold me some litres of gas. More than what most people could bargain for. And with my accommodation paid for and gas in the tank, I set off for La Paz, knowing very little of what I was getting myself into...

Perú

I have just landed in Peru, and was picked up by a good friend to my family. Tomorrow morning we will be flying out to Tarapoto to spend about a week out in the jungle doing some research of the flora there. When I get back to La Paz on the 18th again, I will try to upload my adventures from Bolivia as well as from this trip in Peru!

Talk to you soon! - Rasmus

Daily routine - travel time / distance

To give you some hits from my experiences so far when it comes to travel time / distance and routine. When I read up about this myself, I found most people recommending a 350 km / day, even though it is not impossible at all to push for +500 km. I have come to realize that, although you may be able to push yourself farther for some days, it all catches up with you in the end. Here we go:

I think 350 km / day is a good calculation to use when preparing for a trip. But it is also important to include days of rest to recover both your body and mind. I have seen people use a 80 - 20% to set aside time to rest. I`d recommend anything from 20-30% of your days travelling should be allocated to rest. Even on the road, I usually ride for 50 min, and then take a 10 min break. Don`t forget to set aside 30-60 min lunch too.

Now it does not seem like much to ride just 3-4 hours a day, but for a novice rider like myself, I have learned not to push myself much farther than that. And here is where the routine comes in, which is really what saves you time in the end! To get up in the morning, to pack up your things and get the motorbike ready, and to have breakfast. On the road, it will be your breaks that really determine how fast you will arrive at your destinations, rarely your actual speed on the road. So do not push your bike or your speed limit to make up for "lost time", work on your routine.


I just have to say a word or two about Patience, maybe the most improtant / rewarding concept on your trip. Never rush yourself on the road! Never stress yourself to get somewhere before a certain time / date! Being stressed, irritated, or even tired on the road, can have fatal consequences. Instead, give yourself ample time, so you can enjoy the ride, make stops to take photos, and arrive in time to look for accomodation 2-3 hours before sunset. Also, keep in mind to check air pressure, gas station situation, and how well your luggage is tied down!

Any questions or comments, put them in the comment "box" por favor! :) - Enjoy the ride!!

Lauca park

This has sort of been the highlight of my trip throughout northern Chile, and a tremendous way to close this chapter of Chile. It was a needed trade of hostals and mining towns, to pitching up my tent and enjoy the huge, Swizz-like mountains! The Lauca Park is situated in the Andes between Chlie and Bolivia at 3,500 to +5,000 masl, with snow covered volcanos reaching +6,000mbsl! Very impressive! I spent a few days in Putre dealing with high alltitude sickness and enjoying the spectacular surrounding, and later camped out at Chungara Lake (at 4,500masl), before heading over to Bolivia.

Putre (at 3,500masl) is the main village in the park, and although very small, will provide you with everything from lodging and food, to petrol (ask around, it is sold in houses and hostels). As Putre was revealed to me when I came over the last climb, I stopped mindblowned! Even though I have never been to Switzerland, the view was like taken out of a post card!! I also very much appreciated the warmth and openess of the locals, and took delight in watching them herd their animals to and from their breeding ground at dusk and dawn.

As I drove into town, I easily found the main square, and the tourism office. He gladly answered my questions, gave me maps, and recommendations. I was able to set up my tent on the soccer field just toward the end of town, and when set up, I headed back to enjoy a warm cazuela (Chilean soup and dinner). I heared romours about a party that night, and upon asking, was given directions. Later on that night, as I followed the sound of dance music through the town, I eventually found the place of the gran party. Not very impressed with the almost high-school-dance sort atmosphere, I ended up drinking some beers with a group of road construction workers. As the night went on, more people joined the party, and it turned out quite well!

Having my cup of coca-tea

The next morning I was stuck in my tent with a terrible headache until early afternoon, with what I did not know at the time was not a hangover, but high altitude sickness (probably a good mix of both)! "Acquired at high altitude or in low air pressure, resembling a case of flue, carbon monoxide poisoning, or a hangover" - Wiki. The recommended "cure" is to drink plenty of liquid (surely beer does not go into this category), and especially the coca-leaf tea. - Although an attempt was made to break camp and see more of the park, I remained in Putre that day!

A German couple I stumbled upon

The day after, I was determined to set out early, to enjoy the ride toward Chungara Lake. I made a few stops to appreciate the unique wild life that exist at this alltitude. The "caves" did not prove very impressive, though it was a great spot to shoot some rabbits and vicuñas (photos ofc!). I also had to stop to marvel at the wild llamas grazing at the side of the road. Also, the road windes through some stellar landscapes and rock formations, but at times like that, it is just a treat not having to stop to take photos, but to fully enjoy the magnificence.

The very unique rabbit

Black bird in the sky

Vicuño

Finally arriving at Chungara Lake, I parked my bike and took a walk to see the stunning view of snow covered volcanos and mountain tops around the lake, and a range of exotic birds and fauna just on the water line. As the sun was starting to decline, I was offered a spot at the vacant camping (with a spectaular view of the lake), but (almost) most importantly, the park guardians let me cook some food in their cabin!! (After my previous failed attempt to use my cooker...) Along with the fresh supply of mountain water, my delisous pasta dish with tomato sauce and sausages, and the not to shabby view point of the lake, I was pretty content!

Lake Chungara

Llama llama llama llamallamallamama

The line-up to cross over to Bolivia

Now that is before the sut really was setting, at the temperature was dropping too rapidly. At 4,500masl, Lake Chungara is the highest in the world, and it gets to about -10C at night, sometimes with heavy gusts. I managed okay with my thick MEC sleeping bag, but I suffered an intense hangover headache from the cold night and the high alltidude, thus was not leaving the tent until midday next day, after taking some headache pills. : / Very funny, with my tent open for ventilation, I noticed some curious faces looking in from the other side of the meter tall stone wall encircling my camping spot. I later noticed it was the children from the vendor working at this touristic spot. - They must have really wondered what was wrong with this strange person!!

I was feeling fine by early afternoon, and after a cooked delicious lunch (from the day before), a some really dark clouds were approaching and I set off to the Bolivian border in a hurry! On my bike, I past the Km:s long line-up of trailers. I felt very little among these huge trailers as I cruised around the border to get the paper work done! - Everything went well!

Although I have been previously exposed to high altitudes, ...in San Pedro, and told to drink the coca-leaf-té and take extra precautions to acclimatize better, as usual I thought of myself as a superman! Still, the amazing scenery has made me confident that I will come back again, despite the alltitude!

Crossing the border from Chile to Bolivia

I know some of you have had problems crossing the borders between Chile, Peru, and Bolivia. 

I crossed the border from Chile to Bolivia at National Park of Lauca, along with ALL the trucks and trailers coming and going from the harbour in Arica. But with my bike, I passed the km:s long line-up, and looked up what had to be done before being cleared to exit Chile.

I only had to show proof or purchase and registration of the motorbike (in my case since I am the only owner), an International Insurance, and fill in some paper work. 

Later I proceeded toward the Bolivian border, and after making some photo-copies, getting some stamps on a piece of paper, I was set to enter Bolivia. However, which I came to learn when leaving the country. I was never given a "Permission to Circulate" (Permiso de Circulación) nor was the bike actually registered in Bolivia. Be sure to have this in your hand as you leave the border control!!

 Bolivia is such a beautiful country to ride a motorbike! Good luck to all of you crossing the border! ^^

Pic fr www.carlosdmesa.com

Arica - The most northern city in Chile

Arica has mostly been a place for practical matters, although there has been a few other highlights. Arica is the most northern city of Chile, with a large port and a close connection to both Peru and Bolivia. I found myself doing the 2nd service of the bike here, and enjoyed a few slow and relaxing days before going up into the mountains and onward to Bolivia.

In the northern part of Chile, Cazuela (traditional Chilean food),  is very commonly served as lunch and dinner. In Arica, you pay not more than C$ 2,500 (US$ 5) for a soup with meat, potato, and some veggies (La Cazuela), bread, and a full main dish of your choice. I was amazed to eat home cooked food for such a cheap penny, and happy of the change from empanadas and other fast foods. And there are lots of places serving La Cazuela, (a.k.a. "El Menú por favor!" as you would order it). 

I bought my "International Insurance" with Magallanes Seguros, a document that is required to cross the border with a Chilean vehicle (along with other important documents, depending on whether you bought a used or a new bike). This did not take me more than 10 min from stepping into the office, to walk out with my International Insurance from Magallanes Seguros in hand.

Arica was actually part of Bolivia before the War of the Pacific between Chile on one side and Peru and Bolivia on the other. Along with a history museum, you will find a marine museum. I recommend visiting the tourist office, from which I left with all the information I could ever ask for, for my trip to Lauca, also Arica, and all the other places worth visiting in Chile. It is located on the main square, along with the old church (pic below). 

Although there is a long beach, a supposedly good night life and a number of museums, I mainly enjoyed the great food, accommodation with internet and some rest, while preparing for the trip to Lauca park, and then Bolivia! 

High altitudes - You and your bike

There has for sure been an eye-opening experience to deal with the higher altitudes along the Andes. I was at first not aware of the effects of ascending or staying at high altitudes, neither on my bike nor on myself. I have therefore come to learn (through experience) more than I have cared to learn. :)  

Altitude sickness:

At higher altitudes (+2,500 masl), although the 21% of oxygen in the air remains the same, the air density decreases. This means that the lungs absorb less oxygen than it would normally, which makes any physical activities harder to perform. (Ex. Walking up a set of stairs). Aside from this, further side effects may include head aches and stomach pain, which may show up to 12 hours after the actascent. However, higher altitudes may for some people not be a problem at all, and for others (like myself) be a pain in the @ss. 

Enjoying a cup of coca-leaf-té in the morning sun at Lauca

It was in San Pedro when we went to see the Geysers (at 4,500 masl) that I first started to appreciate the effects of high altitude. Just walking briskly had me catch my breath. We had prepared some hot water with coca-leaves before we left, which is suppose to help against head aches and stomach pain (you can even chew on the leaves). - When I later went to Lauca National Park at 3,000 to 5,000 masl and stayed for a few days, I got really bad, piercing head aches (which I first thought was the effect from the first night´s party). But some head ache pills helped to alleviate the pain a bit.

It is important to drink plenty of fluids, even start a few days before the ascent. Furthermore, it will help to ascend slowly, spend a day or so at lower heights (2,500 - 3,000 masl) before continuing. Also, if needed you can descend a bit if the symptoms become to intense. Keep in mind to maintain a low pace, take it slow, walking as well as just moving around. 

Have a read at wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altitude_sickness

Riding a bike at high altitudes:

As I approached San Pedro (at 2,500 masl) earlier on my trip, my motorbike started to ride both slower and weaker. Without much thought to the matter, but rather focused to arrive at my destination before sunset, I turned up the accelerator. In this manner did I not only use up way above avg gasoline / km, but also (according to my Honda mechanics at 2nd service) busted a vale in the engine. :S ..ops!  

Like us humans, the higher altitudes makes it harder for the engine to perform physical labour. The carburetor, which is responsible for the air and gasoline mix that enters the engine, will mix air with less density then normal, hence with less oxygen and relatively too much gasoline, the engine will lose power output. Now being aware of this, I don´t turn the accelerator to maximum believing that it will generate maximum power, but notice instead when I force too much gasoline into the engine, and release the accelerator to arrive at a optimal balance and power output.  

I came across a video that explains very well how a carburetor works and what it actually does.

It can be a good point to ask the service mechanics about this, if you are heading up into the mountains. And if you have not been at high altitudes before, remember to ascend at a cautions rate, especially if you intend to stay at this altitude for some time. - Good luck and let me know if the post is useful!! 

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