- 07 Apr 2009
Below are listed several precautionary rules that everyone should heed when travelling in the tropics.
3. Do not eat fruit that cannot be peeled. True, it may be difficult to resist the temptation to eat strawberries or cherries in January in certain tropical regions south of the equator, but it is not worth taking the risk of exposing yourself to the great danger of possible infection with some tropical disease. Wait until you return home and pick them in your own garden.
4. Drinking water constitutes a high risk. Make sure it has been boiled before drinking it. This point applies to drinking water anywhere in the tropics, including in restaurants; it is unsafe, and so is ice, which is probably made from the same water. You must either take the trouble to boil it or try to quench your thirst by eating juicy fruit which you can peel, being careful not to transfer
any bacteria from the skin of the fruit to its fleshy part. In the jungle you can drink palm water, which is contained in the marrow of the palm tree. Even for those who normally do not drink alcohol, it would be better to quench the thirst with beer, if available, rather than run the risk of drinking contaminated water, for a little alcohol is less harmful than a dangerous tropical disease. Remember, unboiled water can be dangerous – do not take any chances.
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