Meth: a Ticking Timebomb Gone Viral

A Third World Affliction

The next day after I ate Nada's Papaya salad, I had (and still have) a severe case of diarrhea. It's impossible to know what exactly is the cause of my affliction, but I suspect, despite her denial, that she has used tap water at some point during the process and this has caused my intestines to react. She may have thought that a final rinse of the salad ingredients with bottled water would alleviate any danger. She's been exposed to certain water-borne pathogens her whole life, and this may explain why she isn't sick like I am.

Of course, I may be barking up the wrong tree with this theory. We have only just returned from a trip where I came into contact with many people, and a virus may be the cause of this thing I have. The funny part is that I don't feel too bad, and the only other symptom I have is a mild headache (which may be a result of dehydration).

Nada isn't sick, but she only a small amount of the salad. She is used to the water and can probably tolerate more exposure to untreated water than I can. The other theory is that one or more of the ingredients in the salad have caused the reaction. In any case, after two days, and having only soiled myself twice, I've learned my lesson. No more salads for me. In the seven months I've been in Thailand, street food has never made me sick, and my guess is that's because the food has been thoroughly cooked and any nasties killed in the process.

Australia has stringent health regulations when it comes to food, and if Thailand's vendors were to operate there, they would be shut down in an instant. And yet, from what I have seen and experienced, nobody is falling ill from consuming street food. However, the road toll here is astronomical and it makes me wonder why the Thai government doesn't do more to curb the behaviour of many drivers and bike riders.

I'm still shocked by the way people drive their cars and motorcyclists take risks by overtaking in the most dangerous fashion, just to try and save a few minutes...and the majority don't wear helmets. I've noticed a lot more foreigners who choose to not wear helmets now too. Oh, they look cool, but even a minor accident without the protection of a helmet can be catastrophic. For many travellers that come to Thailand, common sense gets left behind in their own countries.

From what I can gather, health insurers do not cover motorbike accidents. And whilst Thailand is a cheap place to live, hospitalisation here is far from cheap...assuming the person involved lives to tell the tale that is.