Vaccinations, injections and pills!

[yama]

So after being on the road for five months, hitching from Denmark to Syria i come back home to my parents big empty house. Trying to come back to reality and reconnect with my friends again and figure out what to do one of my friends suddenly offers me a free ticket to Thailand! Of course i wont say no to that, but there is a problem.

Apparently I need some vaccinations, Hepatitis B, Japanese encephalitis and maybe more. In Denmark, these coast ALOT - I am talking 250€. Then my doctor started on the whole malaria subject (which also coasts a load of money, and suck) and that i had to take them every day to prevent it.

The only place i have been before with malaria was in Gambia, and here i just did not take them. But i do not know how the situation is in Thailand.

The ticket is a one-way to Bangkok, my plan is to travel around and maybe make it to India.

If anyone has some advice or guidance for what i should do, i would be much appreciative!

- yama

[Succat]

 
[quote:421cc800c2="yama"]
"... Apparently I [b:421cc800c2]need[/b:421cc800c2] ([i:421cc800c2]emphasis added[/i:421cc800c2])some vaccinations..."[/quote:421cc800c2]

Greetings, yama . . .

Check with your governmental health authority (not your health provider or doctor) as to what you actually [u:421cc800c2]need[/u:421cc800c2]

You will probably find the only vaccine requirements are those stipulated by the Danish authorities and these will be for things like yellow fever — and are only necessary if you are returning home from countries where that condition exists

I wish you well . . .



Succat

[danieln]

Hey Jama

You dont need japanese encephalitis since only two tourists, who most likely had a week immunsystem, die from it every year.

I recommend getting your Malaria medicine directly in Thailand. They sell much cheaper drugs that are forbidden in most of Europe. You dont have to take the medicine every day unless you are in some parts of Indonesia.

Rabbies vaccination, which they will probably tell you to get, is also unnecessary.

By the way, how was your trip? I am in Trabzon, Turkey right now and will attend a political camp advocating kurdish rights soon. After the camp I will travel Iraq (just the North) , Iran, Pakistan, India and will head further further East from there. Maybe our paths will cross and we could meet up if you like. Will probably be in India around December or January.

Greetings, Dan

[yama]

Thank you both for your replys.

Succat: I will try to check out my governments homepage, and see what rules are written there.

Daniel: So no japanese encephalitis, but you mean that i should buy the Malaria medicine in Thailand? I dont have to take it everyday - not even if i head north, or into Cambodia or Laos - around jungle areas?
I dont know if it works in that way, that one has to take it everyday to prevent Malaria, or that you only take it once you are hit with Malaria?
- I have read different opiniones on this subject.

My trip was amazing! I actually made it all the way south to Damascus in Syria, wanting to head into Jorden->israel->saudi arabia-> then north through Iraq->iran->pakistan-> and then India. BUT i was burnt out after 5 months, and my stepdad had his 50 year old birthday party coming up that i promised to come home to, since the whole family would be there. So my mother kept calling and sending me these long, crying emails about how scared she was about the middle east, and that she wanted me home. So finally i just said OK and hitched ALL the way back to Ankara and flew home.
But like you my rout was very similar - thats funny. My plan was actually to fly back to Syria and continue my trip - but since i got this free ticket i feel it is only stupid to say no to that, even despite im low on money.

- I heard that Malaria pills should be really expensive, and that they make you sick and give headaches, etc etc.?

It sounds nice with the Northern part of Iraq. Its that area: South-east Turkey, North-west Iran and North-east Syria where the all countries border. In this area there should be many, many kurds there - but also many conflicts. I met several of them in southern parts of Turket and northern parts of Syria - they are beautiful and generous people.
I once stayed with a kurdish family in Mersin, Turkey. I had just parted with a "road romance" the same day, she was going west, me east. I was sad, bummed, tired and hungry as always. While sitting by the water, writing in my journal a Turkish family came up to me asking me where i was from and if i liked Turkey etc. Later they gave me a plate with food, cola and bread. I was so greatful for their givings. They left, and then came back later to retrieve the plates, and told me that they had no room in their flat, but that i could go in the mosque, since they might be able to help me. I felt a little bad, exploiting the nature-generosity of Islam. Anway i sat in with my pack and read in my english Quran. After the evening prayer, a kurdish guy came up and i told him my story, etc. He gave me 50 Lira and hooked me up with his kurdish friends whom i stayed with for two days, cooking and serving Cay for me constantly, while playing chess. It was so nice of them!

I have stayed with several families in Hungary, Romania, Turkey and Syria, but never have i been treated better then in Turkey and Syria! Great people.

Sorry for the long post - i got carried away

thanks again

- yama

ps. It would be cool to meet up - lets keep in cantact and see how far we are in a few months.

[danieln]

It really depends where you are. In the countries you are visiting you only need to take it after you are sick.

It sounds like you had a great trip. Same experiences here, just that it is hard to really get to know people in Turkey because hardly anyone speaks English.

How was finding places to sleep? Only had problems once with sleeping rough in Istanbul. Some guy tried to steal my stuff, but luckily I woke up, yelled police , and he ran;)

Any problems with gay turkish truck drivers? I know one person here on digihitch had them, I had them (or one), and another German hitchhiker I met in Trabzon also had problems with gay drivers. The guy demanded that I take off my pants while he was staring at me with his hands in his pants . Really funny situation in which it was hard not to laugh, but told him to let me out at the next gas station simply because I did not feel like being a porn star.

happy trails, Dan

[yama]

Wow. Sorry for the VERY late reply. I did not get an email about your response, so i guessed you did not reply. I just came home (yesterday) from 4½ months in SE. Asia! Hitching there is pretty easy as well ... but now i am pretty bummed out, being in this shitty cold weather in Denmark, i should never have flown home.

Where are you now man?

Finding places to sleep were easy enough, slept in alot of caves in central Turkey, that was pretty fun. In Istanbul i just CS'ed and actually ended up staying with the guy for two weeks.

YES. I meet a couple, nothing bad happend, they were just hoping for the opportunity and i gently declined. When hitching with an american girl i met, we had a couple of pervs that started to touch her and say strange things in Turkish, but we always gently told them to stop and let us out, nothing bad ever happend.

Haha that is sick! What did he reply to that?

[danieln]

He said: "Problem Yok, Problem Yok."

It happened again a few weeks later, but this time the guy didn't jack off right next to me after I denied his offer.

Now I am in India. Currently volunteering with a Human Rights Org. .Will probably be heading to China via Pakistan (if I get my Visa this time) in the Summer, and then all the way across and South to Laos. Who knows from there..

I do not think you missed very much in India. Personally I do not like it here at all and cannot wait to get out of this society. It is really weird going from countries with some of the most generous people on earth (Iran, Turkey) to one with terribly unhelpful people.

How was SE Asia? What are your plans now? You have the cold, but I get masses of Mosquito bites every single night

Cheers, Dan

[yama]

Haha, Chok Gûzel as they say! Well, atleast nothing bad happend.

Thats great man, i cannot believe you made it all the way, respect and props from here!
Sounds good with the Human Rights Org. Thought about doing something similar myself, but never got around to do it.

I totally get how you feel, arggh. I felt the exact same way with SE. Asia. Coming almost directly from the muslim countries where generosity and blind kindness are everyday occurences, to then landing in Bangkok where people are just trying to rip you off, cheat you, and are in general arrogant and close minded people really just pissed me off. A place where even smiles are for sale and tourists are flocked around like sheep - I instantly wanted to head back to the muslim counties and continue traveling there. Eventually i got used to it and just dealt with it in my own way. I felt that people in Thailand often treated me as an ignorant tourist - like all the millions of others. It was better in Rural Laos and Cambodia, where locals were more friendly and nice, but still none of the generosity and openness found in the middle east.

Hitching was pretty smooth in Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. Cambodia, still being the poorest country in the region due to the Khmer Rouge and Pol pot, a country with minimal cars, and stop lights for that sake, made it harder for me to hitch. If there were any cars to hitch they were usually packed with a million kilos of rice and then atleast 10 people on top, hanging on like some rodeo. It made things interesting, but i also felt a bit disgusted not wanting to pay the 3 dollars it would coast to get me from A to B. Helping and supporting the locals is always a good thing.

Ouhh, i do not know. After being back home for 5 days now i already got the itchy feet. I wanna head out again. I really regret flying home to be honest, i should have been more persistent despite the hard times. Now i wanna head back to Syria and continue to India Very Happy

How was Iran? I Find the place very interesting - and how did you get through Pakistan?

Take care

yama

[danieln]

Man, I got itchy feet too. One more month and I will be back on the road =) Unfortunately my Pakistan Visa was denied in Tehran, but a friend of mine, who had more luck than I, loved it. Iran was amazing; Muslim hospitality at its best and full of progressive thinking people. Hitching was great, it is dirt cheap, the landscapes are incredible, and the people - well - you know how Muslims are About 90% of the young hate the government and are longing for freedom. Ironically, going into Iran thinking it to be extremely conservative, I have never been in a country where women flirt so much. Calling a dealer over the phone to get some beer is also a very unique experience .

Now that my plans have changed I have 3 more Muslim countries on my route (Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan) =) .. Can't wait, Can't wait!!

Good luck with everything!

[yama]

Thats great man, i cannot wait for Iran! I met quite a few Iranians in turkey who got kicked out of their own country for arranging anti-government demonstrations. One girl i met even got stabbed why a knife by unknown men in masks.
Haha, thats great, they are also quite beautiful girls. Does the secret police still exist? Undercover cops keeping an eye out for young lovers or drunks?
A dealer for booze, out of this world aye!?

Heading north-west, it will be a bit cold yeah? Where in India are exactly now? It will be interesting though, not exactly any tourist destinations, thats always a plus. I imagine there are alot in India?

One of my old road-romances that i hitched with throughout Turkey is now in the process of biking through Cambodia and Vietnam, and man does she miss muslim hospitality! She says it is almost non-existent which i totally agree with. Hitching there was fun and beautiful, but the people did not really make up for the rest.

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