Going To India! Need advise please - Page 2

[formerluddite]

Originally Posted by poetesss

Also don't forget something to replenish your electrolytes and keep you hydrated, especially if you are going in summer. My dh has ended up on an IV for dehydration, it just creeps up on you so quickly in the summer over there.

ah, yes, i knew there was something(s) else i took. i used Emergen-C, because it was handy in the little envelopes: you can slip them one at a time in your purse, and kids like the taste (sugar, different flavors, too). these days i'm using liquid trace minerals (concentrace) on an everyday basis, so i'd probably bring a small bottle of that (but you'd have to check it, courtesy of ever increasing terrorist mania: they might explode, right?).

and for picky toddlers/hunger-at-odd-hours/homesick-for-western-food times i took envelopes of instant oatmeal and grits, and "juice box" size rice milk (we were limiting dairy then, and it's shelf stable). with an immersion heater (and a ceramic mug to boil water), i could make oatmeal in a small plastic bowl so dd1 could eat when she was wide awake at 5 am and our relatives were still fast asleep.

poetesss, i remember reading the PDR on lariam, and thinking "no way am i putting that in my kid's body!" and from your link:

The first randomised controlled trial of mefloquine prophylaxis in heterogeneous, non-immune Western travellers was published in 2001 and found that one-third of all mefloquine users reported neuropsychiatric adverse effects.

one-third, yikes! crappy traveler that i am, i was anxious enough already (homeopathic gelsemium and ignatia helped), and anxiety/depression was the #1 side effect as i recall.

we dithered about whether to go for the malarone, since it might be better, but it can't be good. we decided against any prophyaxis drugs, partly because of our short trip (<month), and low incidence of malaria in kerala. but dh had it twice as a kid (in africa), and says it's pretty awful. and every time he gets a high fever (like with the flu), he feels like it's a bout of malaria. nice to see the herbal/homeopathic remedies for future reference. (but it'll be a few years: i'm never taking a toddler around the world again!!!!!)

ETA: we brought a few straws for drinking coconut water at street stalls. they pick theirs up at the end of the day and reuse them.

and 6 degrees of separation stuff: would you believe my MIL grew up in peroor, near kottayam, about 50 miles from amma's birthplace, and i think i once heard her say she went to school with amma's mother's somebody (cousin/sister/etc. etc.). everybody there is everybody else's "brother's wife's aunt's cousin's husband's nephew's schoolmate's..." and my MIL has them all memorized better than i know the cast of "all my children" from 1991.

[USAmma]

Wow these are all great tips!! I didn't realize so many had spent time in India.

Jasmyn's Mom, are you really going to meet Amma? That is soooo cool! I tried to see her last time we were there, she was visiting the city, but I was not able to find the transportation to get there (my IL's are very protective and would not let me go out alone).

Last time I wore the native clothes (salwar kameeze mostly) but our trips were in the winter. I have been advised by my MIL to just bring my normal shorts/shirts from the US for every day wear and bring a couple out trad. outfits for the temple visits. I was surprised to hear this advice as she prefered me to wear trad last time. It must be *very* hot in the summer. Ick.

I agree about watching out for "eve teasers" who will whistle or harrass you in public places. I have never been touched but I've had vulgar comments made. Mostly young college men.

Practice using the Indian style toilet method. It will save you a lot of trouble instead of depending on TP when you are away from home. I just found this: http://www.pbase.com/jtodhunter/indian_toilet But I have to add for instructions, for women it's easier to pour the water down your backside, if you get the squat just right it pours over your female parts and gets you very clean. Oh here's another one: http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1314998

[formerluddite]

for those of us too set in our ways... a tiny roll of toilet paper in a plastic shell. i got something like this one at a travel store, and would refill it from regular rolls (i brought a few with me) when it ran low (a nightly ritual, along with filtering water and doing laundry in a bucket in the bathroom), and carried it in my purse.

a stretchy braided clothesline was handy, too.

i brought nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans, pistachios. no cashews: they grow there!), oat bars and clif bars and dried apricots as snacks (snacks very necessary with kids). the nuts and apricots also went over well as gifts, as well as salami (my IL's are catholic and big meat eaters, and whole salami "logs" don't need refrigeration for the trip) and maple syrup (trader joe's, grade B quart). my IL's used up a quart jug of syrup in about 2 weeks!

UAmma: which part of india is your dh from?

[USAmma]

Wet wipes work well, too. They sell them there in purse-sized containers.

[Sarahfina]

We are also concidering travel to India, maybe in the fall when DD will be almost 2. My husband has been before, for a long stretch some years ago, and I've always wanted to go. Its interesting to find a whole thread of people who've travelled there with unvax'd kids. I just kind of assumed we'd have to back down on our no vax possition if we decided to go, and we'd get the hep a, maybe hep b and polio vacs. You all feel comfortable not doing this? I'm intruged...why have you made this decision? Maybe we dont have to vax for India after alll...

Sarahfina

[USAmma]

Originally Posted by Sarahfina

We are also concidering travel to India, maybe in the fall when DD will be almost 2. My husband has been before, for a long stretch some years ago, and I've always wanted to go. Its interesting to find a whole thread of people who've travelled there with unvax'd kids. I just kind of assumed we'd have to back down on our no vax possition if we decided to go, and we'd get the hep a, maybe hep b and polio vacs. You all feel comfortable not doing this? I'm intruged...why have you made this decision? Maybe we dont have to vax for India after alll...

Sarahfina

I'm not the best person to ask-- we have vaxed both kids for various reasons. But there are no vaxes for a lot of things you will find there.

Having done the toddler in India thing-- I would just gently encourage you to consider going when your dd is at least 18 mos older. It will make things so much easier. I pretty much told my MIL that she could not even pay me to do that again after I took dd1 there as a toddler.

[formerluddite]

Originally Posted by USAmma

Having done the toddler in India thing-- I would just gently encourage you to consider going when your dd is at least 18 mos older. It will make things so much easier. I pretty much told my MIL that she could not even pay me to do that again after I took dd1 there as a toddler.

ditto!

as for vaxing, the more i learn about vaxes, the more i know it would make them more succeptible to illness by impairing their immune systems (not to mention the allergies/eczema it triggered in dd1).

[Jasmyn's Mum]

I'm with you on that one, formerluddite. I want dd's immune system to be strong when we go, not compromised. I was looking for options and I found many here. Thank you.

USAmma, I don't care what I have to do to see Amma. I will not leave there without seeing her. I feel so good in her presence and she has blessed me twice. She also blessed dd when she was in my belly : Also, thank you for the ummm...toilet tips.

I plan to go with very little clothing and just buy there. I want to fit in, not stick out. I'm 100lbs so I think I'll be able to find lots that'll fit me.

I have a feeling I will not come back the same woman. I'm excited to see the temples and feel the warm weather. Then there's the beads! I'm going to lose my mind with the beads !! I'm looking forward to learning all that I can with regards to homeopathy. Some of the best homeopaths in the world are from India.

[tylertyler]

Dear Jas
www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com
has a link to TF (transfer Factor) A combination of immune building herbs,vitamins. I always take before my journeys to Asia. Good for the entire family to take pre trip/during trip.Also a AYURVEDIC herb called Astragalus is great to take daily pretrip/during trip.
Yes agreed "the best homeopaths in the World are in India or from India(including the best Teachers of homeopathics)..................."
Two of the best teachers i recommend Rajan Sankaran and S.K.Banerjea
Banerjea has a few clinics in Calcutta near Mother Teresa's hospital ...............
"agreed its best not to Stick out by wearing shorts and tanktops"......this is considered to be underdressed,even having your shoulders exposed is not a good idea. No matter how hot /sticky/humid it might be to cover yourself as a female is safer. I saw tourist females being followed by hords of males just because these two women had tanktops on,showing their shoulders.........

TYLER

[tylertyler]

Part two
Dear Jas
If you want to stay somewhere verry cheap/clean with 100% veggan cooked meals try the "ISHCON temples in India"
(spelling might be wrong ISCON.......?)
Go on line for the locations.

[USAmma]

Originally Posted by tylertyler

Part two
Dear Jas
If you want to stay somewhere verry cheap/clean with 100% veggan cooked meals try the "ISHCON temples in India"
(spelling might be wrong ISCON.......?)
Go on line for the locations.

ISKCON

http://www.iskcon.com/worldwide/centres/asia.html

I agree, very good food, clean housing, friendly people. However they do have very strict guidelines in a lot of those places because it's a spiritual retreat.

[tylertyler]

Good link
Thank you
I stayed in the ISKON temple in calcutta. All marble floors/walls,clean bathrooms,some rooms with private bathroom not all. 3 veggan meals daily cooked by the Monks.Yes verry strict rules,the chanting starts early in the AM daily.Good save place for females traveling alone as the monks are NOT allowed to touch you,verry little interaction.

Bring your own mossie net,there are hooks on the ceiling for this.One other thing i just remembered,Bring a sheet sewn in half like a sleeping bag this keeps all the critters out of your bed you are totally enclosed like in a cocoon. As sometimes the mattresses in India are made from Twigs/grasses=nesting little critters.

TYLER

[Jasmyn's Mum]

ISKON...got it, thanks. I'm going to the dr's tomorrow and will be asking for Malarone, not Larium.
Dd sees her doc next week and I will be asking for Zithromax just in case.

The list of things that we need keep getting longer and longer

I'm so glad I asked here what to do. Thanks for the wisdom.

Tyler, I emailed the homeopath you recommended but she hasn't emailed me back. Maybe she is busy or away somewhere. Maybe I need to be more patient too

[Jasmyn's Mum]

Tyler, she just emailed me last night