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[pct-l] Giardia
I spent six months backpacking around Africa. I never had giardiasis. In =
13 countries, the only place I ever had trouble was in Nairobi, Kenya. I =
had occasional travelers diarrhea there, but nothing serious.=20
On the same trip I spent about 9 months in South East Asia and never had =
any problems.
I spent a year in Taiwan and never had any problems.
In two trips to India, the second lasting three months, I never had a =
problem.
In September of 1998 I got diarrhea from drinking water in West =
Dosewallips in the Olympic mountains, and in September of 1999 I got =
sick from drinking water a few miles below Colby Lake in Kings Canyon. =
In both cases it lasted about three days and made me feel lousy, but it =
wasn't giardiasis. Those are the only two times I've ever gotten sick =
drinking water in the wilderness in North America in 32 years of hiking =
and backpacking.
The times they are a changing.
But I've been to Nepal three times and I have had giardiasis all three =
times. Even when I had a filter, or an MSR XGK to boil all of my =
drinking water, I got giardiasis. It is insidious.
Cramps, horrendous gas, burps that taste like sulpher, and serious =
diarrhea. There was a medication available over the counter. It's called =
Tinaba. It did the trick but it's strong nasty stuff. I travelled with a =
guy who took that stuff like candy and consequently he was sick for all =
10 weeks we were in Nepal and for 3 more months in India.
In Nepal one cannot be too careful about water and food. It's just as =
likely to pick it up at a resteraunt in Kathmandu as it is to pick it up =
in a teahouse in Langtang or Khumbu.
I can't wait to go back to Nepal after my PCT trek this year, though!
I sure hope their political situation settles down a bit. It tears me up =
to think about the violence that has been done in this peace loving =
culture.
The giardiasis seemed like a small price to pay in exchange for =
wandering aimlessly for weeks at a time through the greatest mountains =
on Earth.
SnoLepard
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