A Silver Shadow Over The World - December 2023 to May 2024

[mysty]

23 minutes ago, JoGay said:

I also take a thermometer, rubbing alcohol and hydrogen peroxide.

 

Thank you JoGay!  Great suggestions!

[Tothesunset]

2 hours ago, JoGay said:

I also take a thermometer, rubbing alcohol and hydrogen peroxide.

I'm not sure it's that sort of cruise. 😉

[lincslady]

The imagination boggles.  

 

Lola

[highplanesdrifters]

Great list Miss M.  I'm going to merge it with my own.  I wasn't familiar with Gravlo, thanks. I also include Pepto Bismol tablets. My microbiologist neighbor recommends them. She suggests popping one or two before eating or drinking in areas you might encounter less than ideal conditions. Think street markets and roadside eateries. She said they coat the stomach and prevent cootie absorption.  Is there a Doctor in the house that can confirm this?  😃

[mysty]

7 minutes ago, highplanesdrifters said:

Great list Miss M.  I'm going to merge it with my own.  I wasn't familiar with Gravlo, thanks. I also include Pepto Bismol tablets. My microbiologist neighbor recommends them. She suggests popping one or two before eating or drinking in areas you might encounter less than ideal conditions. Think street markets and roadside eateries. She said they coat the stomach and prevent cootie absorption.  Is there a Doctor in the house that can confirm this?  😃

 

Thank you High!  The Pepto idea is great!

[Stumblefoot]

2 hours ago, highplanesdrifters said:

Is there a Doctor in the house that can confirm this? 

This place is crawling with them. Now, whether or not they will confirm you’re microbiologist neighbor’s prescription, well…

[jpalbny]

9 hours ago, highplanesdrifters said:

Great list Miss M.  I'm going to merge it with my own.  I wasn't familiar with Gravlo, thanks. I also include Pepto Bismol tablets. My microbiologist neighbor recommends them. She suggests popping one or two before eating or drinking in areas you might encounter less than ideal conditions. Think street markets and roadside eateries. She said they coat the stomach and prevent cootie absorption.  Is there a Doctor in the house that can confirm this?  😃

 

6 hours ago, Stumblefoot said:

This place is crawling with them. Now, whether or not they will confirm [your] microbiologist neighbor’s prescription, well…

 

Well... Yes and no?

 

When taken regularly in fairly high doses, bismuth subsalicylate will definitely reduce the risk of traveler's diarrhea. At least, some forms thereof. Probably not all of them.

 

Problem is, the doses in the study (2 pills or 30 ml 4x/day) can be hard to tolerate. It's not recommended to use for more than 2 weeks at that high of a dose. In some people that dose can cause salicylate poisoning. Always a fun time.

 

Maybe lower doses, or one-time doses work. Maybe they don't. And I don't know how it works so I won't comment on the proposed mechanism.

 

Me - I just take a big bottle of ciprofloxacin along with me. I had to give all of it away in India but since then, the new bottle hasn't taken too much of a hit.

[mysty]

31 minutes ago, jpalbny said:

 

 

Well... Yes and no?

 

When taken regularly in fairly high doses, bismuth subsalicylate will definitely reduce the risk of traveler's diarrhea. At least, some forms thereof. Probably not all of them.

 

Problem is, the doses in the study (2 pills or 30 ml 4x/day) can be hard to tolerate. It's not recommended to use for more than 2 weeks at that high of a dose. In some people that dose can cause salicylate poisoning. Always a fun time.

 

Maybe lower doses, or one-time doses work. Maybe they don't. And I don't know how it works so I won't comment on the proposed mechanism.

 

Me - I just take a big bottle of ciprofloxacin along with me. I had to give all of it away in India but since then, the new bottle hasn't taken too much of a hit.

 

Thank you Dr. JP!  Ciprofloxacin it will be.  It is available OTC or is a script required?  Thanks!

[jpalbny]

It's a script, M. Luckily I know a doctor...

[mysty]

1 minute ago, jpalbny said:

It's a script, M. Luckily I know a doctor...

 

Thanks Dr!  😅

[drron29]

Being a lot older than JP we take doxycycline along. So far only used it in malaria areas.

[turtlemichael]

The need for such a list of items has come home to us on the present World Cruise. Fortunately, I'm married to a doctor and we travel with enough pills and potions to open a pharmacy. As of today, many guests are down with a tummy bug that, for us, has resulted in an "explosive" situation. La Terrazza breakfast and lunch, is no longer self serve. Some are attributing it to a world cruise event in Zanzibar 3 days ago.  But who knows? Sadly, we and many others have missed today's excursions in Nosy Be, Madagascar, and similar is likely to happen tomorrow.

[lincslady]

You are all so well organised.  When  we cruised (up to about 4 years ago) my medicine chest consisted of sticking plasters, paracetamol,  'goers and stoppers'  and indigestion tablets.  To be fair, no cruise was more than about 20 days long.

 

I did give away a heap of 'stoppers' on a land trip to India; couldn't believe some people were silly enough not to take any, then eat from roadside stalls.

 

Lola

[mysty]

2 hours ago, drron29 said:

Being a lot older than JP we take doxycycline along. So far only used it in malaria areas.

 

Thanks drron!  Is it safe to assume that doxycycline also requires a script?  Myster and I are also a lot older than JP! 😁

[mysty]

51 minutes ago, turtlemichael said:

The need for such a list of items has come home to us on the present World Cruise. Fortunately, I'm married to a doctor and we travel with enough pills and potions to open a pharmacy. As of today, many guests are down with a tummy bug that, for us, has resulted in an "explosive" situation. La Terrazza breakfast and lunch, is no longer self serve. Some are attributing it to a world cruise event in Zanzibar 3 days ago.  But who knows? Sadly, we and many others have missed today's excursions in Nosy Be, Madagascar, and similar is likely to happen tomorrow.

 

Turtle, I'm sorry to hear that you and Turtle2 are dealing with something nasty.  Hope the situation improves soon! 🥰

[mysty]

31 minutes ago, lincslady said:

You are all so well organised.  When  we cruised (up to about 4 years ago) my medicine chest consisted of sticking plasters, paracetamol,  'goers and stoppers'  and indigestion tablets.  To be fair, no cruise was more than about 20 days long.

 

I did give away a heap of 'stoppers' on a land trip to India; couldn't believe some people were silly enough not to take any, then eat from roadside stalls.

 

Lola

 

It seems you did carry along exactly what you needed Lola!  And helped others along the way!  🥰

[mysty]

In the course of my research I found an interesting bit of advice from a reviewer of one of the restaurants I was checking out on Trip Advisor.  Folks may find this useful info for dining in Japan:

 

The reviewer goes by the user name kaukau:

 

"Here's how it's done (in any restaurant in Japan): When you arrive, give a greeting like "Konichiwa" followed by a slight bow. Then hold up two fingers and say "Ni, kudosai." (Two, please) or "Yon, kudosai" (Four, please) or whatever. The host will probably bow back, smile, and say a few words which you won't understand, but that doesn't matter, because you will smile back, bow slightly again, say "Hai" (Yes) and then follow him to your table. When you get to your table, turn to the host, bow slightly again and say "Arigoto" (Thank You) and sit down. Now you know Japanese restaurant etiquette!

 

Unlike western restaurants, no one will come to your table to take an order until you signal them by catching anyone's attention and saying (loudly) "Sumimasen" - "Excuse Me" (I'm ready to order something!), and then they will know you want something and will happily scurry over to take your order. Not knowing simple Japanese restaurant etiquette will leave you feeling helpless, without service, and blaming the restaurant for treating Non- Asians poorly, which is simply not the case, and is completely untrue and a grave injustice to the nice hardworking people at the restaurant who want nothing more than to please their customers and deliver delicious food and good service. If you think you're being ignored it's because they don't think you know what you want yet, and you don't know how to get it. Now even if you don't know any more phrases than the few simple ones I've listed, with that good start you can just carry on by pointing at what you want, using fingers for numbers, using sign language, whatever, and that's how it's done."

 

 

[chrism23]

18 minutes ago, mysty said:

 

Turtle, I'm sorry to hear that you and Turtle2 are dealing with something nasty.  Hope the situation improves soon! 🥰

I too am sorry at your discomfort.  With so many MD's in this group I am puzzled why none of them has said the dreaded word-Norovirus.  I am hesitant even to mention it, but the symptoms as described seem to fit.  When I was aboard the Moon a month or so ago, there was mention of the Norovirus aboard the ship-and their absolute compulsion about hand washing with the sanitizing devices installed everywhere seemed closer to Norovirus prevention than Covid.  I do not know wether there is any test for the virus or whether I am just off the mark here.  

[mysty]

21 minutes ago, chrism23 said:

I too am sorry at your discomfort.  With so many MD's in this group I am puzzled why none of them has said the dreaded word-Norovirus.  I am hesitant even to mention it, but the symptoms as described seem to fit.  When I was aboard the Moon a month or so ago, there was mention of the Norovirus aboard the ship-and their absolute compulsion about hand washing with the sanitizing devices installed everywhere seemed closer to Norovirus prevention than Covid.  I do not know wether there is any test for the virus or whether I am just off the mark here.  

 

With the lack of information other than what was presented in Turtle's post,  it might be a tad difficult to make a diagnosis.   It would not be a responsible move for any physician.   Hopefully all the folks involved will recover soon!

[Daveywavey70]

48 minutes ago, chrism23 said:

I too am sorry at your discomfort.  With so many MD's in this group I am puzzled why none of them has said the dreaded word-Norovirus.  I am hesitant even to mention it, but the symptoms as described seem to fit.  When I was aboard the Moon a month or so ago, there was mention of the Norovirus aboard the ship-and their absolute compulsion about hand washing with the sanitizing devices installed everywhere seemed closer to Norovirus prevention than Covid.  I do not know wether there is any test for the virus or whether I am just off the mark here.  

Explosions happen due to many reasons, let’s leave it to the Ships Doctor at ground zero. “Mention” of the N word has no benefit other than make the dirty so and so’s wash their hands and take the other precautions like they should in the first place. 

[jollyjones]

 

And thinking about the N word, whether present or not, should be a reminder that hand washing is crucial. 
Everyone has got used to hand sanitizer but most seem to use it cursorily if at all, and they seem to have forgotten that it doesn’t kill the norovirus (or many other infectious agents), you have to wash your hands. This won’t sterilize your hands but will remove most of the infectious agent, hopefully leaving an insufficient amount to cause clinical disease. 
I am currently on the Moon and at the entrance to Terrazza there is someone indicating the hand sanitizer which I refuse because I go to the hand washing station and use that, even though I’ve just washed my hands in my cabin. Sadly, I’m the only person I’ve seen using the hand washing station. 
 

Edited March 28, 2023 by jollyjones

[turtlemichael]

1 hour ago, chrism23 said:

I too am sorry at your discomfort.  With so many MD's in this group I am puzzled why none of them has said the dreaded word-Norovirus.  I am hesitant even to mention it, but the symptoms as described seem to fit.  When I was aboard the Moon a month or so ago, there was mention of the Norovirus aboard the ship-and their absolute compulsion about hand washing with the sanitizing devices installed everywhere seemed closer to Norovirus prevention than Covid.  I do not know wether there is any test for the virus or whether I am just off the mark here.  

Norovirus has well and truly been mentioned amongst the passengers. And you are right - MDs are everywhere lol.  I'll report any further info if Mysty doesn't mind, though it's off topic?

[mysty]

1 minute ago, turtlemichael said:

Norovirus has well and truly been mentioned amongst the passengers. And you are right - MDs are everywhere lol.  I'll report any further info if Mysty doesn't mind, though it's off topic?

 

Mysty does not mind! 😁

[highplanesdrifters]

12 hours ago, jpalbny said:

 

 

Well... Yes and no?

 

When taken regularly in fairly high doses, bismuth subsalicylate will definitely reduce the risk of traveler's diarrhea. At least, some forms thereof. Probably not all of them.

 

Problem is, the doses in the study (2 pills or 30 ml 4x/day) can be hard to tolerate. It's not recommended to use for more than 2 weeks at that high of a dose. In some people that dose can cause salicylate poisoning. Always a fun time.

 

Maybe lower doses, or one-time doses work. Maybe they don't. And I don't know how it works so I won't comment on the proposed mechanism.

 

Me - I just take a big bottle of ciprofloxacin along with me. I had to give all of it away in India but since then, the new bottle hasn't taken too much of a hit.

Very helpful! Thanks.

[mysty]

We don't typically shop much for souvenirs of our trips.  And, of course, there is always the issue of luggage space available for the return trip home.  In 2016 we bought The Green Tara.

 

 

https://www.vastbhutan.org.bt/painters/tandin-wangdi/green-tara/.

 It hangs in our study.  

 

It is interesting to see what some of suggestions are for purchases in the various ports.  The http://whatsinport.com website is a good place to look.

 

For example:

Apia, Samoa - Apia Public Market. Great place to buy Siapo (tapas cloth), 'ava (kava), hand carved kava bowls, produce, donuts, etc. Most of the trinkets are made in China it seems, they're the same ones seen everywhere in the world. The action goes on here 24 hours a day.

 

Lautoka, Fiji - The city has a wide range of shops, including duty-free outlets, while the vast Municipal Market, with delightful 'out front' handicraft stores, which sell a wide variety of items from handmade pottery, simply cannot be missed!

 

Akaroa, New Zealand - Enjoy the boutiques, galleries, and shops of Rue Lavaud, Beach Road, and Church Street. Visit the wharf to see the beauty of the paua pearl display and handcrafted jewelry.

 

Lombock, Indonesia - At the local markets you can buy Lombok souvenirs of carvings and even observe the artisans at work.