I am now registered with Interhealth. Not sure what extra benefit this gives me that my GP cannot provide but as they appear to be experts in health for travellers I ring them anyway.
We talk about the jabs I’ll need: the usual culprits – diphtheria, tetanus, polio and typhoid.
I ask about malaria. Mozzies love (or is it hate) me! The news is good: there is no malaria on Galapagos. Just wish there were no mozzies. It’s a different matter if I am going away from Quito but as I’m only staying in the capital for a couple of days and it is situated far too high, 285o metres, for mosquitoes, I won’t have time to venture into malaria country.
Yellow fever is not required as I’ve not been to or come from anywhere that has it.
Hepatitis A & B and rabies are discussed...
Hepatitis A is required (though I only need the booster as I’ve been “done” before), and although I’m going to be a volunteer Hepatitis B is usually only recommended for those volunteers where contact with blood is involved such as in a medical environment. Amazingly, if I had needed it, I have left it rather late to get in the full four doses for Hep B, so lucky for me I don’t need it.
Rabies: there isn’t rabies on Galapagos but there is on mainland Ecuador. Again, I manage to escape this jab as I had my full course of three when I travelled to Buenos Aires and Patagonia three years ago. At approx £50 a shot, I’m quite relieved!
Having the rabies jab doesn’t stop you getting the virus; it buys you just about 24 hours in order to get to a hospital, so it’s worth paying £150 for the whole course as 1000 miles to the mainland is a long way when the clock’s ticking! Despite being vaccinated, if you were bitten you would just have to hope all planes weren’t grounded that day due to fog!
Talking about rabid animals reminds me I need to check that my neighbour can look after my cat. Not that he’s rabid of course, but he is an animal and rather elderly at that. After many years of not having a pet and just being able to take off on my travels without having to worry about kennels or catteries, I’m still not used to thinking about holiday care for my cat.
My cat used to belong to my brother but after having a tussle with a London red double-decker bus felt that the cat would benefit more from living with me in the country than being in the suburbs.
So, now at the age of approximately 16, my cat moved here with me and woe betide all other feline intruders to his garden. He only has one-eye and certainly plays on that – but don’t be fooled: he can see better than most but he uses the sympathy card all too often and I swear he gets at least three square meals a day courtesy of my near neighbours!
My neighbour and her partner spoil him rotten and are his official surrogate parents. I’m almost inclined to believe that as I’ve not been away for a while, he’s at the stage where he’s actually waiting for the day I pack my rucksack in the car so he can be pampered 100% by them. When I get back, he will sulk of course but I’m also long enough in the tooth not to be fooled by that behaviour. After all, I am the mother of two adult children. Been there and got the t-shirt!
He’ll get his chance in about six weeks time when I go to Scotland to stay with my friend.
Monday 16 March 2009
Thursday 5 March 2009
Day 33: Forms and more forms, insurance and passport photos...
I now have two new constant companions. Diary 2007 is for my blog notes and Diary 2008 is for lists.
Apart from the occasional wag who just has to ask if I know I’m writing in a 2007/8 diary, I am finding these are the best tools for the job.
Lucky I have a big bag to cart them around and broad shoulders!
I electronically send off my 10% deposit to show my commitment as the application form is taking longer to complete than I thought.
I have to include a recent passport type photo so have had to wait until today before I could have a hair-cut. I want to look as best I can in this unsmiling pose. Despite my best efforts, I look tired and cross. Oh well, once they see me in person, they’ll know how much the camera lies!
I have to say how fit I am. That’s a tricky one to answer. I sit at my desk all day working at a computer. I don’t go to a gym. I weigh more than I should for my height and age. I’m probably really unfit.
But I do walk just over a mile to and from work rather than get Park and Ride. I do gardening. Does that make me fit? Possibly not.
On the form I say I’m averagely fit, then cross it out and change it to just under average! Mental note to self – need to start an exercise regime: get the bike out and start training after work and weekends...and DIET!
I have one of these “free” annual travel insurance policies the bank gives as an incentive to keep customer loyalty but I am persuaded that due to the nature of this trip I really should consider using their specialist insurance.
I briefly think about it - I recall a previous experience involving a sharp knife and an attempt at grafting a cherry branch to another cherry tree and feel sick thinking about my poor scarred finger. As I’m likely to be using a machete whilst clearing vegetation, I decide to pay the premium.
They may not like it that I have a dodgy knee and occasional back pain but I expect they’ll up the premium if they need to!
Apart from the occasional wag who just has to ask if I know I’m writing in a 2007/8 diary, I am finding these are the best tools for the job.
Lucky I have a big bag to cart them around and broad shoulders!
I electronically send off my 10% deposit to show my commitment as the application form is taking longer to complete than I thought.
I have to include a recent passport type photo so have had to wait until today before I could have a hair-cut. I want to look as best I can in this unsmiling pose. Despite my best efforts, I look tired and cross. Oh well, once they see me in person, they’ll know how much the camera lies!
I have to say how fit I am. That’s a tricky one to answer. I sit at my desk all day working at a computer. I don’t go to a gym. I weigh more than I should for my height and age. I’m probably really unfit.
But I do walk just over a mile to and from work rather than get Park and Ride. I do gardening. Does that make me fit? Possibly not.
On the form I say I’m averagely fit, then cross it out and change it to just under average! Mental note to self – need to start an exercise regime: get the bike out and start training after work and weekends...and DIET!
I have one of these “free” annual travel insurance policies the bank gives as an incentive to keep customer loyalty but I am persuaded that due to the nature of this trip I really should consider using their specialist insurance.
I briefly think about it - I recall a previous experience involving a sharp knife and an attempt at grafting a cherry branch to another cherry tree and feel sick thinking about my poor scarred finger. As I’m likely to be using a machete whilst clearing vegetation, I decide to pay the premium.
They may not like it that I have a dodgy knee and occasional back pain but I expect they’ll up the premium if they need to!
Monday 2 March 2009
Day 30: Too much information!
I recycle!
Over the weekend I have been thinking of nothing else, weighing up the pros and cons of whether I should be a volunteer breaking my back working on my annual holiday, or lazing around on a boat being pampered, taking photos of this island and or not going at all and saving my money.
My head is beginning to hurt. I write down my pros and cons.
I have never been a “lists” person; shopping lists were always left at home. What a waste of time. My memory was good enough.
But not now. I have so much stuff going on at work and now this huge decision to make, I know I need help. Scrap paper is too easily lost. I have the solution: I need a notebook, and should I go through with this trip I should never leave it at home.
I have a drawer full of empty notebooks, pristine pages just waiting to be filled up with embryonic chapters of my first bestseller. I also have a pile of old, empty, week-to-a-page diaries that I have rescued from landfill when the office has its annual stationery cupboard tidy-out. They’re perfect for making lists and notes.
After ticking all the pros I realise I’ve got nothing to lose if I join the volunteer group. In fact, I’ve got everything to gain: not only would I be able to spend much more time in the archipelago than a standard tourist, I would intimately get to know the place, get fitter, see more of the flora and fauna and finally, the old but true cliché of giving something back to the islands would give me the best feel good factor.
And what stories I could tell once I got home!
I pick up the phone and book my place.
Over the weekend I have been thinking of nothing else, weighing up the pros and cons of whether I should be a volunteer breaking my back working on my annual holiday, or lazing around on a boat being pampered, taking photos of this island and or not going at all and saving my money.
My head is beginning to hurt. I write down my pros and cons.
I have never been a “lists” person; shopping lists were always left at home. What a waste of time. My memory was good enough.
But not now. I have so much stuff going on at work and now this huge decision to make, I know I need help. Scrap paper is too easily lost. I have the solution: I need a notebook, and should I go through with this trip I should never leave it at home.
I have a drawer full of empty notebooks, pristine pages just waiting to be filled up with embryonic chapters of my first bestseller. I also have a pile of old, empty, week-to-a-page diaries that I have rescued from landfill when the office has its annual stationery cupboard tidy-out. They’re perfect for making lists and notes.
After ticking all the pros I realise I’ve got nothing to lose if I join the volunteer group. In fact, I’ve got everything to gain: not only would I be able to spend much more time in the archipelago than a standard tourist, I would intimately get to know the place, get fitter, see more of the flora and fauna and finally, the old but true cliché of giving something back to the islands would give me the best feel good factor.
And what stories I could tell once I got home!
I pick up the phone and book my place.
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