Day 44: Jabs and Cats

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.