After a lot of running around in the preceding days and while nursing Delhi Belly, I didn’t move far today from the Four Seasons Mumbai until it came to depart for my late-night flight.
India Day 6: Rest And Relaxation Ahead Of My Flight
I woke up around 6:00 am…and headed to the bathroom. The stomach bug had not passed overnight…but (again, I’ll spare you any graphic details) it was better this morning. Much better. If you’ve dealt with Delhi Belly or similar bug, you know that relief comes and goes and each time I wondered whether it was finally over.
I decided I’d workout and sit in the steam room, then try to eat breakfast.
I had a nice “run” through San Francisco…
Now came the test. Should I eat breakfast? Breakfast was included in my room, looked delicious, I was hungry, and I wanted to try it so that I could offer a full review of the hotel.
Yeah…bad choice.
The breakfast spread was very nice (though the coffee was not great) and I ate my usual Western dishes avocado toast, a herb omelette, ham, and bacon along with a “fresh berry granola bowl” that had yogurt and chia seeds, but also some Indian food including Dabeli, which was quite good. I also had a salad with raw beets, cucumbers, carrots, lettuce, and bell peppers and some fresh-squeezed juice including beet root and a green drink with various greens and ginger.
I’ll say here that I’m probably not going to eat salad any longer when I travel in India or perhaps anywhere else in Asia or Africa, which is a real shame considering how much I love salad with any meal of the day.
Let’s just say that soon after eating breakfast I was back on the toilet and had my worst day of the trip in terms of the constant…yeah, that.
Thus, I short of just chilled in my room until later afternoon. By that time, it had passed (I thought) and so knowing that I still had hotel credit to spend, I booked a massage. I knew this was a risk…I wasn’t worried about a lack of control (thankfully, it did not get that bad), but I was worried that if my stomach acted up I’d certainly not be able to enjoy the massage.
Well, the massage was thankfully very soothing and without any drama and again I felt quite good after it. I sat in the steam room again, showered off, then headed to the airport around 8:00 pm.
Arriving at the airport, I was told I was too early to check in and to come back at midnight…ha. Well, good thing I had checked in online and had my digital boarding pass already! (I like to get a paper copy just in case). At Mumbai, you must scan your boarding pass to proceed to security and immigration and you cannot do it too early, though thankfully you can up to six hours before your flight.
I got through and headed over for Adani Lounge, where I awaited boarding for my flight to Dubai.
Bottom line: I think I should have skipped breakfast, but it was a restful day and I was thankful to get sick at the Four Seasons Mumbai as opposed to just about anywhere else in India.
Oh no Matthew. Depending on the bug, can take weeks to return to normal. The news has the crypto parasite is still making a lot of people here uncomfortable. ( taco bell has a dollar menu if for items without lettuce ). I would say introduce some rice congee/ kangi as it sticks like glue but probably not enough protein for you. All the best- Maryland
“in terms of the constant…yeah, that.” (Don’t worry, Matt. We’ve got plenty of *explosive diarrhea* waiting for you back home in the States!) Hope you took an Imodium before the flight! Safe travels! (especially via Dubai, these days… *gulp*)
@ 1990 — Dont worry, Doctor Jesus Tangerine (DJT) will cure us all. Most successful health care plan!
In my days as a Pan Am flight attendant, Dehli belly was bound to knock out at least one crew member per layover. Ironically, most of us got sick eating salads during the previous layover in Beiruit. Yes, Beiruit. Moral of the story … avoid salads and unpeeled produce … and always carry Bactrim or a Z-Pack (kills the belly bugs) and Imodium (stops you up). That combo is still widely recommended and I can attest to the fact .. IT WORKS! Hope you feel better !!
To be fair running through the sidewalks of San Francisco and talking about sh#t is a great association. Sad how liberalism destroys everything it touches.
It was a great city when the Mitchell Bros ran the industry but unfortunately Jim shot Arnie and it went downhill. Colt Studios who I did most of my work for is still in the area.
My one trip to India some years ago, I was very careful to only eat cooked food and only drank water if I saw the bottle opened in front of me. I escaped without any issues.
Hope you recover soon.
Oh dear on doubling down on salads. If in this situation again, also avoid massage and saunas as both a dehydrating and you are losing a lot of fluid when in your condition.
A safe way to ensure you are not being given ‘fake’ sealed water bottles in the tropics is to stick to Sprite/7up. as these are carbonated and capped, have no caffeine. Basically, sugar water which is good when you have the gripes.
Never have dabeli on an upset stomach.
Noted!
I always take Imodium on a trip as a “back up.”
Zing!!
Pithy life’s lessons, and my personal corollaries, are actually often very accurate and very helpful.
As in: “If it isn’t written down, it didn’t happen”, perhaps to be interpreted as the old-school way of saying “paper trail”. My corrolary: “if I don’t have a copy, it isn’t written down”, often another way of saying “trust nobody”.
Regarding Delhi Belly, or Montezuma‘s Revenge or Aztec two-step or tourista or perhaps most simply an accurately: travelers’s diarrhea, seems that Matthew has relearned a lesson that many of us (should have) learned the first time we traveled abroad. “If it isn’t cooked or peeled or washed (effectively), don’t eat it.” My personal corollary, which is often challenging to confirm, is that “recently” should be added, and if I if possible, I personally witness the cooking or peeling or washing. (Just in case there’s any misunderstanding, salad ingredients are difficult to wash and handle effectively.).
You must spend a lot of time in kitchens abroad then
STOP EATING SALADS!! Also, good luck making it through the flight…let us know how that goes!! Did you take any pepto??
Got that last time I was in India. I was popping inmodium like skittles and took me a week before I could actually eat much of anything. More than likely got sick from Lamb that I ate at a Marriott, since I never ate Salad and used bottled water for everything. Went through both packs of Immodium that I brought, definitely a rough time.
I’m sorry to hear your bum misbehaved so badly, Matthew. I’ll reiterate what others have said about the salads – the golden rule is “boil it, cook it, peel it, or forget it”. Eating raw veg and seafood is a craps shoot (sorry!) in some places. Then there arethe “oops” moments, like brushing your teeth with the local tap water instead of using the bottled stuff that’s sitting right next to the basin… All a part of the adventures of travel.
I’ve delayed these posts by some days, but I got the message loud and clear – no more salads!
When I was in India and stayed at the Four Seasons, I had salads without issue.
My rule of thumb in India is to eat only fresh vegetables at well regarded establishments.
Ditto at many other countries, unless I am very comfortable with the establishment, I only eat fully cooked food.
India is specifically difficult, unless one is incredibly careful and being thst careful can ruin a trip.
Glad you at least enjoyed your “run” in SFO, even though it sounds messy .. ! ..lol
I just posted a comment on your post about getting Delhi Belly. I wrote out some advice that I think might help you on future trips (and anyone else looking to travel to South Asia).
I go to South Asia often (have family there), while I was born & raised in the US (so I deal with the same food issues). I see a lot of issues with your diet in India Matthew, so please read it for future trips! (or take Pepto Bismol tablets with you)
Glad you got out in one piece but yeah, it’s best to avoid salads, dairy or meat while traveling in India. While the locals have built up immunity over the years, do NOT eat the street food there under any circumstances, you’re just playing with fire (proper handwashing with soap is next to non existent with those vendors). As others have noted, bottled water is a must for both drinking and brushing your teeth. If you don’t hear the seal break on your bottled water, do not drink it! Carry copious amounts of hand sanitizer and use it often. Pepto Bismol and/or imodium are a must along with Azithromycin antibiotic.
Wishing you a symptom-free flight home…
Thank you, good doctor. May we extend your kind sentiments to all those traveling home!
Between you and Lucky, I think I’ve read more diarrhea stories on aviation platforms in the last few days than ever before
It’s funny because I thought I was going to personally throw up (or the other end) when I saw Cranky’s two Hawaiian food story cover photos
Oh, come now; hot pockets!
I’m not a big salad eater, but I don’t know how to deal with Mexican and Indian food without fresh cilantro.
My recent trip to Vietnam for a month, I had plenty of fresh herbs like mint, Thai basil, and shiso, I don’t think I had any stomach issues. Same with previous trips to Vietnam. I’m thankful for this, because I don’t know what to do with all Vietnamese dishes without fresh herbs.
I got, however, a serious Montezuma’s revenge that took me a few weeks to fully recover. I don’t think I had any salad in Mexico, but I was having plenty of chopped cilantro and onions, as well as agua frescas. It started last 3 days of my stay, I suspect the lukewarm chillaquiles at the market, but it’s hard for me to pinpoint. While still lingering, I had a tasty chia seeds bowl at a United club, then another chia seeds bowl on board. I got really sick near the end of the flight, so much that my seat mate on his aisle seat was visibly annoyed (book a window seat like I did next time!). From what I’ve read afterwards, it seems like the chia seeds continue to absorb water in the stomach, and we should avoid it when having a stomach issues.