Not Feeling Well

Not Feeling Well

Saturday, Oct. 21, 2006--Trivandrum (Cont.)

I returned to the same restaurant in the evening where I had lunch. I ordered chili chicken, something I often see on menus here but have never tried. It's a little like chicken wings in the U.S. It was 10 small pieces of chicken on the bone with a slightly sweet, spicy sauce that had onions, garlic, and bell pepper in it. I ate it with parota flat bread. Then I returned to the hotel because I really wasn't feeling well. My stomach has been feeling uneasy for a few days, and my body feels tired.

Sunday, Oct. 22, 2006--Trivandrum

Note: I really didn't feel well today, and that made me a little depressed. I will type directly from my journal:

I'm tired of traveling for various reasons: 1) I'm tired of being alone, 2) Tired of living out of a suitcase, 3) Tired of the food I've been eating, 4) tired of the noise from cars buses, loud speakers, 5) Tired of the assertive drivers who expect pedestrians to jump out of their way, 6) Tired of the hassle of finding a satisfactory room when I get to a town, 7) Tired of silly charges like camera use fees or having to pay to store the camera if you don't want to use it where you go, 8) Tired of the trash everywhere and the uneven pavements, 9) Tired of worrying about mosquitoes due to dengue fever and another disease that are spreading around India, etc. Right now, I am thinking I would like to change my ticket and head on home to Texas.

Later entry: Today was not an easy day. My stomach has bothered me for a couple of days. There's no diarrhea, but there is a gnawing sensation. I haven't eaten much because of it, so my body is weak. Then I got several (8-10) mosquito bites last night although I've been trying to control their access to my rooms. I walked to the zoo today soaking up too much sunshine, and all I had for lunch was a 1-dip ice cream cone and a glass of apple juice. By the time I was back at the room, my body was warm and weak giving me the impression of flu symptoms. Well, those are the first signs of the two mosquito-born diseases that are a problem in India this year (and especially here in Kerala where I have just arrived). I took an Advil. It made me feel better. Then I noticed that I had no joint pain; a generalized joint pain throughout the body is one of the signs of either of the two diseases. So I guess I am safe for now. As I go to bed, I'm thinking I have to get up and eat a good western breakfast tomorrow and wear Arne's floppy hat to protect me from the sun. I think I will be fine.

Before sleeping, I watched a travel program about the Texas-Mexico border. Oh, those tortas, tacos, etc., looked so good and tasty!!

Monday, Oct. 23, 2006--Trivandrum

My stomach still feels uneasy, but my body feels better. Will stay in Trivandrum and relax one more day before traveling onward.

They are probably frustrated at the school where I volunteered last year. The government, based on predictions, declared tomorrow (Tuesday), a holiday to celebrate the end of Ramadan. Well, last night, the imams saw the moon and concluded that their predictions were wrong and that last night was the end and that today should be a holiday. So now both Monday and Tuesday are holidays. Schools here face this problem all the time. The exact same thing happened last year with the end of Ramadan. They have nationwide examinations coming up, and the government keeps giving holidays. There was one a week ago for elections.

I ate breakfast at the Indian Coffee House. It's an interesting structure designed by a female British architect. It is a spiral with each table a little higher than the previous one on a continuous ramp. Waiters also have interesting uniforms with white turbans that have an accordian pleat sticking up in the air. I had a tomato omelet, toast and jam, and a pineapple juice. It tasted good, but I wish there had been a nice sauce for the omelet; it was a little dry.