Travelers accept solo trips with unfamiliar faces
Solo trips with strangers have become popular as travelers seek freedom, reflection and authentic experiences.
- Untreated water sources such as lakes and rivers can contain harmful bacteria and parasites that lead to disease.
- Ice, fresh juices and cocktails from unreliable sauces can pose health risks, especially in areas with suspicious water quality.
The bleeding waters of the Slovenian lakes looked clear enough to allow you to drink it. It was the drinks that ruined her trip.
“She was sick as a dog for days,” recalls Chadwick.
Chadwick, who works for a nonprofit organization in Washington, DC, said he would never forget the lesson “Don’t drink from natural sources like lakes.”
From contaminated water to sketchy street smoothies, the wrong drink can derail your vacation. And we can expect more incidents like Chadwick, as more people will probably be on vacation this summer than before.
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“Beware of the liquids you consume while traveling,” said Cai Glushak, Chief Medical Officer at Axa Partners North America. “This is especially true in environments that challenge the development and resources of environments that can be difficult to assure hygiene practices.”
Here are some things you need to know about what to drink, what to avoid, and what to do if you drink something you shouldn’t. I also share my story of drinks that I always regret.
So, what are you drinking on vacation?
Let’s start with the basics. When traveling, especially abroad, drink options range from safe to serious risk.
“One of the most important considerations when traveling internationally is the quality of tap water,” said Bill McIntyre, a spokesman for Global Rescue. “Some countries guarantee safe drinking water for residents and visitors, while others pose serious health risks.”
The World Health Organization publishes useful maps in countries with safe water. But it’s not just water. Ice, fresh juices, and even cocktails can lead to trouble. Phoenix registered nurse Annika Cariniemi learned this in a difficult way during her recent visit to Mexico.
“On hot days, I grabbed fresh fruit juice from my street cart,” she said. “It tasted amazing, until I realized that the ice was made from tap water. After 12 hours, I was curled up in my hotel room, fighting chills and stomach cramps.”
But the one drink that almost always gets you in trouble is alcohol. In hot climates, alcoholic beverages can dehydrate you.
“It can also worsen your symptoms and cause serious problems like pancreatitis, especially when combined with eating really rich foods.” “My advice is to use it moderately.”
Or not at all. Alcohol can also seriously undermine your judgment, and you will be deceived or taken away by waking up in prison, and even worse.
What if you drink something you shouldn’t
So you ignored the warnings (or didn’t see them), and now you’re paying the price. What now?
First of all, don’t panic. “Most cases of traveler diarrhea can be resolved on their own within a few days,” said Glushak of Axa. However, there are steps you can take to relieve symptoms and prevent complications.
- Maintain hydration: Dehydration is the biggest risk. Bottle of water, electrolyte drinks, or clear soups.
- Take over-the-counter medication: Anti-diabetics like iModium are useful, but use them sparingly. “If the cause is a bacteria or a parasite, they can prolong the disease,” said nurse Kariniemi.
- Please call a doctor: If your symptoms are severe – consider a high fever, bloody stool, or dehydration – meet your doctor. “Don’t wait until the trip is too weak,” said Gobbels of Meggiet.
Pro Tip: Don’t wait for trouble. Pack your travel health kit with anti-diabetics, rehydrated salts, and the required prescription medication. But the most important thing to pack is probably what you’ve already guessed – a huge amount of common sense.
I’ll explain it.
Lessons taught me about drinking
So, what about my own lake bleeding story? Well, I happened to be near Lake Grenoble in France and not too far from there. I was there with a friend for a few weeks. We were helping to build a chalet in the French Alps as part of our summer mission. One Saturday we decided to hike the old Roman trail that leads to the top of the mountain.
At the halfway point, I was thirsty and saw the trough flowing through the spring water. And I thought of the exact same thing that Chadwick’s friend did: “This looks good enough to drink.”
That’s why I did it.
I started to feel sick on the way home. And by the time we got to the cabin, I was in stomach pains. I spare you the details, except that I discovered that no vomit occurs in horror movies, I spare you the details.
After that, I never drank “spring” water again.
But that wasn’t the most dangerous thing that had happened to me. Looking back, I might have been in more trouble when I was younger, when I went bar hopping in various places around the world. As a consumer advocate, many of my reader cases start with cocktails, particularly those that involve impulsive timeshare purchases.
My solution: I stopped drinking alcohol completely. I’m sure it’s blocking me out of the world of trouble.
I’ll drink it
Whether it’s a seemingly untouched lake in Slovenia, or my own alpine trough fiasco that turned my stomach into an audition for a horror film, the lessons are clear.
But it’s not the water of a scapegoat. Margarita slash leglet smoothie you grabbed in Cancun? It is basically a poor choice piñata, hiding tap water ice and existential horror. Alcohol is great for toasting the sunset, but as an agent of chaos, it dehydrates faster than moonlight, desert winds, and invites suspicious decisions such as buying a timeshare and getting a tattoo.
It’s better to pack electrolytes and turn the cap off to the side and remember that vacation isn’t dare. If in doubt, hydrate like a paranoid camel and save the postcard’s adventurous spirit. After all, the best travel stories shouldn’t start with “So, I was there, so I grabbed the toilet.”
Christopher Elliott Author, consumer advocate, and journalist. He established Elliot’s defense, A non-profit organization that helps solve consumer problems. He publishes Elliott Confidentialtravel newsletter, Elliot Reporta news site about customer service. If you need help with a consumer issue, Contact him here Or email him at chris@elliott.org.
