We started taking our anti-malarial pills before we got to Puyo, as it was below the "safe" elevation of ~1500 m and we were planning on going into the jungle. The locals said there isn't any malaria around Puyo, but the CDC sure thinks there is and we didn't feel like messing with it. By the morning of our second day in the jungle, we were feeling pretty awful. It didn't get much better when we got back to Puyo, or when we stopped in Riobamba the next day. After consulting our paperwork and the list of "side effects", we've decided that it is in fact the Malarone that is making us horribly, horribly ill. Aaron's got most of the list: cough, stomach cramps, loss of appetite, diarrhea. Our entire experience in Riobamba was our hotel room, which unfortunately was the China of Ecuador: dirty, dirty, and sans toilet seat.
We've moved on to Cuenca, after taking some Immodium to survive the 5-hour bus ride from Riobamba. The Malarone is making Aaron so miserable we've decided to entirely skip the coast of Ecuador as it would necessitate us to take the pills for just that much longer. Our Cuenca hotel is very nice and that's good as we're basically stuck inside it until our course is through. We did get bit by 2 (Aaron) and 1 (Hilary) mosquitoes, so again we don't really want to mess with the whole malaria thing. But damn, the decision is a close one.
We'll visit the coast when we get south of Lima: out of the tropics and out of malaria territory.
Hey guys,
ReplyDeleteHappy to see that you are enjoying your adventures even though there has been some troubles. Miss you a lot...
Hey Payman!
ReplyDeleteWe're getting used to the Malarone and are mostly functional now. Go figure, only a few more days left of the course. Cuenca is a really nice city.
It's been really hard being away from friends, especially in a foreign country. Miss you guys too. How is NDC doing? I sent another postcard, who knows how long it will take to get there.
Yeah, I'm really impressed by your resiliency. I think the common reaction to an experience like that would be something along the lines of "f--- this, let's go back home where it's comfortable." Also, reading your blog, I'm just really impressed by how adventurous, but also even-keeled you guys are. You've done lots of cool stuff and never seem to get rattled by dangers, inconveniences, bouts of illness, etc. Kudos!
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