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Tuesday 4 January 2011

Anti-malarials and other stuff

Well..........  I haven't updated for a while, so what news?  

Protecting against Malaria

We've been to Boots and bought  TROPICAL strength mosquito repellent,  We have some Avon Skin So Soft, which is well known amongst the walking fraternity and anyone that has spent summer in the Highlands as a brilliant mossie repellent.  Sadly the mosquitoes in Scotland are a different entity to those in Brazil, and we are not expecting Avon to meet the challenge, hence the 50% Deet tropical stuff.

We now have to decide on the anti-malarial drugs.  We've basically been offered either:

Doxycycline - It's actually an antibiotic.  One of the side effects is that it can make skin light sensitive, but using high factor sunscreen sorts it temporarily.  Cost = prescription cost.  I'm a bit worried about the light sensitive thing, because I already suffer from prickly heat.  

Malarone -   Side effects are mild and the usual:- dizziness, headaches etc.  Cost=about £110 for both of us!.

Mefloquine - was included in the list of options, but apparently the virus has become resistant to this drug and it would probably be a complete waste of time.

I'lll have a chat with some folks at work and make a decision from there.  I will then have to leave a message for the nurse so that she can produce the prescription.  Obviously we don't want to spend £110 unless we have to.

Other stuff

Moving on, we've been up to all sorts getting ready for this trip.  We went for our Yellow Fever shots on 7 Dec.  £110 for the pair of us but we got the certificates.  A painless enough experience and no side effects.  Peter will be sort of crew,  and they insist that he's had it. I am not sure what would happen for passengers if they haven't had the vaccination.  Would they be permitted to go on the cruise but not be allowed to get off in Brazil?
Peter bought a gleaming pair of plastic cowboy guns and holster.  He also got a union jack t-shirt as a Christmas present.  He needs these to dress appropriately when required.  I bought a couple of pairs of pumps because I found on my last cruise that I couldn't wear sandals all the time, and trainers were to hot and heavy.  Peter also  bought me a Kindle for Christmas.  Absolutely ideal on ship, because books are heavy, and I reckon I can very easily read 8 or more depending on how the cruise pans out.  (I won't mention the fact that as I'm getting older I'm also getting blinder and the fact you can make the text bigger on the Kindle makes it a bit of  godsend!)

Its less than four weeks away now.  We are sailing with Fred Olsen on the Boudicca.  Hopefully all will go to plan and I can abandon work for 5 weeks as we go up the Amazon and around the Carribean.  We pop in on Maderia, Sao Vicente, and the Azores too.  Brilliant eh?

Keep your fingers crossed for us.

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