Global News and Journalists for Human Rights have teamed up to send four Global News reporters to Africa as part of the Shaw Africa Project.
Barry Acton of Global National and Laurel Clark of Global Edmonton were recently in Liberia. Global News followed their journey and their work over the course of several weeks.
“You likely have a tapeworm.”
“A tapeworm???” I blurted out, not realizing I was questioning the judgment of a travel health and tropical medicine specialist. A tapeworm.
I knew the symptoms were there. Every time I ate something pain shot through my stomach. I felt as if the Incredible Hulk was wringing out my intestines like a washcloth.
But how could this be? I had been so good. I had spent the last three-and-a-half months in Southeast Asia avoiding every culinary delight I deemed questionable. When my travelling buddies devoured delicious meat kabobs and local brew from a street vendor, I chose well-cooked vegetables and bottled water. When it came time to try mystery stew on the side of a rural road, I politely declined.
In spite of those efforts, a lively squatter had taken up residence in my stomach.
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Looking back, with my overly cautious attitude, I probably deserved it.
Everyone has a different take on how to avoid getting sick dining abroad. Our friend Robin Pierro at Journalists for Human Rights decided long ago she could avoid losing days to tummy trouble, by welcoming it. When she arrives in a new place, she hits the first street vendor she sees. She eats, gets sick, and moves on.
After stints in Libya and Afghanistan, my cameraman and co-trainer, Barry Acton, has developed his own system. If western food is nowhere to be found, he lives off pitas, peanut butter and Laughing Cow cheese. Perhaps it isn’t the most balanced diet, but he swears by it.
There’s something to be said for those who jump right in. No one wants to be the tourist who takes two steps off of a cruise ship, buys a t-shirt and leaves without really seeing the country. The magic of travelling happens when you walk the streets, see how real people live and live alongside them. The same can be said about eating when you’re on foreign soil. If you stick with what you know, you could be missing out on dishes and tastes you may never experience again.
It is in that spirit that I am attempting to sample a new Liberian dish each day. I’ve tried delicious fried plantains, spicy chicken, fish and cassava leaves with a mysterious mix of seafood and chicken. So far, so good. And I am prepared if things go sideways – with a big bottle of Pepto Bismol and a roll of Tums at my bedside.
I would say, “I’ll keep you posted,” but I figure you already know too much about my intestinal tract.
In closing, you may be wondering about the fate of my little tapeworm I acquired during that Asian Adventure in 2006.
I took meds that paralyzed the little sucker and evicted him within a few days!
Picture a white, medium-sized garden worm.
I know. Disgusting!
But the experience taught me one thing: You have much more to gain in your travels when you let go and take a big bite.
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