Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
PRICKLY HEAT A fine pimply rash on the trunk is likely to be heat rash; cool showers,
dabbing (not rubbing) dry and talc will help relieve it. Treat the problem by slowing down
to a relaxed schedule, wearing only loose, baggy 100% cotton clothes and sleeping naked
under a fan; if it is bad, check into an air-conditioned hotel room for a while.
FOOT PROTECTION Wearing shoes or sandals even on the beach will protect the feet
from injury and from parasites. Old trainers (running shoes) worn when you are in the sea
will help you avoid getting coral or urchin spines in the soles of your feet and give some
protection against venomous fish spines. Booties, which can be bought for about £25, will
protect from coral but not venomous fish. See Click Here for first aid advice following en-
counters with marine nasties.
THE NASTY SIDE OF NATURE
Animals Malagasy terrestrial snakes are back-fanged, and so are effectively non-venom-
ous. Sea-snakes, although venomous, are easy to see and are rarely aggressive. However,
if you are bitten then seek immediate medical treatment; try to keep the bitten part as still
and as low as possible to slow the spread of venom. Large spiders can be dangerous, and
the black widow, an innocuous-looking small spider, is found in Madagascar. Navy digger
wasps have an unpleasant sting, but it is only scorpions that commonly cause problems
because they favour hiding places where one might plunge a hand without looking. If you
sleep on the ground, isolate yourself from these creatures with a mat, a hammock or a tent
with a sewn-in ground sheet.
Scorpion and centipede stings are very unpleasant and worth avoiding. Scorpions often
come out after rain. They are nocturnal but they like hiding in small crevices during the
day. People camping in the desert or the dry forest often find that a scorpion has crept into
the pocket of a rucksack - despite taking the sensible precaution of suspending their lug-
gage from a tree. Scorpion stings are very painful for about 24 hours. After a sting on the
finger, I had an excruciatingly painful hand and arm for several days. The pain was only
eased with morphine. My finger had no feeling for a month, and over 20 years later it still
has a slightly abnormal sensation.
Leeches canbeanuisanceintherainforest, butareonlyrevolting,notdangerous(AIDS
isnotspreadvialeeches).Theyarebestavoidedbycoveringup,tuckingtrousersintosocks
and applying insect repellent (even on shoes - but beware, DEET dissolves plastics). Once
leecheshavebecomeattachedtheyshouldnotbeforciblyremovedortheirmouthpartsmay
remain causing the bite to itch for a long time. Either wait until they have finished feeding
(when they will fall off) or encourage them to let go by applying a lit cigarette, a bit of
tobacco, chilli, salt or insect repellent. A film canister is a convenient salt container. The
wound left by a leech bleeds a great deal and easily becomes infected if not kept clean. For
more on leeches see the box on Click Here .
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