Health & Safety

Food & Water: Don´t drink the tap water. Also I discovered that there are two grades of bottled water and even the locals don´t drink grade two.

Street Food: Probably the safest food you will eat, it´s made with fresh ingredients, prepared in front of you or near by and cooked there on the spot. This means it´s not been sitting around in unrefrigerated conditions. All the plates are normally washed in lots of washing up dish detergents in buckets in front of you (often you may get a bit of the dish liquid taste in your tea cup).

Getting sick: I got sick twice, with food possioning. Once was actually from a nicer restaurant in Hoi An. Luckily it was mild, the second time was way worst and i was in bed for a whole day. This was due to either possibly eating some crazy sea shell creature or the home made hooch i drank from a gas can while on Nam Du island.

If you do get struck with food poising heres a couple of tips.

  • Bring with you some anti acids or something to relive the gas pressure. Sorry to be so graphic but thats almost worst then vomiting and running to the loo every ten minutes.
  • Eat a Bland diet for a few days; boiled rice, bananas, cereal,toast, plain boiled potatoes. Clear sodas, decaffeinated tea (ginger tea), vegetable or chicken broth to help rehydrate you.
  • Stay away from alcohol, caffeine, fatty foods, fried and spicy foods.
  • Make sure to replenish your body with fluids so bring some kind of electrolytes with you.
  • Over the counter diarrhea medications while they stop the diarrhea leave you with seriously bad craps, hence the tip for an anti acid or gas relief.

Dirt & Dust:Your crazy if you don´t think you need to wear a face mask when riding. You may not think you need one but there is a good reason why everyone wears them. So suck it up and get your self a mask or at least a bandana. People get very bad chest infections from inhaling road dust and exhaust and fumes.

Sun: Your riding so it feels cooler but that doses´t mean there sun is less intensive.

  • Ride in a thin long sleeve t-shirt and cover your neck and face with sun block. I have a darker complexion but i still tanned very fast.
  • Bring Aloe vera gel.
  • Light weight gloves will keep your hands from burning after all they will be the most exposed. Farmers tan marks btw do not look cool.

Medical Kit: If you think you are the best rider on the planet and don´t need one think again. One mechanic over tightened my chain and stupidly i did not do a test run before taking off on a very long ride. My back wheel went out under me, luckily i was not on a busy road so nothing ran over me. Patched myself up with my medical kit supplies and rode another five hours.

Medical Kit Check list: *Keep it accessible. 

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