As international travel becomes more affordable but our home economies continue to look grim, many more westerners are exploring international solutions to their expensive health conditions every year. Hospitals and clinics in countries outside of Western Europe, the United States, Canada, and Australia
1. Acupuncture
Developed in China around 200 BCE, acupuncture is a method of healing that utilizes thin needles inserted into the skin at precise points in order to redirect the flow of energy throughout the body. Treatments are generally much more relaxing than they would appear from the pincushion appearance that they take on. Today acupuncture has a wide following around the world, but if you want to try it closer to its origins you may be interested in seeking treatment in China and its neighboring countries. Acupuncture sessions are almost universally regarded as safe and free of side effects, and many swear by the results that can be gained in treating any variety of ailments.
2. Yoga and meditation retreats
These South Asian practices stem from ancient religious rituals and attempts at reaching enlightenment through purity of body and mind. While both are pursuits that take a lifetime to master, many backpackers broaden their horizons and cleanse themselves by taking short courses. These can now be found around the world and range from casual weekend seminars to ten day or longer vipassana retreats, which call for absolute silence throughout the duration. These retreats are wildly popular, but their quality may vary. Get recommendations from other travelers before signing up for one to see how it stacks up.
3. Traditional African medicine
In almost every African nation there are far more traditional medical practitioners than doctors of western medicine. Their practices generally involve diagnosis through spiritual means of determining in which way the patient is unbalanced within his or her society or environment, resulting in sickness. Treatment may take a variety of forms, including medicinal herbs, spiritual ceremonies and incantations, bloodletting, and rudimentary surgeries. I’m not recommending it, per se, but you might just find that this is the right process for you.
4. Japanese Kampo
In Japan, herbal remedies are treated as regulated medicines in the same way pharmaceuticals are—standardized, subject to health laws, and tested extensively for safety. They are expected to meet rigorous standards, are integrated into the national health system and widely used. Kampo, the traditional art of healing through herbs, is widely accepted today. Many visitors are impressed by the efficacy of such treatment.
5. Native American Shaminism
The diverse cultures of North, Central, and South American native tribes all include shamanistic healing as an important part of their belief system. Though practices vary widely depending on geographic area and idiosyncrasies of a given tribe, most include figures that have been referred to as healers and medicine men/women. From Navajo crystal healing to Mapuche herbs to powerfully hallucinogenic brews of Ayahuasca in the Amazon, there are a variety of traditional medicines still used today.
Whether you choose to engage in any of these alternative therapies or not, they do offer a view into traditional cultures. One of the best parts of international travel is learning from cultures distinct from your own. Medicine is one of a million different ways to observe these differences.
Staying healthy while traveling and living abroad doesn’t have to be just about western medical practices. While visiting different regions of the world, you may encounter local practices that you feel provide different or better results. Here are five treatments that you may get an opportunity to try out:
1. Acupuncture
Developed in China around 200 BCE, acupuncture is a method of healing that utilizes thin needles inserted into the skin at precise points in order to redirect the flow of energy throughout the body. Treatments are generally much more relaxing than they would appear from the pincushion appearance that they take on. Today acupuncture has a wide following around the world, but if you want to try it closer to its origins you may be interested in seeking treatment in China and its neighboring countries. Acupuncture sessions are almost universally regarded as safe and free of side effects, and many swear by the results that can be gained in treating any variety of ailments.
2. Yoga and meditation retreats
These South Asian practices stem from ancient religious rituals and attempts at reaching enlightenment through purity of body and mind. While both are pursuits that take a lifetime to master, many backpackers broaden their horizons and cleanse themselves by taking short courses. These can now be found around the world and range from casual weekend seminars to ten day or longer vipassana retreats, which call for absolute silence throughout the duration. These retreats are wildly popular, but their quality may vary. Get recommendations from other travelers before signing up for one to see how it stacks up.
3. Traditional African medicine
In almost every African nation there are far more traditional medical practitioners than doctors of western medicine. Their practices generally involve diagnosis through spiritual means of determining in which way the patient is unbalanced within his or her society or environment, resulting in sickness. Treatment may take a variety of forms, including medicinal herbs, spiritual ceremonies and incantations, bloodletting, and rudimentary surgeries. I’m not recommending it, per se, but you might just find that this is the right process for you.
4. Japanese Kampo
In Japan, herbal remedies are treated as regulated medicines in the same way pharmaceuticals are—standardized, subject to health laws, and tested extensively for safety. They are expected to meet rigorous standards, are integrated into the national health system and widely used. Kampo, the traditional art of healing through herbs, is widely accepted today. Many visitors are impressed by the efficacy of such treatment.
5. Native American Shaminism
The diverse cultures of North, Central, and South American native tribes all include shamanistic healing as an important part of their belief system. Though practices vary widely depending on geographic area and idiosyncrasies of a given tribe, most include figures that have been referred to as healers and medicine men/women. From Navajo crystal healing to Mapuche herbs to powerfully hallucinogenic brews of Ayahuasca in the Amazon, there are a variety of traditional medicines still used today.
Whether you choose to engage in any of these alternative therapies or not, they do offer a view into traditional cultures. One of the best parts of international travel is learning from cultures distinct from your own. Medicine is one of a million different ways to observe these differences.
1. XE Currency conversion
Next time a shopkeeper has you convinced that you’re getting a great deal, try actually knowing what you’re being charged before you agree to it. This app updates its conversion rates regularly to give you the most accurate information. When you’re making purchases large or small, know what they’re really worth, in any of 20740203 different currencies.
2. iExpenseIt
If you’re at all like me, your accounting skills are less than stellar and money has a tendency to disappear from your wallet. If you’re having trouble keeping track of how much you’re spending on what, or sticking to a daily/weekly/monthly budget, or just want to be able to look at trends in your spending and adjust accordingly, this is a perfect app. Enter in your expenses each day under categories you can edit. Look at graphical reports of how much money you’re spending on beer compared to food. Drink less, accordingly. The free version is good for a few hundred entries, after that you must buy the full version for $5. It’s worth it.
3. Google Maps
Stop spending so much time wandering around lost (unless you enjoy that mode of exploration, which is totally valid). Get a decent maps app (iPhone 4 users know what I mean) and take advantage of it. Cities across the world are hooked into Google Maps and other databases, and you can save a lot of time by comparing a real map with the jumbled mess of streets in front of you. Protip: don’t bother showing the map to a local; in most countries outside of the West it will be of no help whatsoever.
4. Flashlight
Of course you brought a headlamp. It’s just always buried at the bottom of your pack in your hostel anytime you actually need it. Enter the Flashlight app, which turns on the flash of your camera phone or iPod until you find your way up the stairs or through the sketchy alley. It drains your battery quickly, but it can be a real lifesaver.
5. Skype
Most people think of Skype as a useful computer program, but not as many take advantage of it as a mobile app as well. Having Skype on your phone or iPod can allow you to make cheap international calls without needing to carry around a laptop, which is a big boon for many backpackers trying to watch the weight of their bags. Skype is free to use when calling someone else with an account, and quite inexpensive to call mobiles and landlines in other countries. Having it on your phone gives you the portability and ease without adding much extra expense.
See? Doesn’t that make life just sound easier already? Go forth, and download.
Most people visit Nemrut at sunrise, taking buses up most of the way on side or another and then hiking to the top. The hike up in the dark and cold can leave you breathless and coughing, part of a trail of lights snaking uphill. The open area that the path reaches is still dark when you arrive, but you can make out the shapes of the heads as your eyes are adjusted to the dark. As the sun breaks on the east side, the stones warm and the shadows come alive. Details of the heads become clearer—they are gods and kings, mythological lions and eagles, and soldiers that watch over the desolate mountaintop. The very top cone of the mountain is actually artificial. It is a massive pile of stones, which archeologists believe were piled up on top of Antiochus’ tomb. A path leads around this cairn to the west side, where even more faces are visible. They get their own time to shine during Nemrut’s spectacular sunsets, which some particularly dedicated visitors choose to experience on the same day as the sunrise.
While a bit out of the way for an itinerary taking in only western Turkey, Mount Nemrut is a great addition to any travel plan passing through central Anatolia. Plan your route in advance, taking into account that there are roads leading up both sides of the mountain but that they connect via a footpath over the top, not on a drivable surface. Local transport may not run as late into the evening as you need to, as well. My girlfriend and I missed the last bus when we were going there, so we ended up hitch-hiking and meeting some really interesting people. When we came down the opposite side after our sunrise hike, we caught a ride with a tour group. However you do it, you’re sure to have a great time.
What are antibiotics?
Here’s the simplified answer: antibiotics are microscopic organisms that are cultured (grown) with a particular role in mind—kill off bad bacteria in the body. At this point, it’s important to recognize the difference between bacterial infections and viral ones. Most bacteria can be killed by antibiotics, and a proper (and properly taken) prescription for them can be an effective and safe treatment. Viruses, on the other hand, cannot be killed by antibiotics, and the infections that they cause must be suffered through with only treatment for the symptoms. Doctors often knowingly prescribe antibiotics to patients suffering from viral infections, either to preemptively treat secondary bacterial infections that might arise as result, or just to make a patient happy. This is part of the controversy.
What are the side effects?
Antibiotics generally can’t discriminate between the naturally-occurring bacteria living in your system that is part of a healthy and balanced body and the invading bacteria making you sick. As a result, it is very common to have digestive problems such as diarrhea after taking antibiotics as your “good” bacteria have also been vanquished. Fungal infections may also arise. But, given the fact that you’re already sick, these might seem like acceptable risks.
So what’s the big deal?
Because antibiotics are easy to prescribe and take, many in the medical community believe that they are being overused and misused. Antibiotics are meant to be taken in a “course,” which is a several-day treatment. Patients often start the course, feel mostly better, and stop halfway through. This has resulted in the development of so-called “super-bugs,” which are introduced to antibiotics and live to fight another day. What doesn’t kill them makes them stronger, and they are now able to continue breeding bacterial strains that will resist antibiotic treatments in the future. The Food and Drug Administration of the United States has stated that this is the largest health problem facing the US—risk of a drug-resistant pandemic.
How does that affect me?
As a traveler, you’re likely to get sick at some point or another. If it is a bacterial infection, antibiotics may very well help. If it’s viral, you’re probably wasting your time, and if you don’t know the difference, you can’t make an informed decision. Options like Azithromycin (a “z-pack”) and Ciproflaxin are widely available in other countries, often over the counter. However, these and all other antibiotics are recommended to be used only with a doctor’s prescription, so be careful in self-diagnosing and prescribing such strong medications. If you do take them, be sure to take the full course, even if you feel better immediately. If you don’t get better, seek qualified medical help. Traveling sick is never pleasant, and helping to bring about the downfall of mankind by creating superbugs is no fun either. Stay informed, and stay healthy.