One thing I have learned after several trips to third world countries is that first aid and medications are not not the same as in the US or easily accessible when you need them quickly.
I put together a pretty good first aid kit this time around and the best part was that it was tiny. I will use it from now on with a few additions.
This is what we brought along in a little plastic zipper bag that measured only 6″x 2″ x 4″for our journey to Belize:
Band-aids ~ I learned that, although they are cute, plastic Dr. Seuss band-aids are inferior to cloth. I will pack accordingly next time. My new friend and island doctor George berated me for my plastic band-aids when he treated my foot!
Triple Antibiotic Lotion ~ George treated my foot bite infection with a local plant called Vervine. After crushing the leaves and applying them directly onto my bite, my swelling went down. He was correct about the plastic band-aids, they were definitely inferior to cloth in a tropical setting.
Pain Medication
Antibiotics – 1 round
Alka Seltzer
Ear wax removal drops
Eye Drops
Anti-sting Analgesic
Swim Ear
Aspirin
Theraflu
Tums
Arnica Gel
New Skin
Ear Flush Bulb
Other Miscellaneous Tools:
QTips, Cotton Balls, Small Scissors, Tweezers, Swiss Army Knife
In the end, these items were given to us without even asking by friendly local folks after hearing about our challenges. This is what I will add to our first aid kit next time:
Benadryl
Immodium (duh, cant believe I forgot this!)
One thing that ever ceases to amaze me is the caring attitude of locals when I travel. At one point in Costa Rica a few years back, I came down with a severe case of the flu. From out of the jungle (literally) comes an expat carrying a huge pan of hot lemongrass tea sweetened with honey. It made me feel better almost immediately. To this day I still have no idea how he knew I was sick or what I needed! This is one of the many wonders of traveling and experiencing the world. People around the world are loving, generous and naturally give back if you only give them the opportunity!
