Lucia wrote:

>I have just returned from a two week business trip to south america <snip>
>We were told to be very careful
>about not drinking the local water or anything uncooked that could not be
>peeled, because we'd get sick from viruses, bacteria, ameobas we're not
>used to. since we had a lot of work to do, and no time to get sick, we did
>as told and were very careful with the water, ate only cooked, except for
>fruits that could be peeled. thank god for the fresh coconuts in Rio. I
>had a few of them a day. I got sick anyhow: stomach cramps, the runs
>and feverish flu like symptoms. it was not enough to stop me, but I felt
>miserable. <snip>

>I find traveling a real challenge when it comes to diet and would like to
>hear from those who have had experiences with it.

ingrid here (it's usually my partner Jean-Claude who responds under my
name):

I want to share our experience with traveling in India, while at the
same
time stressing that this was OUR choice and experience, and trusting
that
each person will choose wisely for themselves, after careful
consideration.

We traveled in the  hot south of India for over two months, living in
very
basic conditions (in *very* cheap hotels, sleeping on floors, in mud
huts in
the jungle, in tiny rural villages etc). Of course, we received all
the
usual precautionary advice: don't drink the water, don't even brush
your
teeth with it, don't eat raw, peel everything etc.

After carefully considering our 100% raw instinctive diet (which at
the
time, my partner had been practicing for about 9 years and me for
about one
year, we decided that we would stick with it.

We ate 100% raw, buying our  food at markets and from street vendors
and
fisherman, and aware of the heavy use of DDT and other pesticides even
by
small subsistence farmers. We drank the water in most places, brushed
our
teeth and bathed in it, and took no special precautions with our food
(except to avoid meat, which was truly unsavoury) or hygiene. We tried
to
find as much wild food as possible which was very difficult. We also
drank a
lot of coconuts and serendipitously encountered several Indian raw
foodists
(including one subsistence farmer who was doing well on primarily
cocos and
bananas!).

Food choices were limited, to our surprise, and we ate mostly fruits
(bananas, oranges, pineapples, cherimoya, chiccos,papayas and
ocassional
wild ones), cukes, tomatoes, coconuts (in all stages), almonds, some
fish.

Despite the dire warnings, we were *never* ill, either at the time or
after,
as was virtually everyone we encountered who had followed the
prescribed
precautions.
We both felt a *huge* desire for greens and protein foods on our
return, and
I feel had we stayed much longer, we would certainly have felt a
significant
lack in these areas, and a need to find some.

Otherwise, when we travel, even on short day trips, we always carry
food
with us, and often enough to share :-). Rather than being a hassle, it
has
become second nature, like bringing a jacket if it's cold, or bringing
diapers or extra clothes when you have a baby.

Traveling raw takes committment, but it's certainly possible and quite
easy
when it has become an integral part of your life. We have found that a
temporary lack in certain foods is not a problem over a short term
(unless
you're pregnant or nursing!).
Jean-Claude once skiied backcountry on his own for two weeks in
Yellowstone
in winter (brrrr!), carrying a heavy pack, sleeping in a tent, and
eating
only dried fruits, meats, and nuts (and he's no glutton for
punishment).

just our experiences.
ingrid