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