Before You Go - Money Matters - En Route - Avoiding Crime - Health - A Few Useful Addresses And Phone Numbers

Health

Get a rider. Talk to your insurance agent if you feel you run any health risks that might be exacerbated by international travel. You can buy an insurance rider that will cover you in the event of a need for evacuation, which can cost from $10-100,000.

Bring your own. While there are more and more Western-style pharmacies which can dispense common prescriptions and over-the-counter drugs, it is best to bring your own. Keep all medicines in their original bottles and make sure prescription medicine is labeled as such. This will help avoid problems at customs.

Get your shots. Check with your physician and consider updating your immunizations, particularly for the "childhood diseases": diphtheria, measles, mumps, rubella and polio. The alarming rise in diphtheria cases in Russia of late, due to slack immunization procedures, is reason enough for this. A tetanus update is also a good idea while you are at it. If you are traveling in the provinces, you should be immunized against hepatitis A and typhoid and receive immunoglobulin injections. Tick-borne encephalitis and lyme disease have also been reported in Siberia.

Stick to the bottle. The water you drink will be a major determinant of your travel health. St. Petersburg water carries the giardia lamblia parasite, harmless to residents, but debilitating to visitors. Don't drink St. Petersburg water unless it has been boiled for at least five minutes. Don't even brush your teeth with it. And avoid ice cubes. Stick to bottled water. Evian and other brands are available in most hotels and grocery stores these days. Water in other cities is of irregular quality.

No sushi. Avoid foods that are not fully cooked, especially fish (abstain from raw fish, which in the Far East is a delicacy) and poultry. Be careful with some fresh fruits (i.e. melons) that may be injected with water to make them grow bigger (see note on water above). Always peel fresh fruit before eating it.

When precautions fail. Diarrhea, the most common traveler's ailment, can be debilitating in extreme cases. If you develop diarrhea that lasts longer than 5 days, consult a physician immediately. If you don't have along diarrhea medicine, here is an alternative cure that may work (if you can find the ingredients): Prepare in one glass 8 ounces of boiled or bottled water and a quarter teaspoon of baking soda; in a second glass prepare 8 ounces of fruitjuice, a half-teaspoon of honey or corn syrup, and a pinch of salt. Drink alternately from each glass until your thirst is quenched. Supplement with carbonated beverages, water or tea made with boiled or carbonated water. Avoid solid foods until recovery occurs.

Before You Go - Money Matters - En Route - Avoiding Crime - Health - A Few Useful Addresses And Phone Numbers