Blog 20
(rural connection speeds have necessitated a reduction in picture file size)
[said in gasping voice, with appropriately-timed coughs] "They've got me, Jim. I thought I could get through it OK, but in the final stretch, they got me..."
Yes, after four weeks of stomaching all kinds of food, both on and off the bone, I finally succumbed to food poisoning. Everyone else in the group has already suffered and so I suppose it was only a matter of time before I did. My normally robust constitution had taken a bit of a beating after doing battle with the scorpions and liquid of death and the following day was a very long one with a lot of travelling in it. All this meant I was a bit weak for a 'rural' lunch, while travelling some more on the way to Jianshui in Honghe, and another education bureau banquet. Luckily the illness only had me out of action for a night and a day; Simon was the same, as was Piao; Ellen was out for one and recovering for two. She thought it was some fish. But what was it for me? While it could have been my body simply saying, 'enough is enough' and forcing me to stop eating, let's examine the evidence.
The rural lunch, as seen, was a mixture of fish broth, vegetables and rice. Seems quite harmless. There was also some chopped up chicken (on the bone) which I didn't partake in, possibly because I'd seen his mate next to the chopping board when we arrived (pictured). Or was it the grilled tofu, free for those passing our hotel (pictured at the bottom). These all seemed fine, although it might have been the cat I stroked on the way out of the lunch venue. It did have shifty eyes, so I wouldn't put it past the mog.
Then there was the EB banquet at the hotel. This, as banquets go, was a fairly tame affair; no challenging intestines, only a little curious fish. There were, however, some mountain mushrooms stuffed with a curious meat. That might have been it. Well, we'll never know for sure.
The good news is that I'm feeling much better and the sun is shining. Time to go out and take some air with a beer. Quite a nice place, this Jianshui - only two hours from Vietnam and sharing many of the topographical characteristics of it, too. Lots of minorities in this
autonomous region, as well. Why not google it and see what you can learn about it?
(rural connection speeds have necessitated a reduction in picture file size)
[said in gasping voice, with appropriately-timed coughs] "They've got me, Jim. I thought I could get through it OK, but in the final stretch, they got me..."
Yes, after four weeks of stomaching all kinds of food, both on and off the bone, I finally succumbed to food poisoning. Everyone else in the group has already suffered and so I suppose it was only a matter of time before I did. My normally robust constitution had taken a bit of a beating after doing battle with the scorpions and liquid of death and the following day was a very long one with a lot of travelling in it. All this meant I was a bit weak for a 'rural' lunch, while travelling some more on the way to Jianshui in Honghe, and another education bureau banquet. Luckily the illness only had me out of action for a night and a day; Simon was the same, as was Piao; Ellen was out for one and recovering for two. She thought it was some fish. But what was it for me? While it could have been my body simply saying, 'enough is enough' and forcing me to stop eating, let's examine the evidence.
The rural lunch, as seen, was a mixture of fish broth, vegetables and rice. Seems quite harmless. There was also some chopped up chicken (on the bone) which I didn't partake in, possibly because I'd seen his mate next to the chopping board when we arrived (pictured). Or was it the grilled tofu, free for those passing our hotel (pictured at the bottom). These all seemed fine, although it might have been the cat I stroked on the way out of the lunch venue. It did have shifty eyes, so I wouldn't put it past the mog.
Then there was the EB banquet at the hotel. This, as banquets go, was a fairly tame affair; no challenging intestines, only a little curious fish. There were, however, some mountain mushrooms stuffed with a curious meat. That might have been it. Well, we'll never know for sure.
The good news is that I'm feeling much better and the sun is shining. Time to go out and take some air with a beer. Quite a nice place, this Jianshui - only two hours from Vietnam and sharing many of the topographical characteristics of it, too. Lots of minorities in this
autonomous region, as well. Why not google it and see what you can learn about it?
