By the time I left I had lost count of how many people told me I should be careful not to get Delhi belly on my upcoming trip to India.
Fast forward 8 days and I have returned from the land of spicy curries unscathed by the two to three day bathroom party.
India’s sanitary water systems or lack there of, wreak havoc on tourists digestive systems who aren’t used to it.
Not only does this affect the tap water, but also the safety of many foods served in India and it is suggested you avoid any food that is not cooked fully or fruits and vegetables that would have been washed in tap water.
So the rule is, if they didn’t boil it, cook it or peel it, forget it.
There is also a precaution told by many not to eat street food. Except, it is so hard to avoid massive flavourful samosas, chewy rice balls with spicy sauce and deep-fired syrupy jalebi sweets. Just stick to the rule above and you should be good.
So, the good news is; I ate the street food and drank the holy water and lived to tell the tale.
I will admit, I was worried on first day when a friend took me to Gurudwara Bangla Sahib, a Sikh temple and we accepted the holy water to drink and throw over our heads. The water came from the holy pond that is believed to have healing powers since the time of the cholera epidemic.
If you do get Delhi belly, my best advice is rest and continue taking the Imodium pills a couple days after feeling better.
And really, if you can survive the driving in India, you can really survive Delhi belly.
Herstory is a weekly column on women and travel by Steph Ridhalgh. Steph is a Sydney born; New York based television producer and travel blogger. Not one for being quiet for too long she simply loves talking about travel and lifestyle.
Steph is the founder of STEP(h) ABROAD, a travel and lifestyle resource for those who love to be in the know and know how.
