Page 39 - Heart of India

Water

• Tap water is not safe to drink. Bottled water or treated drinking water is readily
available. Inspect each bottle before you buy it to make sure the cap is sealed properly.

• Carry a bottle in your daypack at all times.

• Bottled drinks and juices, and hot drinks that have been boiled, are safe to drink.

• Carry a handkerchief to dry the tops of bottled drinks before and after opening.

Food

• We’ve carefully chosen the restaurants for your group meals.

• Carry a handkerchief to dry any wet utensils or plates.

• Be very careful with food sold from vendors on the street, and with uncooked fruit and
other foods. Fruit that you peel yourself is usually safe.

Electricity Supply
A constant electricity supply cannot be guaranteed during overnight stays. Travelers dependent
on electricity supply for health reasons (as in the case of those with sleep apnea) may want to
NZY^TOP] L OTʬP]PY_ : , ? LOaPY_`]P

Altitude Illness (optional extension to Bhutan)
4Q dZ` L]P _LVTYR _SP Z[_TZYLW Pc_PY^TZY _Z -S`_LY dZ` bTWW []ZMLMWd QPPW ^ZXP PʬPN_^ Q]ZX
_SP STRS LW_T_`OP^ 0aPY TQ dZ`ɪaP MPPY _Z STRS PWPaL_TZY^ []PaTZ`^Wd dZ` NZ`WO SLaP L OTʬP]PY_
reaction this time. For most people, the symptoms are mild, and will pass in a day or so.
The most common symptoms of altitude sickness are lightheadedness, shortness of breath,
headache, nausea, sleeplessness, and loss of appetite. You should take it easy, avoid smoking
LYO LWNZSZW LYO O]TYV [WPY_d ZQ ʮ`TO^ BP ^`RRP^_ _LVTYR L ]P^_ ZQ L NZ`[WP SZ`]^ bSPY dZ`
ʭ]^_ L]]TaP _Z LNNWTXL_P dZ`]^PWQ >ZXP [PZ[WP _LVP L []P^N]T[_TZY XPOTNL_TZY ^_L]_TYR bSPY
they arrive or one day before. Don’t take sleeping medications, as they suppress respiration.
Even though you may experience a decreased appetite, force yourself to eat soups and other
light foods.

If these ‘normal’ altitude symptoms become unmanageable, it is critical that you inform your
Trip Leader. Please let the Trip Leader know if you experience any of the following: serious
OTʯN`W_d M]PL_STYR XPY_LW NZYQ`^TZY L ^PaP]P LYO `Y]PXT__TYR SPLOLNSP NZY_TY`PO OTʯN`W_d
breathing after a period of rest, or poor physical coordination (ataxia).

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