On Thursday I hired a tuk-tuk driver (a motorcycle with a covered trailer) and off we went to see what everyone comes to Siem Riep to see. If you are not familiar with Angkor Wat it is Cambodia's version of the Italy's Forum. Basically it is a colossal land area full of ancient Buddhist and Hindu temples and palaces from the 1000-1200's. Ta Prohm just beyond Angkor Wat was made famous in the movie Tomb Raider. At Ta Prohm you see the battle of tree vs. stone building. In most cases the tree won. Trees have hugged the ancient ruins making for a mysterious sight. Some people spend a full 3 days visiting everything. I will do it in two days and could have been just as happy only doing one day. (Pictures to come later)
A headache came over me yesterday after 6 hours of walking the sights of Angkor Wat and the surrounding temple ruins. It started off as a normal headache and its presence wasn't surprising. The humidity and heat of Siem Riep is as oppressive as an over heated steam room on an already hot day. I don't know how anyone could adapt let alone work outdoors here. After visiting the genocide cites in Phnom Pehn accompanied by reading about one woman's survival of the work camps I can not imagine how Cambodians survived the genocide. Working in heat like this without proper nourishment would certainly kill hundreds of thousands of people. I knew I needed water and Tylenol and would find relief. It wasn't like I hadn't planned well for the day. Yet 4 bottles of water in 6 hours wasn't enough to stave off dehydration. My condition wasn't a concern until an hour after I returned to my room at the guesthouse.
A nauseating headache pounded in to me; it was one that brought tears and took me from standing up rummaging through my stuff to find Tylenol to fetal position on the bed below the air con. In 5 weeks of travel this was the first illness of any kind. I had to hold places on my temples and eyes just to help the pain halt its impact. Yet as soon as I lifted the pressure the pain that had receded came rolling back with a vengeance. This time it came with more intensity.
I had just purchased three 1.5 liters of water at the store. One was already in my system. I downed it in no time and was in need of more. Could my stomach hold it all? After another 1.5 liters I still wasn't releasing any waste!
I managed to fall into a sleep like state for about an hour. I woke up to less pain. The water must be helping. I stoop up to try and find the Tylenol in my bag. "I have to get some aspirin". "Did I leave it at one of the hotels?" I had been standing no less than a minute and a knife of pain shot though my head again. My stomach felt like it could release it's contents at any moment. It did. Lucky for me the vomit made it to the toilet. I sat crouched in front of the toilet full of fear. I had just released everything I had in me. Headache, nausea, and vomiting.... What was happening? Never have I felt the likes of this. All kinds of thoughts went through my head. "What if I need a hospital?" "Do I know any information about where one might be in this city--this country?" ""Do they have clean conditions?" "Who can I ask?" I didn't have the energy to answer my own questions.
I needed to get some kind of pain relief but wasn't sure I could venture outside in the heat long enough to ask for some without vomiting. I settled for the pain and my bed. A little later I heard voices in the hall. It sounded like the Australian's who I'd met the night before. I need to ask them for help. I braved walking the small journey from my bed into the hall way. That was the hard part. I managed to keep everything down. The easy part was asking strangers for drugs. "Hey, guys", I said, "do you happen to have any Tylenol?" They looked a bit surprised by my request but after I explained a little about what was happening one of the guys disappeared into his room. The other assured me if his friend didn't find some he'd get some for me. His friend popped out of his room with 2 Tylenol. "Thank you!"
I had hope. Now at least I'd have some help with the headache. The challenge now was to concentrate on keeping the Tylenol in my stomach long enough for it to get into my system. I went back to my room to lay down and pray the headache would subside before I would have to vomit again. After about an hour the headache was only faint.
When the headache subsided I began to feel other things. I began to feel a side ache, the kind you get after a long run. I got a case of the hiccups. Muscles were cramping up but only mildly. "I need amino acids." Any grocery store or mini-mart was too far in this condition and it was dark. I knew the cafe at my guesthouse only served water. "Ah, they do make fruit shakes!" Maybe that would help. In the meantime I looked in my faithful Lonely Planet guide for descriptions of illness's. Under "Heat" I found a description of what I had just been experiencing. Heat Exhaustion. "So, this is what 'heat exhaustion' is." Somethings are best learned about by reading and not experiencing!
I remember before my trip looking through all the illness descriptions for this area of the world. I had gone to the doctor to get malaria pills and special antibiotic meds just in case I came down with serious diarrhea. I was prepared! Ironically, I distinctly remember passing over the "heat" section confident that I could handle hot and humid weather. I've lived in Seoul and Kansas City! Even more I was confident I could take care of myself in hot and humid weather. While I had started off the day with 4 bottles of water I had not factored in the coffee of the morning nor the dehydration of the past 3 days. I was sure I would have no problems with the heat but this is exactly what hit me like a mac truck. Needless to say I had no problem sleeping 10 hours last night.
Today has been a recovery day. I woke up late, called and talked to the parents and a good friend. It made me feel somehow more alive to speak with family and a friend. Traveling alone is like living in an enclosed room with glass walls. I see and experience so much but have only myself to listen and talk most of the day. After lounging in my room and watching 2 movies on HBO I hired a tuk-tuk and ventured into the center of town. I found Viva which is a restaurant serving Mexican food. I ate a steak burrito in Siem Riep, Cambodia! And it was tasty. I found a supermarket and loaded up on water for tomorrow's attempt to return to the heat. You better bet I'll be more wise about hydration! I went to Swenson's and bought an ice cream. I'm not sure what was better the ice-cream or the air conditioned building. I ended the outing with a massage. It was a divine afternoon after a painful day!
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