diarrhoea in turkey Travel Forum

As if having the runs isn't bad enough at home, let me set a grimmer picture. Me alone, in a flaky hostel in Istanbul, chained to my drop toilet and praying for the next installment of loo paper. Not good.

Five days into my turmoil I couldn't face it any more and ran out desperately to find medication. Sound smart, only I don't speak turkish and the word 'pharmacy' meant absolutely nothing.

Struggling to find my way around I made friends with a lovely rug salesmen with a happy grin and gestured that I had a terrible tummy ache.

Delightfully he understood - but that was the only luck I found. Upon entering my medical haven, my kindly translator innocently mimed that I needed to tell the pharmacist more details of what was wrong.

Great! There was nothing else I could think to do, I just turned to him with a pleading red face, as I spread my legs gingerly apart and dramatically used my hands to mime the flow of excrement escaping my body.

The pharmacist just smiled knowingly but the rest of the store erupted with laughter.

I was so embarrased I nearly gave them a better demonstration right there and then. I took my tablets and ran all the way home to my dear drop toilet.

I'll never, ever leave home without immodium again

EMAIL : samcginnity@gmail.com

Posted By Anne Dyson on Saturday 12th July 2008 @ 23:57:28

Updated : Friday 21st November 2008 @ 20:32:50 | Words : 227 | Views : 161 | Comments : 0

COMMENT | PRINT | EDIT