SHOTS!

Since we've decided to travel East of Suez (though we're actually going west - it's complicated), we (Mary) decided that we needed to be inoculated against all manner of diseases endemic to the exotic East. I consented, with the proviso that there be sweet treats supplied to make the sting of the needles less onerous.

Anyhow, we did some research and discovered that there was a local office of Passport Health that specializes in travel medicine. Which means shots. In my case lots of shots. More than Mary, which I thought was rather unfair. Just because I am a few or more years older than she.

You (the customer) supply the locations where you (still the customer) will be traveling and then the Passport Health office will determine what shots you (customer - remember?) will require. You can refuse some vaccinations, especially if you're not going to go out in the country to slop pigs or eat raw chicken, but most of the recommendations are probably best observed. We (Mary again) decided to get shots for Hepatitis A and B, typhoid fever, tetanus and in my case MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) and, after much shin kicking and rib prodding from Mary, a flu shot, apparently because there was a vacant spot on one of my arms that wasn't sore.

Anyhow, the cost was reasonable, at least when compared to contracting typhoid fever, and they did give me a couple of Jolly Rancher candies, so I thought it was a fair deal. Although we're not planning on checking out any rural villages or bathing in irrigation canals anywhere, it's probably better to be safe than sorry.