I was one of that person who used to feel sick from the time I rode bus for a long distance travel. I vomited all the way to the home of my brother where I normally go to spend my holidays. This is just a five or six hours driving distance by bus or 21 minutes far from air travel. Did I tell you I vomited in that short travel also.
I travel for couple of reason a week or a ten day off from my work in city. A reason to seek a way out from concrete jungle.
I used to talk about my sickness to everyone who used to travel in bus. I encountered many people who were not affected by travelling sickness and many who were like me, who threw up heavily. The thought of riding a bus made us sick to the stomach. Some suggested eat before traveling, I tried that and it did not worked out. Some said, do not eat before travelling. I tried that and that also did not work out.
There were times I was less sick or vomiting. And there was time I vomited heavily that made me more sick. When it comes to making me sick it also made the others on bus to feel sick with the kind of smell that comes out from food after remaining certain hours inside our belly. No wonder, I also blamed rough driving as one of the reason that made me sick when I traveled.
Any kind of scent that came inside and outside used to make me sick. The scent of diesel passing from the end of bus made me sick. The scent of petrol traveling in the annals of pipes and ending up as smoke made me sick. Scent of tarpaulin made me sick. Mix scent of many people inside the bus made me sick. It could be of sweat, hair oil, or the deo they sprayed in the body. The bad taste of music played by driver made me sick. Food I eat on the way decided to come out after five minutes of staying inside my belly. And when I drank water that also came out.
If there was a drop of spit inside my intestine that also used to come out. And until it came out, it troubled me. It made me throw up so much that my belly could not hold anything, not even water that I drank to give me energy to travel; as I avoided eating due to high risk of throwing up any way. It was less embarrassing. Seeing even the water coming out game me an idea to detox myself. So, what I did was; I used to drink lots of water once there was nothing left in my belly, which anyway came out within minutes. It was that time I thought I am detoxing myself, a very cheap mode of detoxing. It would have cost me hell if I had to do this in hospital but riding a bus made is so easy and affordable.
The ghost of traveling made me so sick that I avoided traveling more. More I am not exposed to traveling, more I was sick of it. There was also time I returned to Kathmandu from Chitwan and smell of bus kept me sick for a week even thinking about it.
Do I have to say it now. it was embarrassing to the max. But , just because I was embarrassed does not mean the vomit will not find its way out. The sound I made was even more uncomforting. The combination of both was mother of all embarrassment, which I faced for more than 12 years.
If you are suffering from travel sickness you must have heard and then tried many stupid ideas to avoid vomiting. I have to admit taking avomine was one of the most uneasy way I have tried once. Sure it stopped the vomiting but it made me more sick. It made me more sick afterwards than letting it go of what was trying to come out. Needless to tell you, I tried it once but never took the avomine again. The most absurd idea of avoiding vomit came from another man who himself suffered from travel sickness. Some body told him to sit on the half cut coconut shell during travel. I forgot to ask him did you hear it from a madman ? Some suggested, keep a coin inside your mouth during travel. Just recently, somebody shared with my brother keeping a coin on our naval and tapping it might work. He insist there were some whom it worked.
Thank God, even in sickness I keep my sanity intact and did not tried those absurd ideas. But, yes I did try eating before traveling, which did not work and not eating before traveling which also did not work.
Sometimes eating on the way did worked ! mostly all those decided immediately to come out just when the bus picked up the speed.
Last year before heading the talk of my travel sickness came while talking with a group of young friends. Ishmita, a college girl recommended, if you suffer from travel sickness why not you try tatura. Titaura is like pickle which we can eat anytime in a day. Somewhat I like this idea and bought a packet of titaura after riding a mini van heading to Chitwan. We have all kinds of titaura available in market. Titaura and pickle is our specialty here in Nepal. What I can say of this small thing called titaura is, if France has 3000 varieties of cheese; we have as much the variety of titaura available in our market.
However, I bought a gravy tamarind titaura. This is something you can make a small hole in one side of the small packet and suck it, without spoiling your hand during travel [Some sure prefer other kind of titaura that is suitable to their taste buds]. I did not like the smell of it, yet eat it knowing; anyway it will go out in couple of minutes. But, eating it saved me from throwing up. Then after more than an hour later also I was not vomiting. Then I realised it worked. It was first time in my life I had not vomited while I was on long distance travel route. Do I have to tell you I tried it this year also and again it worked. This is my second year without vomiting in bus and making it to my destination. This year the small packet titaura was made of lapsi pulp, tamarind and lemon. The mix combination of all acidic fruits which I love too much was so good and tasty. And suddenly it was better than a medicine that help me to avoid vomiting.
When I don't vomit I can know the name of places I pass by in bus and then can chat with the person who sits next to me and the enjoy all the beauty of scenery that some beautiful place offers me. So, this small favour from titaura will not be undermined and I am going to recommend all those who suffer from travel sickness to take titaura of your taste to avoid yuking.
Thank GOD ! at least it helped me !
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