Burn care in the tropics

It seems only too appropriate that I begin my new travel blog with a post about caring for yourself while on the road. Skin is a frequent topic of conversation for me since I was born with delicate, glowingly pale skin. This skin is certainly at odds with the kind of travel that I would come to embark on. Sunblock and protective clothing are always big considerations when packing my bag, but along the way I learned a wonderful hint from two French firemen that I met on the isle of Moorea in the Society Islands.

I was only ten days into a 10 month trip when I was burned by the muffler of a motorcycle. Though it seems like an obscure accident, any visitor to the South Pacific or South East Asia knows that few escape without at least a minor burn. Why? Well, most of us will end up on a motorbike of some kind during our trip. The unfortunate part is that few of us have long sturdy pants that completely cover and help protect our legs. Many womens travel pants are a shorter length, which leaves a few inches of delicate skin exposed. If you are driving your own motorbike, you are mostly in front of the muffler, but if you are riding as a taxi passenger or guest on a motorbike your leg is right by the scorching muffler.

Burns and coral cuts are two tough, but frequent injuries for the adventurous traveler. They take your full attention in tropical climates, and even with great care I advise a trip into a local clinic for antibiotics. If you are not near a clinic, this would be a good time to use some of your "emergency antibiotics" that you brought from home. It may not seem like an emergency, but yours,like mine, could go septic in a matter of hours due to the climate. Travelers are often hesitant to use their "emergency" treatment for something that seems so trivial, but remember that preventative action is the key to the long haul. Use them if infection appears to be making an advance, then replace them when you get to a city with medical facilities or a pharmacy.

So, where do French firemen enter the picture? Would you believe that they heard of my injury and arrived at my grass hut bearing a jar of Emu oil! At first I thought that it was a hallucination produced by the infection, heat, and the new dose of antibiotics, but it ended up being the best help one could hope for. Two handsome smiling creatures arrived to take care of my leg. (Thank you France! Thank you Emus!) It turned out that they met one of the surfers whose coral cuts I had recently treated. He informed them of my nasty burn that was deep and painful. Next thing you know they were there to assist. Now I realize that Emu oil is not vegan and that is it's only downside. It is made of pure squeezed Emu, making it is as non vegan as you can get. They explained to me that they use it to lessen scaring and help with healing the nasty burns that they get. Now they never travel without it.

The horrible, nearly to the bone burn is now a nickel sized number barely distinguishable on my right leg. The story is by far much larger than the scar. So it was with this in mind that I searched the shelves today for a similar product. I found this company and decided to try it on my aching hip joint, which was the result of spring training combined with aging. It may be too soon to tell, but the joint feels like it is loosening up. Emu oil is a great in your travel medical kit. It works for sunburn, windburn, chapped lips, abrasions, sprains, scars, joint pain and as a general beauty moisturiser. A great multipurpose cream that will be worth it's weight in gold on your long haul around the world.

The moral of this story is be good to your fellow travelers and it will come back to you in mysterious ways.