Getting Sick in a Second Language (Part I)

There are some things which make you realise that you are far from home when taking Spanish courses abroad, and lying on your bed feeling like death is one of mine.
Tales of sickness, injuries and general queasiness tend not to be among the most exciting things in the world but they do make for unforgettable memories when it happens abroad.

Jungle Tummy Blues

Oh dear, this was the worst night I ever passed in my entire life. After finishing our Spanish lessons in Quito a group of us went on to do voluntary work in different parts of Ecuador. The night before our trip to a remote jungle reserve I ate something horrible and green. The journey was never ending and involved three different types of transport (not at the same) and several hours of waiting around. When we got to the reserve the person in charge explained about the set up of the place but I couldn’t understand a word of it and my stomach was so upset I had to run to the outside bathroom before he had finished. I then woke up in my room in the middle of the night in absolute agony and went running to the bathroom. Disaster struck when I saw that the whole cabin was locked up tight and there was no way of getting out to the loo. After passing several of the worst hours imaginable I finally found out that the guy from the previous night had explained where to find the key in order to go to the bathroom.