Brie Austin

Revenge By Any Other Name

Revenge by any other name might be Montezuma, whose ghost I was sure  had followed me to India in a most dramatic expression of his promise.  Turns out I was wrong.
It was said that Montezuma II, who reined as emperor of Mexico from 1502 – 1520 — until the Spanish began their conquest of the Aztec Empire, enacted his revenge for the invasion through what most North Americans have come to know as  Montezuma’s Revenge.

Revenge By Any Other Name

However, the (diarrhea) condition that affects so many travelers exists in many parts of the world and is not exclusively reserved for westerners; many from Asia and India that travel to Europe and North America are affected too.

The condition doesn’t stem from unsanitary conditions — as commonly thought –, nor exclusively from the water.  The E. coli bacteria exists within every body already, but when when it is introduced from a foreign source, that is when this lovely gut-wrenching condition props up its ugly head. It is usually uncomfortable, lasts for days, and in some instances can be serious.  I can attest to the first two!

Though in America we’re familiar with the term Montezuma’s Revenge, euphemisms below the border also include the Aztec two-Step and the Gringo Gallop. In India however, you’ll hear terms like Gandhi’s Revenge, Delhi Belly,  or Bombay Belly. In other parts of Africa and Asia the terms include the Rangoon Runs, Cairo Two Step, Pharaoh’s Revenge, Mummy’s Tummy, and Gypsy Tummy.

The condition was first reported in print in the Indiana Evening Gazette in October 1942, as many U.S. soldiers endured the condition while fighting in Asia and Africa.

While I recognize that this is not exactly the Earth-shattering update you hoped to read, it has kept me occupied while I endured my third day of Gandhi’s Revenge.  By any name, it really sucks!

Today is the fourth day and I’m coming out of the Stone Age and kicking up my heels.  The weather continues to by nice and all is again well with the world.

More, better stuff,  later.

About Brie Austin

Co-author of I'd Do It Again, he is a columnist/reporter for a variety of magazines in the areas of music, lifestyle, nightlife, travel and business. He also writes business documents and creates copy for websites.