How to Avoid Being Killed in a War Zone by Rosie Garthwaite

Author:Rosie Garthwaite
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Published: 2011-07-02T21:00:00+00:00

/EAT LOCAL

This book is not about extreme survival. It is about survival in unfamiliar and difficult surroundings. Survival against the odds, but mainly against man rather than nature. And when nature wins – in an earthquake, flood or tsunami – you need to be prepared (see Basic Survival). In this chapter I am largely assuming you are not intending to be too far from local people and therefore some kind of food. But I have included some basics about hunting, gathering, fishing and fire, which should keep you going if, for instance, your car breaks down in the middle of nowhere and your original plans are thrown out the window.

Danger and war don’t have to mean deprivation, particularly if you are on the ‘winning’ side. In fact, if you are on an embed with the US military, you will probably get fat on their rations. Back at their base, where you can choose from one of multiple fast-food outlets, you will begin to wonder why you ever had a craving for a Big Mac with double cheese and curly fries.

Each culture you meet will have its own extremes. I have been living in the Arab world for the last few years, so I know the people there adore sugar, especially in their tea and coffee – enough to stand a spoon up in your cup in some cases. In my humble experience, Iraqis have the sweetest tooth. When it comes to food choices, I recommend playing to your host nation’s strengths. The sticky pastries, the delicious pistachio ice cream, the cardamom coffee… These can fire your engine for hours every day. The people really know what they’re doing. And this food is safe. If you push for the less familiar, that is when you are going to get into trouble. For example, opting for sushi on Lake Titicaca can land you in Lima with a drip in your arm after 15 painful hours on a bus to get there. I’ve seen it. But go for ceviche, the local version of sushi, and you will probably be fine. The most important thing to know about the food you are eating in out-of-the-way places is whether it is safe… because you are a long way from a hospital.

For some that means excluding foods their guts don’t trust. Kamal Hyder told me: ‘I am quite fussy about food. I’ve been in situations when a goat has been alive one minute and is served up to you on a plate 15 minutes later. I don’t trust it. I make excuses, say I am too sick to eat meat. I always carry a tin or two of Cheddar and some olives. You can always find warm Afghan bread, warm tea. Stuff like that is always safe. But be careful with water…it can kill.’

My best advice is to stick to what the locals are eating. Ask around and learn what you can and can’t eat. Gather knowledge rather than trying to gather your own food. It will serve you well when there is no one around to help.

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