Recently many folks with environmental sensitivities have set out l without enough information on the risks or challenges in developing nations. They have run into many unexpected problems that I’m going to outline.
If you have health challenges or environmental sensitivities and you take off unprepared to a developing country this can lead to very difficult and risky experiences.
A number of folks recently have set out for locations known to have good outdoor air in developing countries.
There are many developing countries (the Global South, also known as third world countries) that have great outdoor air and might also be appealing in terms of cost savings.
But there are a number of really important things to know before you take off if you are someone who has health challenges or mold and chemical sensitivities.
If you haven’t traveled to a developing country before, or you haven’t traveled while sensitive, it’s essential that you know what you are going into.
My Background
I have a 5-year degree in International Development Studies, and my area of expertise is Latin America. I also had to study development factors – poverty, disease, access to health care – in all other regions of the developing world.
I worked for a year in Ghana and have backpacked through Morocco, Ghana, and Togo. In Latin America, I have spent about 3 years total in Cuba, Mexico, Costa Rica, and South America.
I have traveled recently with very high environmental sensitivities to mold and chemicals. I am also immunocompromised and physically limited.
Checklist for finding a good location
I outline how to evaluate a good location, and a checklist of all the factors you need to consider when traveling with MCS, MCAS, mold illness, CFS and so on in this Substack article.
Constantin
Hi Corinne,
So, from what I understand reading your articles here and on Substack, in order to travel to those countries, for arriving after long air travel:
– You choose a good quality hotel with many rooms (=possibility to change rooms) for the first days, in order to test other rooms like airbnb etc
– You basically had to accept some bad days with hyperreactivity sometimes, when rooms were not perfect until you found something better? (of course not staying in a really moldy room/building, but some where you had some reactivities)
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
yes to the first point but to the second point I don’t wait until I have symptoms personally, not for the last few years at least. Substack goes through the process I use.
Constantin
Yeah, I am subscribed to the substack… and have read all the articles.
But from all the articles that sometimes you didn’t find a pristine room and you had to accept being in a place that gives you some reactivity, but not a real bad mold hit, that you had to stay until next morning, to resume search of a pristine room.
Example: you arrive after long intercontinental flight in good quality hotel, room smells or trigger hyperreactivity, they let you visit other rooms, you find one that is “better”, but not ideal, so I thought I understood from your substack articles, that you stay, and resume search next day.
Constantin
Yeah, I am subscribed to the substack… and have read all the articles.
But from all the articles i thought to understand that sometimes you didn’t find a pristine room and you had to accept being in a place that gives you some reactivity, but not a real bad mold hit, that you had to stay until next morning, to resume search of a pristine room.
EXAMPLE: you arrive after long intercontinental flight in good quality hotel, room smells or triggers hyperreactivity, they let you visit other rooms, you only find one that is “better”, but not ideal&pristine, so I thought I understood from your substack articles, that you stay, and resume search next day. Let’s say you arrive in the evening and can’t find another hotel.
So, basically: in order to be able to travel you did have to accept the risk of getting a mold hit when arriving, and you had to ride it out, right?
PS: Sorry for posting the completed comment again, I hit enter too soon
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
it hasn’t happened to me in years bc of the process i use that I outline in substack but in theory, unless you send a local person to take current picture of a specific airbnb or hotel room, which I have done, there is this risk. However, if a Substack article has comments turned off then it’s not something I am able to get to questions about at the moment.
Constantin
Ok, So the intuitive testing by Andrew of recent fotos by a local person you hire, not from landlord, basically brings down the risk to almost zero or very low even for the first night after arrival. Even more than good quality hotel with many rooms, right?
I just feel this is not clearly enough explained in your substack articles…
Actually, well explained is the need for ppl like us to go on a search for clean rooms ONCE ARRIVED in country.
But arriving after long flight thats the tricky part
CoCo
How did you ask in Cuba if you could put up a tent in the garden of the casa particular, or sleep on balcony?
Corinne
No one minded *at all* in Cuba and I stayed in like 10+ places, just ask.
Jerry Peek
I’d never thought of camping! Maybe I can take the trip to Havana I cancelled?! But, if you were in Cuban cities near the coast, did you find those three levels of earplugs etc were enough to block noise… and did they get sweaty and uncomfortable? Did heat & humidity, mosquitoes, etc make camping too unpleasant? Thanks!
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
cuba is not that hot in the winter. three levels of ear plugs don’t block 100%, it wont block a party that is close to you or deep base. cubans party all week for xmas
safari dubai
there is no doubt how you researched hard to get these points, really appreciate the efforts you have put in!
Ky
Hi Corinne! I cannot agree with these more. I’ll be working on a full post to explain our experiences in South America, Jamaica, and Taiwan, but a few highlights to add:
1. The humid winters!
This is when the mold growth went nuts in our apartment. Many homes have no heating, and so people use space heaters. A disaster.
2. Standing water.
I was horrified by the number of places in Buenos Aires thst had standing water in bathrooms and basements. Both a safety hazard and huge health issue!
3. Electrical problems.
Our apartment had a constant, loud buzzing. The neighborhood electrician came and said it was totally normal, and nothing could be done. Now I know this was exacerbating the mold growth.
4. Unannounced fumigation.
In America, most apartment complexes would warn you about pest control, at least with dates if not the little lawn flags. In South America we found they sometimes do it weekly, and there is no announcement. So you can go from feeling relatively great to majorly ill, with no idea why.
Many more, but such a great post for those considering geoarbitrage!! Thank you 😀
Corinne
Good points! I’m in South America right now, and generally there is no heat in any homes. But me being on the cold side I have space heaters. There is no problem with using space heaters per se. The vast majority of buildings are moldy though, it takes a lot of work to find good ones.
Heidi
This was such a helpful and informative article – thank you so much!
Cw genest
Fantastic article. Thorough and insightful and super helpful. My wife is Cuban and when we do our yearly visits to her parents we try and stay in the best hotels and nevertheless are almost always confronted with mold issues. Great job and THANK YOU for your work.
Corinne
You’re welcome! Yes cuban homes were especially moldy, and most hotels too. Luckily it was safe and folks were very accommodating with my tent camping. I would be keen to try a brand new hotel next time.