My allergies are absolutely killing me on this trip. I powered through my Allegra supply the first week, leaving me high and dry in the anti-histamine department. I couldn’t take it anymore and asked our driver to take me to a pharmacy. There is a distinct lack of big western type stores in India, even in Delhi, the capital, where we are. The driver took us to a local spot, the type of place he would go. Everything was behind the counter and you had to tell the guys what you wanted. Fortunately my needs were relatively easy to describe in basic English and didn’t require making a “fire in ass pointing maneuver” or anything embarrassing like that. I just described what I needed and this is what they picked out:
- 12 tablets cetirizine hydrochloride aka Zyrtec
- 6 Vicks cough drops
- one month supply malaria pills, Doxyclycline
- some unknown eczema cream
- package cashew cookies
The bill was handwritten for 150 rupees or roughly $3.40 US. In India, you’re not gonna pay a lot for those drugs.