Water in Mejico

[McHopsky]

Im going on a spring break trip (woohoo!) to Puerto Vallarta in a few weeks to a resort. I always hear "You cant drink the water in Mexico, you'll get sick". I didnt think to much of it because the only water I drink comes in bottles anyway. Then it hit me that most of my beloved drinks are on the rocks and frankly, would'nt taste good off the rocks. The idiotic travel agent also went as far to tell us not to eat salad because they wash it with water. I thought that was rubbish. Is the water really a concern in a resort hotel in a very touristy part of Mexico?

[agriadam]

I drank water in budapest and was sick both ends for several days..... so I think that I would take the warning seriosly.

and when I mean sick for a couple of days I mean that I didn't shit solid untill two weeks after I got back in the states....imagine pissing out of your asshole every hour for four weeks...... not pleasent

[Brookers13]

i didnt drink water in cancun, mexico but i did have copious amounts of drinks with ice and was absolutely fine...no sickness at all...in cancun at least, the water in the hotel zone (tourist area) is purified. most likely youll be ok i would think. people get sick because of bacteria in water but also dont realize the changes in their diet and the amount of alcohol you drink on a spring break trip like that...keep that in mind

[Jen05]

It's not the water that'll make you sick, it's all the booze! But I was near Cancun a couple of weeks ago and had heard similar things before. But drinking water was all purified and in coolers, and they said they used the same water for ice in all my pina coladas and whatnot. My friend went so far as to use bottled water to brush her teeth, but I didn't bother with that and was fine! HAVE FUN!!

[omisan]

Just start eating yogurt with live cultures or take probiotic capsules (l. acidophilus, etc.) and you'll be just fine! Those things will introduce competing fauna into your digestive tract and they'll kill off the baddies if you ever ingest them.

[O-Face]

I got some wicked advice from omisan on this recently=get some acidophilus pills and it should keep your shit together. Yes, literally. I was in Mexico City, and Acapulco, drinking bottled water, but also drinks with ice, fresh fruit, and lots of local food, away from touristy areas, definately using un-purified water. Some of my friends who didnt take the pills as much as I did got sick (stay away from 10 tacos for 2 dollars deals!), but I was relatively fine.

And yeah, even back home regardless of what's in your water, if you drank every night and ate nothing but tacos you wouldn't feel so healthy either...in summary, drink bottled water(make sure it's sealed when u buy it), eat lettuce and get ice in your drinks, have local fruit and don't worry about it too much - but get the pills!

[O-Face]

LOL, yep. What he said.

[McHopsky]

This acidophilus seems to be pretty awesome. I'd take these even when not going on vacation. They seem to be very beneficial for your bowels...hell, they even fight the bacteria that cause bad breathe!

Now, I didnt go to indepth in reading, when and how would I take these? Before meals/drinking?

Thanks for the help!

[omisan]

O-Face - glad it worked out for you.

McHopsky - Since they're good for you, you may as well start taking them now Dosages vary by what kind you get. If you have Trader Joe's in your neck of the woods, you can buy a bottle cheap (waaaay less than at GNC or any other health place) and take one a day on the average, usually with breakfast. 'Course, I prefer to get my stuff from the real sources than pills, so when I can, I just have yogurt or a smoothie-type-drink for breakfast. If you do the yogurt thing, notice that most brands, including the organics, don't have active cultures. Make sure you look for the ones that do.

It seems weird that you can avoid getting sick by introducing bacteria to your system, but it's one of the oldest methods of immunity in the world. It's always the paranoid clean freaks that get the sickest!

[GoKrazy]

I just got back form Mexico a few days ago (Cancun, Merica and the Yucatan Peninsula in general) and I never had any problems. The tip about eating yogurt with active cultures is great and I follow it myself. I drank bottled water like everyone else, but I didn't stress out about the diet too much. Lots of drinks with ice (2 for 1 margaritas can't be beat) and I ate at a variety of places - in upscale restaurants, stuff sold on push carts during the Carnaval and hole-in-the-wall type of local joint only the natives go to.

[benna2]

In the tourist areas, they sell so many of those fruity, ice blended drinks, so in MOST cases, the water/ice will be purified. The way you can tell is if the ice cubes have little holes in them. I have been in the DR for a month and a half and use ice every day and have never had a problem. Just use your judgement...if you are in a divey place, check the ice out and be careful. You should be ok though.

Hey have a FABULOUS time!!! And don't skimp on the sunscreen either. Nothing will ruin a vacation faster than getting sick from the water AND having a sunburn!

[Sabrosa]

I love T-punks. I'm learning so much.