- Only drink purified bottled water OR ask for un vaso de agua de garafon — a glass of water from the big blue purified water bottle
- Only brush your teeth with purified bottled water.
- Do not use tap water for drinking. Hand washing with soap is okay.
- Keep your mouth shut when taking a shower!
- Never believe it if an establishment says the water is filtered.
- Never eat anything “on the street” or in market stalls if it is raw. (I rarely eat anything in markets, either, unless it is well cooked.)
- Don’t order a lettuce, fruit or raw vegetable salad unless it is in an upscale tourist restaurant and you know they disinfect the food.
- Avoid sushi-style fish. Order fish medium or well done and meat cooked to at least medium. Medium-rare will work in upscale restaurants but it will likely arrive more on the raw side.
- Use hand-sanitizer liberally.
- Look for restaurants that are crowded. That means the food turns quickly and is fresh.
- Carry an Rx of Ciprofloxacin with you. Yes, it’s a powerful antibiotic but it works to kill any bacteria in your system.
- Find a pulque bar that serves aguamiel. It is a natural digestive that can ease intestinal problems.
If you get sick, it can take 24-52 hours for the infection to pass through your system (it is a strain of food poisoning like ecoli infection). Stay hydrated with a Gatorade-type drink. Your symptoms will be vomiting and diahhrea and fever, Anything longer and you should seek medical advice. Most hotels will have a doctor who will make a call for a reasonable fee.
If you can get to an Ahorra Farmacia there will often be a doctor in an adjacent office who can examine you, diagnose and then prescribe. You can fill the Rx while you wait.
