Guest Author - Jim Fortune
My first trip to Mexico was in 1973. I can honestly say I was a gringo and not savvy to the ways of the world. I assumed that everything, everywhere would be like it was at home. It wasn't. The "tourista" also known as digestive or intestinal trouble did not hit me until after we got home; although my spouse got hit with it on our last night, before heading home. We were miserable for two weeks.
Things nowadays are a lot different both for me and for the places I visit. The water in Mexico has changed a little since 1973 as well, although most people will tell you not to drink the tap water anywhere in Mexico. Public water is treated but the pipes that the water travels in are old and they can contaminate the water.
Bottled water is available everywhere and used by everyone from tourists to residents. Even residents who move to Mexico from other countries use portable or permanently installed water filtration systems. Using bottled water becomes part of everyday life and using it is not really a hassle at all. All of the top hotels in hot tourist locales have their own water purification systems. Even though this is true, you still need to be careful. You are on your own, however, when it comes to getting cold drinks with ice from street vendors. I would not advise it, although many people do it all the time and never have any problems.
One item you can get before you leave home is a "sterilizer pen". These are available online in a lot of places. They cost $75 - $100 and are a pen that you use in your drink to get rid of harmful viruses and bacteria. Here is a sample pen that is available from www.rei.com, SteriPEN Adventurer Water Purifier . It's small enough to carry in your purse or pocket of your cargo pants.
If you can live without getting icy drinks from the street vendors and only get your drinks from the hotel lounge and pool bars, you should have no problem. Also there do not seem to be any problems with purified bottled water being replaced with dirty tap water, but check the cap before you purchase to be sure it is factory sealed. The people in Mexico know that tourism is one of the country's source of income and they are doing whatever they can to correct problems and make sure people come back year after year.
So what about the hotel room sink and shower water? Even the cheapest hotel in Mexico will have bottled water. If you don't see a sign proclaiming that the tap water is safe to drink, assume that it is not and ask for bottled water to be delivered to your room. For me, I would use bottled water for everything especially brushing my teeth. Be careful about the water in the shower and do not drink that water either.
Until next time, let me know what is on your mind, and how you are doing, O.K.?
Jim Fortune - the Bella Budget Travel Guy
