I need help quickly, leaving next week for a 2 week stay in Todos Santos. First trip to Mexico. What about drinking water and ice? where do I get
it, will it be safe to use?
Don't want to spend the time sitting on a pot!Bob and Susan - 7-22-2005 at 06:02 AM
Bottled water and Purified Ice is available everywhere...
It's not like the old days.
We bring about a 7 quarts of water for the drive and almost always bring it back....we also bring frozen water bottles...good when HOT!!!
Purified Water is not a problem anymorebajajudy - 7-22-2005 at 06:22 AM
Yes do not come down worried to death about the water. It truly is not a problem anymore. All the restaurants use purified water and ice.
You will find the Todos Santos is gringo-ized to the point that you will think you are in Santa Fe....no worrys
EnjoySkipjack Joe - 7-22-2005 at 08:35 AM
My son and I still have problems with the water. I know that for sure because when I leave the main highway and it's restaurants and go back to our
provisions from home the problems go away. Return back to highway and have chips and salsa and problems return.
It's not as severe as it was a decade ago when a bout with montezuma's revenge would last 3 days and severely dehydrate you. Now, you just get a soft
stool without the accompanying weakness. Maybe they have eradicated e. coli from their water but something is still there.
Also, it doesn't affect everyone the same way. Years ago, on one trip my wife and I were drinking the same water and I was sick as a dog while she
felt absolutely nothing (that lasted for 2 weeks).
Anyway, I always buy gallons of Arrowhead water from the states and when I run out I buy the same in the mercados in baja. I also fill the camper tank
with tap water from home for cooking.
By the way, drinking water to relieve thirst gets old after a while. As others have mentioned bring Gatorade for that. It really revives you. The
other alternatives are beer (I wouldn't drive on that highway after a beer) or mexican soda pop (if anything, they make you thirstier). Gatorade, when
available in baja is sold in nothing larger than 1 quart bottles. That gets expensive. Buy the Gatorade stateside in 1 or 2 gallon bottles, enough to
last the trip.
saludos,,,,skipjack,,,bajalou - 7-22-2005 at 09:28 AM
I've had the problem on returning to the US a time or two.bajajudy - 7-22-2005 at 02:32 PM
BajaLou So have I. I called it reverse tourista.
Upset stomach is the most common problem people have on vacation no matter where they go.
Down here you add in spicey food, tequila and beer and you havent a chance! Not to mention the chance of sunstroke.
Jeez I love it here.yankeeirishman - 7-22-2005 at 02:45 PM
I never have a problem with anyof the food./water. I'll eat off the carts to the finer joints on the drag. I will say this....your body system may
want to "adjust" for you for the first 3 or so days. Nothing to be concerned about.
Washing the greens for the salad....I say it's not purified at some places. To no offense here to anyone. If you wish to play it super safe....stay
off the salads from little unknown eateries.
Oh....and DO get a fish or shrimp taco off one of them street vendors! Wun'daful!
[Edited on 7-22-2005 by yankeeirishman]turtleandtoad - 7-23-2005 at 05:32 PM
Barring e-coli or a virus, the problem is twofold, a different set of intestinal bugs and a different diet. It can happen to anyone moving from one
culture to another. As an example, the oriental cultures have the same problem when they come to the US.
Some people (like Yankee and myself) have a higher tolerance to the changes than others. Others are so sensitive to change that, after being in Baja
for awhile, they have a problem when they return to the US.
As to drinking the water in Baja, I use an anti-bacterial filter (along with a particulate filter) when filling my RV tank. It takes a while because
of the 2 gpm flow rate, and you have to use your coach's pump because of the pressure loss through the filter but you don't have to worry about buying
and storing water bottles.pokey - 7-23-2005 at 05:38 PM
I wonder about the water often..... I routinely use tap water to make coffee in the morning and never have a problem with it. That being said I've
also drank water in the state of Chihuahua that put me in the hospital for a week.
Cost Benefit of being careful
Skipjack Joe - 7-24-2005 at 02:31 PM
Another thing to consider is the cost benefit of being conservative with fruits, salads, ice, and drinking water.
When a baja resident gets ill it's a couple of uncomfortable days of sitting on an easy chair of a patio reading a good book while things sort
themselves out.
When a working stiff who gets 2 weeks of paid vacation a year decides to spend one of them in baja fishing. When that guy has to spend half of his
time in the hotel room waiting... Then it's an entirely different matter.bajagrouper - 7-24-2005 at 04:02 PM
There are 2 new high tech(= expencive) water purifiers out on the market now,the first one will purify up to 5 gallons of water quickly while the
other one will do about 16 oz. in a min.
google:
MSR MIOX Water purifier
Steri Pen water purifier
field tested by Marines in Iraq....Osprey - 7-24-2005 at 04:47 PM
Unless you wanna be a bubble boy you better learn to ask the right people the right questions. It's easy. All over the world there are pharmacies.
Just ask the man. 8 years ago I asked in Mexico cause that's where I was at the time. The man said take Treda (neomiacin, caolin, pectin), about $5
here for 20 pills. You can eat/drink anything knowing you have the right medicine if you have problems. In 8 years I've never been the least queasy
after taking a couple Treda. When traveling why lose even a part of a day? When traveling why avoid all the wonderful food and drink the locals
enjoy?
Treda
bajajudy - 7-24-2005 at 06:05 PM
You got my curiosity up, Osprey.
There is a list at the bottom of the page of whom should not take this drug.
Originally posted by bajajudy
There is a list at the bottom of the page of whom should not take this drug.
Tell your doctor your complete medical history especially if you have high blood pressure, an over-active thyroid, glaucoma, diabetes or emotional
problems. Consult with your doctor if you think you are pregnant or before breast-feeding. neomycin intestinal infections can be habit
forming and must be used with caution. Alcohol can increase unwanted side effects of dizziness. Limit alcohol use. This drug is not
recommended for use in children. Consult your doctor or pharmacist for further information.
neomycin intestinal infections can be habit forming and must be used with caution.
Emotional problems, breast-feeding, children and alcohol use. That about covers everyone who visits here. I guess no one should take it. Especially
since intestinal infections can be habit forming.Dave - 7-24-2005 at 06:26 PM
I recommend following the maxim of the great and wise philosopher, W.C. Fields.
"I never drink water; fish flock in it."Osprey - 7-24-2005 at 06:36 PM
Judy, I thought you were a tough old Baja Bird like me. I also asked the pharmacist if Treda was OK "for me" -- told him all my ailments. Isn't that
the responsible, conservative thing to do? Your curiosity is curious.LarryK - 7-24-2005 at 06:43 PM
For bad cramps, use Lomotil. One pill is all it takes.Osprey - 7-24-2005 at 07:01 PM
Larry, Treda is superior (at least for me) in every way and I've traveled Mexico for 34 years.comitan - 7-24-2005 at 07:08 PM
My 1000 votes go for Treda, we carry some with us where ever we go. It Works!!!!!!!!!!Ken Cooke - 7-27-2005 at 07:59 PM
Back in the '70s, my mother would tell my brothers and I not to drink the water. We drank the water, and didn't get sick. vandenberg - 7-28-2005 at 07:52 AM
Have been drinking the water in Tripui and Nopolo for 14 years and never got sick.
I consider my dogs
jrbaja - 7-28-2005 at 11:06 AM
Experts on water. Here in Rosarito they get tap water. I don't like it because of the taste but it is fine to drink. We use purified water but the
dogs only get the purified when we are traveling.
But when we are in the mountains, they won't touch the purified but go straight to the ponds and streams.
The people in these rural communities have been drinking this water all their lives. That's basically why the communities are there in fact. Many
of these people live to be over 100 years old. And they still get around and garden and stuff!
Could it be the water?bajaruby - 7-28-2005 at 02:36 PM
by golly jr, I think you might have something there.Pescador - 7-29-2005 at 01:19 PM
At home I am a volunteer certified water operator for our small system of 50+ homes and have a license with the state of Colorado. So when I was in
Baja at our place in Santa Rosalia I naturally questioned some of the people about disinfection and filtration of the domestic water supply. The
answer I got was that the water came from aquifers in San Jose and Agua Agueda and that disinfection consisted of a little chlorine. Chlorine has
proven to be the most effective at killing giardia and cryptosporidium as well as most smaller bugs like e-coli and most viruses. So it seemed to me
that they were doing a pretty good job by letting sands and gravel of the aquifer provide filtration and a little chlorine to kill the other stuff and
you have water that is comprable with water from most places in the US. Now the problem is that I tested the water in lots of different locations and
can not find any trace of chlorine even though the stuff I was using tests down to .01ppm. So, I suspect that if you really want to be safe, just add
a few drops of clorox to your water tank, cistern, etc. and you should be fine.
As an aside note, I see that lots of water treatment places are springing up all over the place and they do a great job of filtration which takes
out the big bugs like e-coli, giardia, and crypto, but does almost nothing for the viral bugs. So again just a little shot of clorox will kill most
of that stuff and if you are using bottled water like a garafon, the chlorine will dissappear from taste detection usually within a day or so.
