How Not to Get Sick from the Water in Mexico or the rest of Latin & South America

The following is a quick & dirty list of bullet points gathered during my research for a trip to South America (that didn’t end up happening – but will and still good to know!)

• Drink and brush with bottled water.
• Only eat HOT well-cooked foods.
• Try the food stands – but only very busy ones so you know the food will be hot and fresh.
• Be careful when choosing raw fruits and vegetables. Avoid porous and hard-to-clean fruits and vegs like strawberries, lettuce, cilantro, etc.
• At home, all Mexicans use Microdyn to wash and disinfect their fruits and vegetables.
• If you really want to play it safe, eat only fruits you can peel: bananas, oranges, mangos, etc.
• ICE – don’t use ice that’s chipped off large blocks and usually used in coolers, etc. Those large blocks of ice and ice chips are made from tap water. The cylindrical ice cubes with a hole are from ice machines that use purified water, so that’s safe.
• Popsicle shops (paleterias) are safe.
• Worse comes to worst, if you do get sick, you’ll build up an immunity and be less sick the next time.