Water . . . to Drink or Not to Drink?

We provide plenty of purified water in bottles with dispensers for your use during your stay. The tap water is fine for brushing your teeth, washing dishes, bathing, and general hygiene. The tap water is “potable water” but since it so important to us that your vacation be free of inconveniences, we do advise that you drink only the bottled water we provide. Our maids use bottled water to make your ice, as do all the restaurants.

Turista: What is it?

Bacteria is the major culprit in “turista” (diarrhea). Bacteria, particularly one type, e. coli, are a normal part of any person’s digestive tract, no matter where in the world he or she resides. However, enteric or intestinal bacteria differ slightly from one region of the world to another. The major reason people get turista is because their systems have not yet had time to adjust to the new bacteria. When your body initially fights a new bacteria, it needs plenty of fluids, i.e., water. Too much heat, alcohol, and/or sunburn causes dehydration and breakdown of the body’s defenses. This results in turista, which in turn results in further fluid loss. This loss further weakens the body’s resistance to illness, and so a cycle is formed. The trick, of course, is to prevent this cycle from starting in the first place.

Rules to Follow:

• Stick to bottled drinks, distilled and boiled water. Never drink tap water!
• Don’t drink alcoholic beverages in excess; they dehydrate you.
• Do not spend too much time out in the sun . . . This, too, will dehydrate you.
• Take a siesta, or relax in the shade in the hottest part of the day between noon and three in the afternoon.
• Take acidophilus tablets or eat plenty of yogurt for at least five days before you arrive in Mexico and continue them throughout your stay.
• If you have an especially sensitive stomach, we suggest you stay away from salads and only eat fruits that have the peel still on (peel before eating). Eat in well-known restaurants and stay away from food offered by street vendors.
• Don’t worry about it. Some stomach upsets occur to those who are most fearful of it. Power of persuasion? We think so.
  
  Most restaurants are very careful in their preparation of food. They don’t want you to stay sick in your room, they want you out spending money! All in all, you’ll find the food and conditions cleaner and safer here in Cozumel than in most other areas of Mexico.

If you need medical assistance, call us and we can recommend a good doctor who makes house calls and will take care of you right away.

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