How to avoid Montezuma's revenge in the Caribbean?

[Taxguy77]

Montezuma's Revenge - and all the other names it is known by - is more often than not a reaction by a sensitive stomach belonging to someone who does not travel very often or very far.

 

Many times when Mexicans visit the USA, they often have the same stomach problems.

 

There is nothing really wrong with the food and drink (in most cases), but when your gastro-intestinal system encounters different spices, liquids, foods, and bacteria than it normally has to process, the results are not very pretty.

 

Ice cubes and the condensed water on drink containers are often the culprits.

Poorly washed eating utensils at street vendor stalls are another cause.

Poorly stored, heated, or cooled foods in unfamiliar countries are another.

 

If you are prone to suffering when eating/drinking things in foreign places, you might best avoid doing it.

From a cruise ship you can take your own drinks and ice ashore in most countries.

 

If you are eating the 8 or more meals per day that many cruise passengers enjoy, it will probably be safe to go ashore for a few hours without eating anything at all.

 

All of the above are valid. With respect I would add:

Change of climate;

Change of diet; on the ship you may eat a lot more calories than normal (I know I do) and stay up later.

I spent several years going into Mexico for 2 or 3 weeks at a time and was only sick twice;

One I had a disease, treated by an American DR. who had a clinic in Mexico, and once when I had too much food and drink, (in a social situation).

If you have doubts, avoid eating in any country except your home.

If you want to experience the world, eat lightly (repeat, lightly) at every stop! :D

On cruises, DW and I love to try local beers and food. One time in Italy we ate on the dock at a table with 4 men and through English, Italian and Spanish, ordered in sign language! Food was mediocre, but memories are still clear after many years! We enjoyed the experience!!

We had friends who cruised premium lines as instructors. They only left the ship to have wine and beer; another friend and I decided they're list of countries visited was bogus, as they did NOT know the country, they had never smelled a restaurant or bar, just stepped off the ship and gone back on for a "gourmet dinner".

You can't see other countries by ship, but you CAN see many things you want to see. DW saw the Pope in the Vatican on an excursion, which was the highlight of her cruise. But we have spent days and seen many famous places by land.

[JustCruiseMe]

Oh, I guess it'd be helpful if I told you all that we'll be doing an all-day excursion from Cozumel to Tulum to see the Mayan ruins. Tulum worries me more than Cozumel. I'll pack lots of water bottles for this excursion!

On our tour of Tulum our guide had a cooler full of waters, soda's for free if you wanted them. He had Bilikin beer for 1.00. Experiencebelizetours.

 

There is a little snack bar thing at Tulum. You can get drinks there too. They sell plantain chips on our tour in commercially packed bags for 1.00. At Tulum there were selling some homemade stuff (vendors) for 2 or 3 dollars.

Edited March 20, 2014 by JustCruiseMe

[cusecruise]

Bottled water, no ice, avoid all veggies and don't eat fish in the summer were the rules that everyone at my company's Mexico based factories told anyone travelling from the US.

 

You may be safe drinking the water, having ice in your drinks and eating the pico de gallo or fresh guacamole when in port but you need to be aware you are taking a risk in doing so. If you stick to the "chains" like Carlos and Charlie's you are probably going to be ok but if you go to a local joint and eat veggies or have a drink with ice, you probably won't be so lucky.

 

I've gotten sick in Mexico a couple times and it has ALWAYS been the veggies at fault, once at a major resort in Acapulco where they claimed they disinfected their veggies and once in Toluca where my company was based when I had guacamole with fresh tomatoes and cilantro in it.

 

We ate both guac and pico in Cozumel last year with no issues but my husband and I knew we were rolling the dice when we did so as we were at a local place.

 

If you want to be safe, drink bottled water, no ice, no veggies. Anything else is a risk, it is up to you to determine if you want to take it.

[dgadberry]

I can't believe no one had mention Pepto Bismal tabliets! I got this tip a few years ago straight from the CDC's website. Start taking a couple of pepto tablets a day, starting the day you leave and finishing the day after you get back. It cuts you chances of getting sick WAY down, like 70-80%, and it reduces the severity. I take them religiously when I travel. I'm pretty brave in the food department and never had a problem.