The only thing that worries me about Colombia....

bhill says on Apr 27, 2005, 09:34:

Re: comida y salud
I can't comment on any specific food health standards in Colombia,
but my overall impression is that it's not dissimilar to many other
Latin American destinations. I've never looked in the kitchen,
but you can certainly find clean, upscale dining if thats your
thing. You can also find shit holes with sticky countertops if
you don't mind that sort of thing or are otherwise cash poor.

I always dring bottled water (often in the form of beer) abroad.
Why take a chance?

I do eat street vendor food, but, how dangerous can something that
just came out of scalding oil be? I wouldn't eat anything unless
I personally just saw it sizzling, but to each his own. A buddy
of mine never hesitates to buy fresh fruit and eat it on the spot
in the outdoor markets, and he was OK, but it's not something I'd
do in any country.

-Brian

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ARMacleod says on Apr 27, 2005, 10:05:

Much to my eternal regret! I had a holiday in France a few years ago, after just three days I could 'go' through the eye of a needle. Ditto Greece and many other far flung places over many years.

When I went to Colombia last year I threw all caution to the wind, half expecting Montezuma's revenge to catch up with me any moment.

Nothing, not a murmur, and I have enjoyed just about everything on the menu, except grass.

On the other hand, my novia made sure that I did not eat any uncooked salad items outside of our home. (Worms?)

Good luck, James.


Being of unsound mind and dubious disposition, I cannot be held legally liable for any indiscretions."¡El diablo me hizo hacerlo!" But don't worry, be happy.

The brain is like a parachute, it only functions correctly when it is open. Pax vobiscum.

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miamimike says on Apr 27, 2005, 10:07:

Check the State Dept's Website for appropiate Inocculations if you are that concerned. Also-I don't beleive there are enforceable food handling and Storage regulations as found in the USA, Europe or Japan.Caveat Emptor on roadside eateries-if they don't appear clean pass on them or be willing to suffer the consequences. I always carry extra Napkins and those Little towelettes for cleaning your hands after Restroom use. Invariably, you will not have enough Napkins to finish your meal at 99% of the restaurants in Colombia.A bottle of that hand cleaner(anti-microbial)for 3-$4 a bottle is a godsend-why ruin your trip over a few nasty microbes that can be prevented with a little common sense.(ps-careful of those ice-cubes-if they are not made from aqua purifica, aviod them, as cold will not kill the giardia cyst which causes the runs)Have fun.

Avatar Legend: Bush "If any of you Reporters are wondering, it was a Size 10"

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Miguel says on Apr 27, 2005, 10:24:

Mis dos centavos I drink the bottled water, but also use the ice, and so far, no problems in the last three trips. The hands cleanser idea is a good one; here in the US you can buy Purell Mini plastic bottles in the dozen pack; each bottle is 0.5 fluid oz and you can carry one with you. I have not had problems with street food either~ Knocking on wood right now~
Enjoy Colombia. Oh yeah, there are a few other incidental/potential problems in our beloved Colombia you'll need to consider, but I'm sure you know what I'm talking about;-)

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Mr. Hollywood says on Apr 27, 2005, 10:47:

Very regional It depends a lot, frankly, on what town you're in. Bogota, for example, has an excellent municipal water system. So you can eat salads and fruit and drink from the tap without worry. Drinking out of the tap in Cartagena, on the other hand, almost ensures a week of running for the outhouse.

As far as food handling, look at the overall cleanliness of the restaurant and the surroundings. Nothing is 100% but you can tell a lot by how clean a place is in general.

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lpdiver says on Apr 27, 2005, 11:08:

In Medellin I drank the water and also in Bogota. My niece got sick (presumably from the water) while visiting Msnizales. I ate from restaurants and street vendors and road side grills. In Sonson and Zipaquiera I drtank only bottled goods.

My only illness seemed to occur in Bogota and I attribute that to elevation and exertion. I hadn't seen my wife in seven months!!! After two days I was great.

T

"cook some rice!"

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Jack Smith says on Apr 27, 2005, 19:59:

Can you say Ammodium AD?

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RUV says on Apr 27, 2005, 21:46:

Argentina (Buenos Aires) Sid,

I have been to Argentina several times and they have the best food next Brazil of all the Latin America countries. Buenos Aires is very clean and the resturants look very sanutary. If you love steaks, pasta, and wine you will love Argentina. Not sure when you are going, when I went in September it was cold and wet.

Have fun.

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claudia82 says on Apr 28, 2005, 06:23:

Tap water in Cali is great

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SingSling says on May 8, 2005, 18:18:

Common Sense As with everywhere in the world look at how fresh the food looks, how clean the people serving it are and whether the locals are eating there. Street food is always a risk and given the nature of your post I would just avoid it if I were you, stick to the restaurants. I have drunk the water in Bogota, Cartegena, Santa Marta, San Andreas and Pereira with no ill effects yet....

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kernow62 says on May 8, 2005, 20:12:

I think I would rather eat street food than drink the water in San Andres or Cartagena. Just my opinion.

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Rubiazo says on May 8, 2005, 21:06:

When in doubt Just ask if the water is chlorinated. Colombia doesn't have federal standards for that like we do here so chlorine levels vary from place to place and some places don't chlorinate at all.

I had zero problems in Bogota. Zero problems in Rio (but they use a LOT of chlorine in the water there!) . BIG problems in Dominican Republic, although I tried to be careful there.

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platano says on May 8, 2005, 21:19:

My 2 cents on Colombian food and water safety... I think I'm fairly sensitive to food/water contamination but I think whether or not you get sick has to do with which brand of microbials are enemies with your microbes. For example, in three different trips to India I got sick every time (2 weeks of constant diarrhea type sick)

In all my time in Colombia (over a 15 year period, living full-time there for 12 years from Santa Marta to Leticia and all points in between) I ate fruits and vegetables (including salads with fresh lettuce), ate food from street vendors and restaurants and in private homes that varied from tugurios in very poor areas to palatial mansions of narcos and army generals, drank tap water, used ice cubes, and never once got sick.

I think the Colombian microbes were on friendly terms with my microbes but the microbes in India had a score to settle. (ajuste de cuentas?) This is probably a very individual thing that varies from person to person.

This is how my feeble mind fantasizes and visualizes these things because basically I cannot explain why I always got sick in India and never got sick in Colombia, so I anthropomorphize the microbes.

Plátano, el banano verde
Estudiante del Manual de Urbanidad y Buenas Maneras por Manuel Antonio Carreño
Oxigeno Verde ¡Libertad por Ingrid y los demás!

plátano

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Sylvie says on May 9, 2005, 08:35:

The only problem I ever had was from drinking water at a restaurant. They told me that it was bottled water. Well clearly that was a blatant lie and I ended up in hospital with some major dehydration due to projectile vomiting and major case of the poops.

Food-wise I never had any problems. I'd think that meats, fruits, vegetables and wheats are safe.

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N2Aquatix says on May 9, 2005, 08:45:

LMAO at Mario's depiction of "Immodium Man." I had no problems in Barranquilla, but I stuck to the bottled water, or rather cerveza. ;)

Jay

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Sid says on Oct 8, 2005, 09:59:

Thanks to everyone! Thanks for all the good advice folks. I was in Colombia during July and had a fantastic time. Well my concerns about gastroenteritis in Colombia were exaggerated after all, I had no problems there. As a first-time traveller to South America I drank tap water in Cali and ate fritanga off a street vendor in Cartagena and had no problems.

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megs622 says on Oct 13, 2005, 11:08:

well I'll be the first to say I had major problems!!! I'm a very healthy person and watched myself very well when I got here. I had travelled to 7 countries before and never had problems.

However, here in Bogota my stomach started to hurt after a month here and then my Colon started to swell up so much I looked pregnant!! I had to go to a doctor friend, take 6 tablets of some medication to flush me out and colon medicine 15 minutes before every meal, so 3 times a day for a month, PLUS another pill for my stomach for a month. And a diet of not being able to eat certain foods.

I would just suggest to drink bottled water. Why risk it??!!!

Just be safe!! Even I was safe, but sickness from the water/food can happen to the best of us, no matter how cautious we are!

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