I must have an iron stomach because I have never been sick. And I’m not very cautious. But for you visitors, I suggest you stick to bottled water. You’ll find it in hotels, you can order it in restaurants, etc. In Cuenca and Cotacachi, many expats drink water right from the tap. But again, if you’re just coming to visit, play it safe and drink bottled water. If you prepare your own food, you’ll find tiny bottles of disinfectant in the produce section of the grocery store, The brand we use is Kilol and it is a grapefruit extract. (Citrus, just like the limey sailors used to use.) Rinse your produce, but it in a large bowl, cover it with water, drop in 3 or 4 drops and let it soak a bit. If you are cooking the produce you can skip this step. Cooking kills any bacteria. I don’t worry about eating salads in restaurants as they will have already washed the produce. That said, I recommend visitors no eat food they buy from street vendors, and don’t eat at filthy restaurants. Choose the clean places, choose the popular places with lots of people, etc. If you do pick up a bug, ask someone at your hotel or pharmacy to recommend a remedy. (P.S. A friend from Panama got ‘tourist’s revenge from a hotel we stayed at together in Las Vegas. It’s all about bacteria your body is not used to…)
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