I find it very funny when people go to Mexico and get the revenge... Oh the water... Sure drink bottled but where did that come from? I say add a little rum to your water, Grog kept the sailors alive. Anyway the point is EVERY Mexican buffet at every AI has TONs of fresh fruit. All you middle western US and Canadians eat fruit at every sitting and wonder why on day three you got the trots..??? Most Fruit is a laxative Didn't you give your baby Apple Juice? Add some Papaya to every meal and you can avoid this. Raise your fruiti intake several weeks prior to your trip. You body can't handle the sudden influx of fruits and vegetables if you eat Mickey D's Three times a week at home, and the closest you come to a fresh fruit is the lime in your Corona.
Iberostar Hotel Cozumel food
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nodakdive
Contributor
I should note that when I think about getting "sick", I'm talking about "food poisoning". Water can carry anything, for sure, but the "bugs" (heh), that you get from water and the "bugs" that you get from food are somewhat different. If I recall, many of the water borne maladies have longer incubation periods, but with food stuffs, the time is shorter. Also, what I consider food poisoning is usually accompanied by violent vomiting. Not a little upset tummy, or a little vomiting or some diarrhea, but almost explosive vomiting. I've had it and I've witnessed it. Often people feel so bad they get a little worried, as in, "get me to a hospital" worried. Of course, with all this there are many factors wherein some might get a lighter case, but usually, it doesn't matter how strong one's constitution is, if you get a bad food bug, you get sick.
One other note. I'm far more concerned about dirty hands and work surfaces than I am about the water in Cozumel. Same here at home. Most people don't truly understand how to wash their hands or understand that it should be done often. If you get "food poisoning" eating at a restaurant "off the resort", or on the resort for that matter, it's possible that it came from water, but far more probable that it came from dirty hands or a dirty work surface. Those things can happen anywhere, btw.
I drink bottled water in Cozumel, and usually brush my teeth with it, but I also use ice cubes. So..... heh. Also, I eat at a buffet (breakfast) and a restaurant every day I'm in Cozumel, and have for years. It's not that buffets are bad, period, but you have to use a little common sense. The hotel where I stay is quite small. They don't prepare pan after pan of chicken whatever and let it sit around. When they see an item is going, they prepare another pan, fresh. Their steam tables are hot, I've checked. Their buffet is very small.
So, for instance, I've never stayed at or even seen the inside of the beloved Scuba Club Cozumel, and probably never will. Not my cup of tea. But, I'd be inclined to trust their AI food. On the scale, it's not a huge resort, it's smaller. And the thing I think they do really right is that they have people pre order their suppers. They don't need to make enough chicken blah blah and beef laa laa, etc to feed everyone. They have a good idea how many are having the chicken, and how many are having the beef so they're able to "cook to order", in essence. Further, it keeps their food costs down. Smart, and in my opinion, safer.
As to the fruit thing, LOL. I had a friend with me in Playa years ago. We were at a huge AI. They had just under 40 different types of bread, alone, at one of their 3 buffets. He's the kind of guy that sees a buffet as a challenge. 2nd day in, he takes me aside and he's very concerned. "I don't normally really look at this, but, my poop is green." I suggested that it was the gauc he was shoveling into his mouth as fast as he could. Then he got sick. He was queazy etc, and decided that it was bad food or the water. In short, he was constipated from trying to show those Mexicans who could eat how much. He lost 2 days to this. I, on the other hand, made a really, really stupid food decision at the buffet, and got food poisoning. Onset was within 4 hours, in 8 hours I was very ill, and in about 30 hours, I was over it.
Hotel Cozumel is a big place. When you're eating at the buffet, just use some caution and common sense. Don't eat indiscriminately. Oh, and if you ask for water, go ahead and ask for a bottle, but even if you don't, you're going to get one. I've asked local food service people about this. Yea, the water is filtered, but 1. They can charge "money" for the bottled water, and, 2. tourists insist on it. I imagine you can get a glass of water at a restaurant there, some restaurant anyhow, but I've never seen it.
-Blair
One other note. I'm far more concerned about dirty hands and work surfaces than I am about the water in Cozumel. Same here at home. Most people don't truly understand how to wash their hands or understand that it should be done often. If you get "food poisoning" eating at a restaurant "off the resort", or on the resort for that matter, it's possible that it came from water, but far more probable that it came from dirty hands or a dirty work surface. Those things can happen anywhere, btw.
I drink bottled water in Cozumel, and usually brush my teeth with it, but I also use ice cubes. So..... heh. Also, I eat at a buffet (breakfast) and a restaurant every day I'm in Cozumel, and have for years. It's not that buffets are bad, period, but you have to use a little common sense. The hotel where I stay is quite small. They don't prepare pan after pan of chicken whatever and let it sit around. When they see an item is going, they prepare another pan, fresh. Their steam tables are hot, I've checked. Their buffet is very small.
So, for instance, I've never stayed at or even seen the inside of the beloved Scuba Club Cozumel, and probably never will. Not my cup of tea. But, I'd be inclined to trust their AI food. On the scale, it's not a huge resort, it's smaller. And the thing I think they do really right is that they have people pre order their suppers. They don't need to make enough chicken blah blah and beef laa laa, etc to feed everyone. They have a good idea how many are having the chicken, and how many are having the beef so they're able to "cook to order", in essence. Further, it keeps their food costs down. Smart, and in my opinion, safer.
As to the fruit thing, LOL. I had a friend with me in Playa years ago. We were at a huge AI. They had just under 40 different types of bread, alone, at one of their 3 buffets. He's the kind of guy that sees a buffet as a challenge. 2nd day in, he takes me aside and he's very concerned. "I don't normally really look at this, but, my poop is green." I suggested that it was the gauc he was shoveling into his mouth as fast as he could. Then he got sick. He was queazy etc, and decided that it was bad food or the water. In short, he was constipated from trying to show those Mexicans who could eat how much. He lost 2 days to this. I, on the other hand, made a really, really stupid food decision at the buffet, and got food poisoning. Onset was within 4 hours, in 8 hours I was very ill, and in about 30 hours, I was over it.
Hotel Cozumel is a big place. When you're eating at the buffet, just use some caution and common sense. Don't eat indiscriminately. Oh, and if you ask for water, go ahead and ask for a bottle, but even if you don't, you're going to get one. I've asked local food service people about this. Yea, the water is filtered, but 1. They can charge "money" for the bottled water, and, 2. tourists insist on it. I imagine you can get a glass of water at a restaurant there, some restaurant anyhow, but I've never seen it.
-Blair
The problem is, without a definitive culture or at least demonstrative proof that other people got sick from eating the same food, it's difficult to know whether the vomiting is due to true "food poisoning" or whether it's a common norovirus or rotavirus.
Dirty hands and surfaces aren't really a problem. In fact, a good reason why Americans get so sick abroad is that they're too clean at home. Antibacterial coatings on everything mean our immune systems aren't as accustomed to common bacteria and have reduced ability to fight off infection. Where washing hands really helps is to prevent transmission of the above-mentioned noro- and rotaviruses.
Ice in Mexico used to be centrally made from purified water and was traditionally OK to use even when the local water source was contaminated. However, I'd imagine that many if not most restaurants today have ice makers, so it's anyone's guess as to the safety of the ice they produce.
nodakdive
Contributor
I hear ya, mostly with regard to hands and surfaces I was referring to cross contamination. You cut the raw chicken on the cutting board, and then you cut the vegetables on the same surface and serve them raw...well, you get the picture. Or for instance, the person goes to the restroom, doesn't wash their hands, and then handles food that will be served raw. So, it's not the hands or the surface that create the problem, but as you mention, they serve as a means of transmission.
My understanding has been that most of the water is filtered/purified, even in the hotels and restaurants. I did not, however, know that there was an acceptable level of E-coli allowed in Mexico. Wow. Ya live, ya learn. Still gonna order the naranjadas though.
My Mom was a teenager and my Dad was about 20 during the great depression. I used to cringe a little at my Mom's food handling, especially with regard to refrigeration. Now, I say a little thank you prayer for what it probably did to my tolerance to this kind of stuff.
I remember when "sunny side up" eggs became, for all intents and purposes, "illegal". Lol. Didn't know so many people were dropping like flies from sunny side up salmonella. Doubt that many were, but down from above came the orders....
You are correct about needing definitive cultures, etc. So, I don't know for sure what I got, but I'd still say that I've had "food poisoning" 3 times, and mild dysentery twice in my life. Very different things, but yeah, who knows without a culture.
Also had a mild case of ciguatera awhile back. Numb lips, the whole bit. Now I prefer the whole fried fish to the grouper fillet. Oops. Now I've opened up that can of worms, err, algae.
-Blair
sphyrnidus
Contributor
All that said about the food handling is true of course. But quite a lot of the problems have nothing to do with food. Quite often it's from human to human, like with Noro. Only after investigation something can be said about the origin of the mishap.
It's to simple to say: I acquired diarrhoea, it must be the food. In fact in might be your fellow American who didn't wash his hands (properly) and left the virus on the cranes or doorknob for you
It's to simple to say: I acquired diarrhoea, it must be the food. In fact in might be your fellow American who didn't wash his hands (properly) and left the virus on the cranes or doorknob for you
Krazyklaws
Contributor
The other thing I've noticed is that not drinking enough water is a big cause of tummy upsets. It's particularly noticeable in big AI resorts and people not used to humidity. They drink beer an cocktails all day every day and then get sick because they are dehydrated.
Not such an issue with divers as we tend to be more conscious of the issues of dehydration.
Not such an issue with divers as we tend to be more conscious of the issues of dehydration.
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