[vickibunni]

Hello everyone,
We are trying to get ready for our visit in March. I am wondering what kind of stuff is safe to eat. I get an upset stomach very easy and I want to avoid everything if possible. Would I be able to pack most of my own food? Would this be a problem with customs or anything? Do they have prepackaged foods there that are the same brands we can buy here? What about bottled water, is it all safe? Are there the same brands that we have in the US? I would appreacite any tips that you can give me so I don't miss any time with my baby by being sick.

Blessings,
Vicki

[csw]

Hi,
Are you going to have access to a kitchen area? Will you have a refrigerator? I always bring some food with me..you can also buy some snacks, drinks , large gallons of bottled water at the small grocery store on the main Avienda Reforma (called "super econo")
I always get GI upset when I go, no matter how carefull I am..my husband and I got really sick this last trip in Jan, but our son was fine. All I could think of was that I drank the coffee, but I would have thought the water temp would have been high enough to kill anything. I ate authentic Guatemalan food, as well as some American food. No tap water, no ice, no undercooked food esp pork. No lettuce or fruit or veggies that you can not peel..
Otherwise you should be fine,, enjoy yourself!!! Take care, Cathy

[zanjen02]

I think it is so odd how some of us can get sick and some don't! The first trip we made down to Guatemala in the fall of 2002, I was so careful about what I put in my mouth! I drank the bottled water and hardly ate a thing I was so paranoid! My husband had a blast and ate everything in sight! lol! He was as healthy as a horse and I was the one who ended up very sick! So this time, I decided I was going to eat whatever I wanted to! lol! I still drank the bottled water, but I ate the food served at the hotel (Marriot in Guatemala City, and Porta Antigua in Antigua), and had no problems whatsoever. And I ate lots of fruit and authentic Guatemalan food as well as the international menu. And I felt great! But I know that other folks can get sick. It is really just depends on the person I think. Have a good time and just be cautious this first time around.

[sak9645]

The first is simply a reaction to being in an unfamiliar place. No "bugs" are involved, but many people develop gastrointestinal upset when tired, under stress, in an unfamiliar place, and/or eating foods that may be slightly different from those usually encountered. The best strategy if you have a tummy that is sensitive in this way is to eat light, fairly bland meals and to minimize the use of alcoholic beverages. Forget the hot peppers and the great "cerveza". Also, try to get some rest, not that this is always possible when you have a new child.

The second results from eating contaminated food or drinking contaminated water. This is a distinct possibility in many parts of the world, including Guatemala, Mexico, China, and so on. When you are on your adoption trip, remember the following:

1. Do NOT drink tap water or use ice made from tap water unless it has been boiled for a minimum of five minutes. Do not even use it for toothbrushing, and try to shower with your mouth closed. If you need to clean dishes, baby bottles, etc., you can wash them with tap water and soap, then give them a final rinse in boiled water. Be careful to ensure that children in your party do not drink from their bathwater. In some countries, where even the locals don't drink tap water, the hotels put hot pots in the rooms or supply boiling water in thermoses. I do not believe that hotels in Guatemala do this, so if you are staying in a room without a kitchenette, you might want to buy a hot pot and bring it along. Just be sure that the hot pot doesn't shut off the minute that the water boils, as it really takes a good five minutes or more of boiling to kill the "bugs" that may be in it.

2. An alternative to tap water is bottled water. It is usually quite inexpensive, and was my choice when I traveled to China to adopt. Keep a bottle by the sink in the bathroom, for use when toothbrushing. Keep a bottle in the diaper bag for use when touring. If you have a refrigerator with a freezer in your room, use it to make ice. And so on. If you like to drink water in restaurants, specify bottled water. Just be sure that the seal is unbroken when you get it. Do be aware that, in some countries, unscrupulous people have put tap water into water bottles and attempted to sell it. Usually, bottles that have been tampered with won't have a good seal, so check carefully, and only buy from reputable establishments, not from street hawkers.

3. Other beverages that are OK to use are tea, coffee, and bottled or canned sodas and juices that you open yourself. Beer, wine, and hard liquor are also OK. Just remember not to add ice to any drink unless it has been made from boiled or bottled water.

4. Some people bring Britta filters and similar filters used in the home, thinking that they will make tap water safe. THIS IS NOT TRUE. If you read the literature from any of the manufacturers, you will see that these filters remove ONLY chemicals that affect odor and taste. They do not kill bugs. If you are determined to bring a filter, read the website of the Centers for Disease Control, which has a section on acceptable filters and other water treatment modalities, and then go to a store that sells supplies for wilderness camping. Personally, however, I believe that bringing a filter is unnecessary if you are scrupulous about using only boiled or bottled water.

5. Drink fresh milk only if it has been pasteurized. Milk at most big hotels catering to tourists will be fine. If in doubt, ask your guide to check.

6. NEVER eat raw fish, seafood, or meat while traveling in underdeveloped countries. It is very likely to harbor parasites.

7. Also, do not eat raw fruits or vegetables, unless you can peel them yourself. This means NO salads and NO cole slaw in the restaurants. Stop at a store and buy things like bananas, which can be peeled. Some people stay away from fresh squeezed juice, because the fruit may not have been washed in safe water before squeezing, letting bugs get into the juice. I must say that I did drink fresh juices in big Chinese hotels, with no ill effect; however, I do not know the situation in Guatemala and would not recommend this approach.

8. Eat only food that has been thoroughly cooked. Do not order meat cooked "rare." Soups are always a good choice, since the liquid has generally boiled for some time.

9. Do not eat foods served by street vendors or in little hole in the wall restaurants. These places may not keep foods at safe temperatures, allowing growth of pathogens, and may not use food preparation personnel who practice good hygiene. When in doubt, ask your guide or check with your hotel.

10. Before travel, get the two-shot Hepatitis A immunization series and, possibly, the typhoid shot. These will help you avoid two of the more debilitating illnesses caused by contaminated food and water. Just remember, however, that they are NOT the only bugs you can get, and that having the shots does not protect you from these other bugs found in food and water.

11. Some doctors recommend using Pepto-Bismol daily while traveling to help prevent intestinal problems. Check with yours. Just remember that it is not a substitute for careful eating and drinking. Pepto-Bismol turns your stools black, so don't be shocked if it happens to you!

Even with all these precautions, it is possible to enjoy the unique cuisine of a foreign country. So stay well and have a great trip.

Sharon

[Lisa2003]

oh wow you got info from Sharon. I just wanted to stress NO raw vegetables that you can not peel, lettuce etc because of the water they were washed with. But also, I think hotels are pretty good at handling things in the kitchen knowing they have a lot of international guests... I did ask when I was at the Marriot....
Also, don't eat anything they sell on the streets.... my husband was always tempted when we were sighseing, they are cooking food that smells so good... but you just don't know the hygiene conditions.
Enjoy you stay!!
Lisa

[Lisa2003]

oh wow you got info from Sharon. I just wanted to stress NO raw vegetables that you can not peel, lettuce etc because of the water they were washed with. But also, I think hotels are pretty good at handling things in the kitchen knowing they have a lot of international guests... I did ask when I was at the Marriot....
Also, don't eat anything they sell on the streets.... my husband was always tempted when we were sighseing, they are cooking food that smells so good... but you just don't know the hygiene conditions.
Enjoy you stay!!
Lisa

[Lisa2003]

oh wow you got info from Sharon. I just wanted to stress NO raw vegetables that you can not peel, lettuce etc because of the water they were washed with. But also, I think hotels are pretty good at handling things in the kitchen knowing they have a lot of international guests... I did ask when I was at the Marriot....
Also, don't eat anything they sell on the streets.... my husband was always tempted when we were sighseing, they are cooking food that smells so good... but you just don't know the hygiene conditions.
Enjoy you stay!!
Lisa

[BEBE]

We were in Guatemala City a couple of weeks ago and we never got sick. We drank bottled water (lots and lots) from the Hotel refrigerater and lots of diet cokes.

We ate fajitas with fresh salsa and lots of guacamole. It was FABO!! I ate a hamburer one night (took off most of the lettuce and tomato) BUt THE BURGER WAS VERY RARE AND I ate it anyway. The breakfast buffett was great ate lots of bacon and meat from it. By the second day I had drank a diet coke with lots of ice in the resturant BEFORE I realized it but we never got sick. Maybe we were just lucky? But I did carry lots of stomach medicine just in case. I took some prescsription med for upset stomache. (lomitil)

The food was sooooooooooooo good at the Clarion. I tell all of my friends (that like Mexican food) you haven't lived untill you have fajitas and quacomole in GUATEMALA!!! LOL

But I would ere on the side of caution if you get upset stomach easily.

[Shoshana]

i stayed at the marriott with my sister. i can assure you that their coffee is fine because my sister drank about a gallon a day and had no problems.

i was reasonably cautious, avoided most fruits and veggies (except for the fabulous guacamole which I ate every day), and drank lots of diet cokes.

my stomach was bothering me the first couple of days we were there but i think that was just travel/stress related. the day after i arrived home, i became violently ill with vomitting, d, and a high fever. i had prescription cipro with me. i'm still not sure why it took 24 hours - anyone have any ideas? i ended up in the hospital for dehydration.

in retrospect, i believe it was either the seafood stirfry at the marriott the night before i left (it didn't taste good and i didn't finish eating it) or the salsa from the restaurant in antigua.

i think it would be really tough to carry enough food to eat - and the food was excellent so that would've been hard too. when i was sick, i kept thinking, "this is such a small price to pay, it will be over soon."

[Dawn080688]

Vicki,

When you check in at the Marriott, ask for the refrigerator bar key. We used the refrigerator for our own drinks, store baby food and left over food. Every day we ate in the Executive lounge and ordered room service for lunch. I didn't worry about what I ate from the Marriott.

I did use bottled water all the time, even to make coffee in the room and to brush my teeth. We drank their local bottled water. My husband did get sick but he didn't use the bottled water to brush his teeth....I did warn him...oh well. We drank lots and lots of coffee in the Executive loung....Guatemala makes the best coffee...actually we are now addicted to it!!!!! =D

One word of warning about using the drinks/snacks in the hotel bar key refrigerator, I think that they were price a slight bit higher than if you just bought some drinks in the gift shop and used your own.

Tip for your child....
Mostlikely, your foster mother is not using bottled water for the baby (basically, the baby may get sick if you use bottled water and she is used to tap). Ask your foster mom how she prepares the bottle.

[kelleymac]

Mike and I stayed at the Marriot, and we did most of what others are describing:

We drank only bottled water, and avoided ice cubes, blended drinks and juices that may have been reconstituted with water. We drank local canned juices (yum!) and Coca Cola Light, and Pepsi Light. I'm sad that I avoided the coffee down there, but just wasn't sure and didn't want to be sick while with our son for the first time.

We ate EVERYTHING. We had beef, guacamole, HUGE breakfasts with fruit, eggs, bacon, etc. We also had club sandwiches, refried beans, and a host of other things. Neither of us had any problems at all. (In fact, I didn't get an upset stomach until we returned to LAX and I had a McDonalds cheeseburger...go figure!) We even wound up eating grapes that weren't peeled because the fruit was so incredible.

We also packed a few snacks for ourselves that we knew would travel okay: crackers, goldfish crackers, teddy grahams, and potato chips. These were great for in the room when we didn't want to go out, or when Jonah was napping.

Be cautious, pack plenty of immodium, and if you're prone to stomach issues, your doctor might even be willing to prescribe something for you before you go as a precaution.

Have a great trip...it truly is the trip of a lifetime and we enjoyed ourselves immeasurably.

One other thing: Mike had a head cold down there, as did many other parents, and now I have it today. There is something going around, for sure, so stock up on any remedies you believe in before going! (Zinc, Vitamin C, Ecinacea, etc.)

Kelley

[csw]

Hi,
You can also buy just about anything in the pharmacies there,,we just walked in and asked for Cipro and got it..we both felt better after just 2 days on it...

[mcidas]

Yes, there is a very bad cold/upper respiratory thingy going around GC. I got it, the baby got it (had to go to docs) and them Mom got it (really bad).
BTW…the food is great! Enjoy

[vickibunni]

Thanks for the info so far. Dawn what do you mean about asking for the refridagerator bar key? Is that the minibar? Why do you need a key for it? You cant just open it up and take their stuff out and put your stuff in? What kind of meds would you suggest for preventative? Just cipro? Or something for vomiting? Is is usually jut diarrhea or do a lot of people get vomiting also? I just ask to know what kind of preventative drugs to get. I always get very severe upset stomachs when travelling. Are there Dr there that you can see? I saw on the last post that Mcidas sounded like you had to see the Dr there. I really appreciate everyone help on this as I am trying to find a way to enjoy my time with the baby as best as possible. I just know how miserable it can be when you get stomach troubles and dehydrated as easy as I do. Thanks a bunch!!!


God's Blessing to all of you,
Vicki

[mcidas]

Vickibunni – The baby had to go to the doctors. Foster mom did the honors.

BTW it’s my understanding that Cipro is for dysentery which of course is different than “traveler’s diarrhea.” For “traveler’s diarrhea” Immodium or Pepto will do the trick. If you are prone to getting really severe cramps you can ask your doc for some type of opiate drug which will relax the gut. It will also make you constipated if you take too much.


PS Relax and enjoy…all the restaurants around Zona 10 are wonderful with really good food. Just drink bottled H20 and lots of Gallo Cervezas!