Originally Posted by
Siempre Viajando
Let's just say that if you suffer with it for six months or so, you'll end up with an iron gut immune to practically any water-borne nastiness anywhere
However, if your stay is shorter and you don't want to lose weight, then my advice would be as follows:
- Drink bottled water.
- Generally in my experience, you can brush your teeth with tap water.
- Avoid ice from street vendors and in cheap restaurants (this includes cheap pisco sours).
- In better restaurants and in decent hotels, the ice should be fine and so you can drink the pisco sours.
- Be careful of unpeeled, uncooked vegetables and fruit in cheap restaurants, and if you buy fruits and veggies in markets, wash them carefully. Note, the produce you buy in Lima at the Wong supermarket chain is usually pretty safe.
Generally, based on personal experience, you need to worry more outside of Lima than in Lima about the water. That said, before I acquired my iron gut I got sick just about everywhere I went, mainly because I did not heed the advice I have provided above.
Don't use the tap water to wash your fruits and veggies. The same germs from the water will be on the food and then you'll eat them. I got very sick in Peru as did my son. And we were both very, very careful and I've traveled all over the world (and been sick all over the world). And we met a couple where the guy was really sick.
Take immodium in case you need it. Consult your doctor about antibiotics (and know when to take them when to suffer through). I also take powdered gatorade to rehydrate with.
You can shower and wash with the water; don't open your mouth in the shower. (The problem occurs when the germs get into your digestive system. Usually those that make you sick won't get in through cuts, though other germs can.)