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**Coellacag** · 01-07-2007, 08:55 AM

That is simply not true. Water that gives the locals no troubles at all can bring your stomach down for days. I have been to quite a few areas like that in my life and the best advice I can give is, ALWAYS drink bottled water. Water that is good enough for them isnt automatically good enough for your first worldy stomach. [rolleyes]

What you say is true. I almost never drank tap water while in Huancayo. I did get crippling bloody diarrhea that lasted a few days from eating some food. That was in the beginning of the trip, after that everything was A-OK. You are going to get traveler's diarrhea so just take some antibiotics and expect it. The point is, don't think you are somehow special or different. Don't insult the people. You should join their culture, not the other way around.

I couldn't stand it when I saw other volunteers refuse things from locals because it wasn't "safe" or "clean." I couldn't stand it when they would just eat American food and not partake in the local delicacies. Anticuchos, beef heart, is a delicious meal and I would never have known it if I never tried it. From my understanding of some different African cultures, you are expected to have something to eat any time you visit a person's house, no matter the reason. Even if you are only there for a minute to discuss business or you had just ate the biggest meal ever, you are expected to eat. Just try to be conscience of their customs and do your best to follow them.

Just enjoy your time there because it will go by fast and you'll hate leaving! I was terrified to return to the states after my trip.

A little off topic. One of the coolest things about Huancayo was the trash trucks. They were Mercedes! They also played music very loudly from huge speakers atop their roofs! The trash was not picked up on a regular basis so when ever the trash truck was coming through you would hear the music and take your trash to the curb. It was really quite interesting.

01-07-2007, 08:55 AM	#1
Coellacag Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 457 Senior Member	That is simply not true. Water that gives the locals no troubles at all can bring your stomach down for days. I have been to quite a few areas like that in my life and the best advice I can give is, ALWAYS drink bottled water. Water that is good enough for them isnt automatically good enough for your first worldy stomach. [rolleyes] What you say is true. I almost never drank tap water while in Huancayo. I did get crippling bloody diarrhea that lasted a few days from eating some food. That was in the beginning of the trip, after that everything was A-OK. You are going to get traveler's diarrhea so just take some antibiotics and expect it. The point is, don't think you are somehow special or different. Don't insult the people. You should join their culture, not the other way around. I couldn't stand it when I saw other volunteers refuse things from locals because it wasn't "safe" or "clean." I couldn't stand it when they would just eat American food and not partake in the local delicacies. Anticuchos, beef heart, is a delicious meal and I would never have known it if I never tried it. From my understanding of some different African cultures, you are expected to have something to eat any time you visit a person's house, no matter the reason. Even if you are only there for a minute to discuss business or you had just ate the biggest meal ever, you are expected to eat. Just try to be conscience of their customs and do your best to follow them. Just enjoy your time there because it will go by fast and you'll hate leaving! I was terrified to return to the states after my trip. A little off topic. One of the coolest things about Huancayo was the trash trucks. They were Mercedes! They also played music very loudly from huge speakers atop their roofs! The trash was not picked up on a regular basis so when ever the trash truck was coming through you would hear the music and take your trash to the curb. It was really quite interesting.
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