Sunday, May 25, 2008

AguAHH


Every day of my life, I drink water. And I usually don't (or pretty much never) even think about how thankful I am that I can drink it right out of the faucet without the risk of getting sick.

I just returned from 8 days of vacation in Mexico where I was advised by a hotel employee not to drink the water. Showering was okay, just no brushing my teeth while in there, and no swallowing any of that water. It sounded easy enough because you can buy bottled water pretty much anywhere. But there's really nothing like ICE COLD water when it's 95 degrees outside with about a 200% humidity level- and in Mexico,
that idea is pretty much a pipe dream.

During my visit, I'd buy a big bottle of water at least once or twice a day- ranging anywhere from $1 to $6 dollars- but it usually wasn't very cold. And if it started out that way, it didn't last long. It became "room temperature" (and by room, I mean a hot steam room) within about ten minutes.

I got sick of drinking warm water. (But not THAT kind of sick, at least!) And I got tired of having to carry around a bottle all the time. And I had to remember to keep some clean water by my toothbrush, and when I ran out, I had to immediately buy a new bottle.

Aren't those bottles making an awful lot of waste in Mexico? And really,isn't it dirty enough already?

Here at home, I've taken clean drinking water for granted. But I return from Mexico with gratitude that I can just turn on the faucet and and VOILA: clean, fresh water. And if I want it cold all I have to do is add a few cubes of clean, fresh ice. I can brush my teeth and gargle, without any concern. I can even drink out of a public water fountain without too much concern. I usually don't, but I CAN.

AHH. Nice, clean water...

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

And it is a good thing to remember that boiling water kills the bacteria, but freezing it does not. As a frequent traveller to rural Mexico, I have been sicker than I want to tell. It is probably-- if you aren't completely sure in an eating establishment-- a good idea to ask for drinks "sin hielo," although I rarely do so and have definitely paid the price.