The (rather) Unexpected Adventure

How did things turn out at the Posada Don Mario? Brilliant. Literally. Here are a few seconds of the show I caught from my room's little terrace last week...

Tip: click inside the box at the bottom right to to see the action

Ok, so I've been on an adventure. Not of the magical and awesome variety, although there were some incredible sights and sounds, but an adventure none the less. 

Tuesday, mid-morning I was walking across town trying to find a place other than the post office that would mail a package back home (whole other story) when I started to sweat profusely. Yes, Oaxaca is warm during the day but it wasn't hot enough to warrant the sweaty, clammy, funky I was feeling. 

Of course it's not unusual to find oneself in quick need of a loo when travelling abroad, and it should even be expected if you're to eat anything you didn't either prepare yourself, or bring straight from home -  and even then. So I really didn't think much of my need to scoot home quickly and deal with my...uh, scoots. 

What I was not at all prepared for was the world of intestinal horror that is (likely) an e coli infection. There's absolutely no need whatsoever to go into any sort of digestive detail. None. I will spare you, and myself because I'm still not steady enough to think through any detail. Let's just say the last food item I put in my mouth until this morning was Tuesday's breakfast. It's Saturday. 

Something to note if you need a doctor in Mexico, they're very inexpensive. I had to see a total of three in two days, but even with that it was still a bargain. Two out of three made house calls and also happened to be very cute. The last one even busted out his best English, which wasn't half bad, when he saw me struggling with how to say 'cramps' in Spanish. He says cólicos, but I'm not convinced. Isn't that what burpy babies get? 

I'm on my second day of the miracle/evil antibiotic Cipro, which a loving friend back home told me I should pack, but I didn't heed her advice because I'm stubborn and terribly afraid of antibiotics. Don't ask. Anyhow, I've come back to life-ish enough to leave my room and scribe this here post (forgive hasty editing). So, thank you Cipro, for now. I'm a little ashamed to admit that I won't look up the side effects on the web until I get home. I'm scared, I told you. 

The upside is that I am quickly on the mend. Also, I'm just incredibly blessed that I can attest to the warmth and generosity of the lovely women who work here at the Posada Don Mario in Oaxaca de Juarez. As well my new gringo friend, John who is at this very moment cooking me up some chicken broth with vegetables in the kitchen of his rental house on the hill. Between them all I've been watered, doctored, medicined and mended. No lie, it makes me tear up just thinking about it. It's very hard to be alone and far away from home when you think you're going to die. I don't recommend it.

In case you're wondering if I traced the source of the perpetrating bacterium, I did not. I've been keenly aware and mostly mindful of the what to do/not do while dining in Mexico. I even read a very good book about maintaining one's intestinal health while away, which can be summed up as such: 

• Don't drink untreated water from a tap. Ever.
• Only eat street food served piping hot. Especially meat.  
• Try to eat all food served piping hot. Especially meat.  
• Don't eat from the buffet
• Always carry wet wipes

So for now I'm blaming salsa. Any salsa, because it's what you put on all the food in Mexico and it's effing brilliant and I love it. But you don't need to be in Mexico to catch a case of the Aztec two-step as it's also the numero uno cause of foodborne illness in the United States. That salsa bar you're tucking into over at Taco Tico in Wichita? Good luck.  

Read before you go wherever you go