tourart

Apologies to all if this is an absurd question, but here goes: We will be in Buenos Aires for a few days in January before boarding a ship sailing "round the Horn". We've traveled in Mexico quite a bit and are always very careful there about drinking water, ice in beverages and eating uncooked things like salads and (sigh) ceviche. Basically, we don't do them. We stick to bottled water everywhere and avoid raw foods. (DH had a nasty gastrointestinal experience when living in Mexico years ago and doesn't want a repeat!)
Is this something we will have to think about in Argentina and Chile? Those of you who may live there, do you wash the veggies in any special solution, as they have to in many parts of Mexico?
Since we don't eat meat, we're looking forward to some great salads and would appreciate any guidance. Do we have to stick to drinking wine and beer? ;-)

Scarlett

Bottled water and taking antibiotics Before he travels is often the advice I have gotten. I always have a period of adjustment with food/drinks in foreign countries.
The water in Buenos Aires is nothing like drinking the water in Mexico.
Drink bottled water and don't eat raw veggies that have been washed. If things are cooked, the water is no issue.

Personally, I don't think the water will bother him as long as he doesn't drink it from the tap. Bottled water is sold everywhere and fine .. my husband would have said that having to drink wine is not a bad thing : )

crellston

Definitely stick to wine and beer in both countries - far safer .

If your really need to resort to water then drink bottled. It is not that it is necessarily unsafe (certainly a lot safer than Mexico) but more that all water contains bacteria and that are bodie get used to the stuff at home but not always to those abroad, even in the most developed countries.

Good luck finding a decent salad in either country. Argentina is meat heaven for we carvnivores, but finding reasonable veggie or salads proved more difficult. Lots of great fish though!

I would never, ever take antibiotics as a preventative measure against food poisoning as long term use leads to them becoming ineffective. The are useless against food borne viruses and even in the case of bacterial infections, some strains are now antibiotic resistant so if, in the unfortunate event of being struck down, best to consult a good local doctor or pharmacist who will prescribe the correct type.

Having said all this, in over a year of travelling around South America, chile and Argentina are the two countries where I have never had a problem.

A good Malbec cures anything IME!

avrooster

The tap water in BA is perfectly safe, but JIC stick to bottled water. Villavicencio is my favorite brand.

"uncooked things like salads"should be perfectly OK and are widely available. I fail to understand why crellston says above that "finding reasonable veggie or salads proved more difficult", unless he is talking about the potato salad mentioned in this thread, from years ago: http://www.fodors.com/community/sout...ant-refuse.cfm

I fully agree with his "I would never, ever take antibiotics as a preventative measure against food poisoning". Preventive??????

So, summing it up, I suggest sticking to salads or pasta and to mineral water and Malbec wine.

I strongly suggest you research or ask here about safety measures in BA, where it will be quite warm in January.

A couple of weeks before leaving home, ask here for an update about the currency exchange situation.

You'll have a great time in my town with your DH, tourart.

Huentetu

In Chile salads are very common for lunch, especially in the warm months. There are restaurants in Santiago which serve just salads. There are also some excellent vegetarian options.

The standard of hygiene is pretty high in Chile and Argentina.

Bottled water is always a good idea in a new country as the mineral content alone can upset your tummy if you are not used to it.

Scarlett

I always found that it is not about water being "safe" so much as it just being different from what your system is used to ( back home).
There are people who have stomach issues when they travel from one State in the US to another. It all depends on your stomach ..
I carry drugs : )
Throw a pack of Immodium in your bag so you don't have to worry .. for Just In Case scenarios.

tourart

Thank you all for the great practical advice. Bottled water and Malbec it will be. (And Immodium in the bag, just in case.)

Now, can anyone recommend a nice Malbec that's fruit-forward and not "oaky" or tannic? (Many prefer oak and tannin, I know. It's just our taste.)

AVrooster - Thanks for the "heads up". We have read the cautions about safety and will take them seriously. We're pretty unobtrusive travelers. Good luck to all there with the election results. If the "blue rate" goes away, so be it, if it helps everyone living there. What do you think?

avrooster

I don't drink, so I cannot "recommend a nice Malbec that's fruit-forward". If no one answers the question, I'll "call the US Cavalry" for help, meaning I'll e-mail top poster DrDawggy, who is supposed to know all about that.

Well, ïf the blue rate goes away, it will mean foreign investments are returning to Argentina, which should be a good thing for most people. Argentine stocks zoomed higher today.

You'll have a great time in my town with your DH, tourart.

Scarlett

Trapiche is the only Malbec label that I can remember. My husband loved Malbec. And he loved the prices. You can get such a good bottle of wine and it will be surprisingly inexpensive.

crellston

I love Malbec and spent a pleasant few days trying more than a few examples when in Cafayate. Unfortunately, I omitted to write down the names by I do recall they were less Oaked (not a fan of of oaked wines). Also discover Tannat, less tannic than Malbec and quite fruity - worth trying.

Re salads. It was egg not potato salad avrooster! Re my comment about finding salads, having mentioned this to my better half, her recollection is somewhat different. Apparently, I was too focused on Argentine beef and Chilean fish!!

avrooster

You are absolutely right, crellston!

It was a HUGE boiled egg salad, not a potato salad!

I am happy to know your better half doesn´t agree with your above: "finding reasonable veggie or salads proved more difficult."

You´ll find great salads in Argentina, tourart!

About "a nice Malbec that's fruit-forward", I guess I´ll call the US Cavalry for help, meaning drdawggy.

drdawggy

I'm not sure I would classify myself as an "expert" on the topic of Malbec although I do drink it often both in Argentina and at home in the States. I do know this: Malbec from Argentina, in direct contrast to French malbec, is known for being fruit forward, with a heavy emphasis on blackberry and plumb.

The OP does not mention a price range, so I will list two....there are no doubt many others, particularly at the lower end of the range....

Achaval-Ferrer Malbec. US24 (price in the States...use Blue Market Pesos in Argentina and the price should be considerably less...although not always....sometimes the same wine in Argentina actually costs more than on the domestic market.

Alamos Malbec Under US10.

Even less money:
Santa Julia and Santa Julia Roble (Lightly oaked).

Hope this helps....

avrooster

Thank you, Doc. I'm sure the above will help tourart.

Scarlett

Before we moved to Argentina to live, my husband would read these forums to see what dr dawggy had to say about wines. We have a good source ( dr dawggy) here for that..

Scarlett

Who said anything about food poisoning ?
Uncooked things like salads are usually washed in tap water which is usually what bothers peoples stomachs whenever they have "travelers stomach problems".
When you go from one country to the other, sometimes your stomach rebels at the new foods/drinks etc .. Immodium is good.
My husband was of the thinking that drinking wine instead of water kept you healthy lol

Strangely I feel that I have to defend my posts on here lately.

drdawggy

Thank you all for the great practical advice. Bottled water and Malbec it will be. (And Immodium in the bag, just in case.) I do the same when I travel in Europe, except I switch to wine from the country I am visiting. Sometimes just the difference in mineral content in water from place to place can upset the digestive system. In Argentina, I've become a fan carbonated and non-carbonated water from AV's preferred brand, Villavicencio...when a decent Malbec isn't available.

I have been heeding these cautions since my first trip to Argentina in 2001. I've eaten salads on every trip I have made since that time. I use tap water to make coffee with and for cooking pasta. I have never needed the Immodium back up.

FWIW, I don't eat fresh fruit that has not been peeled or eat salads in Mexico or certain other parts of Central and South America. As others have noted, the local tap water is much safer than in these locations.

avrooster

Great advice above from the "top of the heap"!

As regular readers of this forum well know, drdawggy has been writing here about Argentina since 2003, two years ahead of yours truly.

During these last few years, he has neglected us a little, but, when I feel his help is required, I e-mail him and we get his great input right away.

Unfortunately, here we don't have "destination expert" titles to give away as is done "elsewhere". We simply do our best to help people who wish to come to Argetina.

BTW, thank you drdawggy for adopting my favorite brand of mineral water! Of course, only when Malbec is unavailable! LOL!!!!

avrooster

Spelled Argentina wrong right above! LOL!

avrooster

A top Argentina TA DE, who does NOT post here, tells me I should have said "just above" instead of "right above". Well, if and when he decides to post here, I'll correct HIS grammar and/or spelling. LOL!

Scarlett

dr dawggy, in our home in Buenos Aires, we never used bottle water for cooking, I used tap water. It was only when we visited that I was worried about problems from the water. It is, as most people know, not about the water/where you are as it is about your stomach adjusting to the whatever they are, microbes ?? that cause upset.


We had one bottle of Argentine wine left here at my house .. it was for whenever the next celebration would be .. sadly my husband died before that celebration but I still have the wine for some day.. maybe when I return to live in Buenos Aires.