Water.
Everything I read before arriving in Cuenca said that the water here is safe to drink. It’s treated with chlorine and everyone drinks it, and it won’t make you sick.
And, well, that’s sort of true.
Apparently, Cuencanos have built up an “immunity” against the tiny microbes that live in the water here in Cuenca. Expats? Not so much.
So the entire time I’ve been here, I’ve been drinking the water and using it for everything: for baking, for making coffee, for drinking.
I got the WORST traveler’s diarrhea you can imagine. And for MONTHS. It got so bad that I went to the doctor to find out what the hell is wrong with me.
La Doctora: Are you drinking the water here in Cuenca?
Me: Well yes; everyone said it is treated and safe to drink, no?
La Doctora: Well, Cuencanos have built up an immunity to the water here, but it can cause some real problems for new arrivals.
Me: Well, fuck.
So I’ve installed a filter and started taking probiotics and am happy to report I’m mostly back to normal.
The moral of the story is: Don’t believe everything you read on the Internet, which generally is good advice anyway.
ECUADORIOUS 