Re: [A/S] Mexico: what you need

["Terry Tyler" <tylerbears@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Bob, we routinely filter all the water coming into our Airstream and use it for everything, from
bathing, to cooking, to drinking. We've only been doing this since the late 1950s, so I should have
gotton sick at least once by now if this practice was ever going to make me sick. Does this qualify
as building immunity through experience? Maybe yes, maybe no. My lack of sickness could be due to
dumb luck, it could be due to the foods we routinely eat, it could be due to our genes, it could be
due to our water tank sanitizing technique, it could be due to any number of other variables.
Regardless of what it is, the fact of me not having been sick even once during the last four decades
- may OR may not - have something to do with building immunity through experience.   

We aren't world travelers like you, but over the years, we've visited every state and province in
the USA and Canada many times and drank the water. In Mexico, we've visited 21 of the 31 states and
drank the water in those states. We've been to countries in the South Pacific and drank the water
there. At no time in 40 years has water made me ill. 

Inspite of these experiences, as well as the "recent studies" about children that you mentioned,
it's my opinion that a strategy for building "immunity" through experience is, by definition,
limited to anecdotal evidence. As such, the number of contributing factors is too great to even
begin drawing a straight line cause and effect conclusion.

You asked what do others feel. This is what I feel. For me, the name of the game, when it comes to
determining probability that specific variables have a direct cause and effect impact - is: "What
are the statistically significant differences among the variables relative to the impact?" Without
that data, the variables may be interesting and suggestive, but that's not enough for the kind of
conclusions that would prompt life long decisions about subjecting myself or my kids to an ever
widening circle of whatever it is that somebody thinks might increase immunity. This is just my
opinion. Perhaps I'm too conservative.

Terry
PS - 10/15/00 Sunday - Today, we drove 50 miles to Palomas, Mexico (south of Deming, NM) for a day
of shopping. It was our first visit to this tiny village. The people were friendly. We practiced our
clumsy Spanish. We bought a few things. But, we won't go there again. It was too far to drive for
such a limited group of shops. We like a much wider selection, such as is in Progresso, a small town
south of McAllen, Texas. 

Our all time favorite city for shopping in Mexico is Guadalajara (600 miles south of Brownsville,
Texas). We stay at the San Jose Del Tajo Trailer Park on route 15 where several Airstream families
live six months of the year in casitas next to their RV. They know all the good places to shop and 
the best deals. Plus, it's great fun to eat in restaurants they've already checked out.