Submerged in el milagro de la naturaleza

In most countries in Latin America, you have two categories of water: "agua con gas" and "agua sin gas." The products are relatively uniform. Agua sin gas is purified drinking water. Agua con gas is water with bubbles.

In Ecuador, however, there is a different class of bubbly water: Guitig.

What makes this product so special is that it comes out of the earth in its effervescent state. It doesn't undergo any process to make it fizzier. The company that sells this product bottles the water that comes out of its spring just south of Quito where it has been sold since 1906.

The naturally occurring state of this glorious beverage leads to its marketing slogan "A miracle of nature." Now I don't know much about the science behind springs and the kind of water that comes out of them. What I do know is that nothing quenches my thirst on a scorching hot day like an ice cold Guitig.

For two years, I enjoyed the goodness that is Guitig, thinking that life could not get much better than the sensation of this miracle hitting my tongue. Then someone told me that you could visit the Guitig spring and swim in a pool of it.

As soon as I heard this, I resolved to visit this promised land of carbonated beverage.

Today, I baptized myself in this miracle.



It was a religious experience. It tingled all over my body, especially my face. It was a little uncomfortable when my eyeballs started having that same sensation, but I wanted the full experience.

The pool itself didn't have the same level of fizz that a freshly opened bottle does, but I figured that swimming in a pool of Guitig was the equivalent of drinking from a Guitig bottle a half hour after you open it. It loses some of the fizz, but you can still recognize that unforgettable texture.

For the first time, the rest of my body got to enjoy something that only my mouth and throat get to to.

It wasn't a really warm day, and the Guitig water was rather chilly. So after doing a lap and fully immersing myself a few times I headed to the lukewarm pool next door to heat up a bit.



If anyone ever tells you that Guitig is like any other "agua con gas," you can point them to this website that explains that health benefits of Guitig.

First off, it contains so many minerals that normal sparkling water doesn't. It contains calcium, magnesium, sulfates, sodium and nitrates.

According to a study on Guitig's website, people who drink mineral water have fewer incidents of osteoporosis. The water's natural salt content means its better for rehydration than normal bottled water. The naturally occurring CO2 in Guitig prevents cystitis by killing bacteria in your bladder.

In addition to the benefits of consuming Guitig, it also has many beauty-related uses. If you want your make-up to look more natural, mix in a little bit of cold Guitig with your make-up. Let it dry before applying it. Also, you can rub Guitig over your body after a day at the beach so that you have a more vibrant and lasting tan. It is also apparently helpful for many kinds of skin conditions and irritations.

I can't believe it has taken me this long to fully profile Guitig in blog form. In addition to the chocobanana, it was one of the primary ways I recovered from the heat while living on the coast.