>>>>Only time I'd seen fresh figs was in Egypt, back in the late 80s, when I was learning to dive. My friend and I were invited into some Egyptians' flat and they offered a bowl thereof. I respectfully declined but my mate tucked in. As expected the next day he had the "Pharaohs' Revenge" and I was fine. I knew not to consume anything washed in local water. I had warned him too. Meant delaying our course for a day.
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>>>>However, since then I've been back many times (in fact going on 19th Oct for a week's diving vac) and eaten lots of salads, etc (esp. metze) and only had one mild bout of if, cf. that which I'd had on my 1st visit.
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>>>Actually, as I was warned as a kid (during our vacations in Dalmatia), don't drink water after fresh figs. Wait until they digest - an hour or two, or drink wine. For whichever reason the reaction is just as you describe.
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>>Well, I'm talking of the whole of the next day with "the wildies", stomach cramps, nausea, "****ing through the eye of a needle".
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>>Believe me, I've had it just as bad as it gets, over there, my 1st trip, before I learnt the golden rule "Don't eat any food that has been washed in local water, including any fruit that you don't peel yourself".
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>Even knowing in advance, I had the same experience in Central America. Sometimes, you have no option but to eat what is available and there isn't any way to boil the water ahead of time.

Since my 1st bad experience I was very chary when going for a meal with the other divers on my diving vacs but all hands seemed to be OK eating the salad. So I grasped the nettle and have been OK with all food eaten, except a little episode last trip but one. Strange how my mate had practically eaten the same as I all vac, one of his 1st trips to E, yet 'twas I who went down. A few days later he had an episode when I didn't. Perhaps my Nile antibodies/resistance (whatever) has built up. Like we eat the boss meals they serve up for us on the dive boat - lots of metzes, etc. Maybe the restaurants, to protect their European and Russian (millions of them over there) livelihood, ensure all their food is washed in bottled water (as in water cooler bottles). I never checked if the dive boats do too, but feeding the divers is a nice little earner for the crews which they wouldn't want to jeopardise..