I was pleasantly surprised at how quiet it was last night. We slept well. The truck parked next to us left at about 5:30 but that was about the only thing I heard. The main parking lot of the casino was nearly empty this morning when I looked outside, and some of the RVs were beginning to leave also.
Today was a day for our first attempt at medical tourism. I have a teeth cleaning that was due about this time and my glasses are getting really scratched up, so we planned to go into Los Algodones, Mexico to try this out. This apparently is a thing for many people. So much so that a good portion of all the businesses in a small section across the border are either dental clinics, optical businesses or pharmacies where you can get many of the common medications without a prescription. A large sign near the entrance of the city dubs it Molar City. Many people go down there to get pretty major stuff done: crowns, root canals, bridge work, oral surgery, etc. at a significant cost savings compared to the same services in the US, so having a teeth cleaning was just a small way to test the waters.
We left the casino and traveled just a few miles south, arriving at a large tribal parking lot next to the border. This is the method many people use: park the car at the border and walk across. Saves a lot of hassle on the return trip.
Entering Mexico is simply a matter of walking across the border. The only thing I had to do was open my backpack so the agent could verify its contents.
We arrived in a different world. The streets are narrow, the shops are small and stuffed with all kinds of touristy stuff, and, yes, every other shop is a dental clinic.
Everyone tries hard to sell you something. If you show any interest at all, they are telling you they have the best price, that this one looks good on you, that you need to have this, etc. Then the bargaining begins. Their initial price is high and you can usually get them down to about half of the initial price. Lots of souvenir-type stuff, belts, wallets, t-shirts, handbags, baskets, jewelry, and more. A bunch of prominent brand names displayed (like Coach bags) complete with the logo which you know is a knock-off. We came away with a blanket that Deb liked and a t-shirt.
My optical appointment was at 9:30. We chose this particular clinic because they were certified by the ABOC and had some decent reviews. We arrived at the tiny shop inside a small plaza at 9:00 and asked if we could meet the doc early. The woman at the desk said the doc wasn’t there yet but would be soon. He showed up about five minutes later. We went into his tiny office which looked like many opticians’ offices here in the states. He went through the usual flipping of lenses and asking questions, finally coming up with a lens prescription that was very similar to my last lens prescription from three years ago.
I selected some frames and, when added up, the price of a set of glasses was on par with what I could get at Costco. But the exam was included in the price so there was some savings there. Many times you can get the glasses a couple hours later on the same day, but because I wanted anti-reflective coating, that would take longer, so they will be mailed to me in about a week.
One down, one to go.
We wandered around the small streets until we found the dental clinic. I had an appointment at 11:30. It was now 9:45. I went in and asked the same question: Could we get this done early since I am here? Oh sure was the response, or so I thought. I checked in and we waited in the surprisingly long hallway. There was about 20 doors in this hallway, behind each was the typical dentist chair and all the equipment for dental work. I learned later that the doors farther down the hall were more geared to surgery.
So we waited. My name was called. I was taken to a desk where a woman keyed some information into a computer. She said the doctor would see me soon.
We waited some more. My name was called. I was taken into a different room where the bill was added up and money changed hands. Thirty-five bucks for a cleaning. I looked up my last bill: $100. Ok, there’s some savings there. Apply the same proportion to the major stuff and you could save some serious dough. Enough to justify the trip.
I was told the doctor would see me in a minute.
Twenty minutes later, another woman came by, asking if we were waiting for an appointment. She took down my name and moved to the next patient. She eventually came back and said I would be called soon into door number 8.
A few minutes later my name was called from Room 8. I walked into a tiny room that looked a lot like my dentist’s office did about ten years ago.
The doc was a jovial woman who asked where I was from and engaged in some small talk. All I saw of her assistant was her hands as she was behind me the whole time.
The procedure took about 20 minutes. They seemed to do a pretty thorough job with some tools and methods I wasn’t aware of. I think she even did some whitening, because the last step was with some sort of pad that she scrubbed vigorously on my teeth for a while. In the end, they felt clean, like they do when I leave the dentist in the states.
My appointment was for 11:30, I think I finally was seen at around 11:00, so coming early didn’t really do much. Deb learned in a conversation with another patient that cleanings probably take lower priority than other procedures, so that probably contributed to the wait.
We strolled around the streets for a while longer, looking at some things and dickering on price but not buying. At our stage of life, we really don’t need much, especially the stuff being sold here. Deb did buy a blanket that she liked and I got a t-shirt. When carrying the blanket in a bag, the vendors would always ask us if we needed another blanket.
We strolled around the town for a while longer and finally decided to return to the US. It took about 20 minutes for the return process, most of it standing in a line. We’ve read that the line at around 2pm can be an hour or two on some days. We were there at 1pm and the line was growing steadily. I think we beat the day’s rush.
This was a fun morning. It was fun to see all the wares for sale and how they were sold. I can see that significant savings can be had on significant dental work and the dental clinic where I was at was clean and professional. I would probably just go to Costco for optical needs since that appears to be about a wash. I also went into several pharmacies to compare prices on prescription medication. I have a fairly common and inexpensive prescription and the prices at these pharmacies were similar to or higher than what I have been able to get at Amazon Pharmacy. It was definitely worth our time, just for the experience.
At no time did I feel threatened or unsafe. About the only thing you risk here is coming home with something you don’t need or don’t want.
Back in the States, we headed north on US-95 toward Quartzite. We could either continue to head east along the southern US, or begin to make our way north and east towards home. We have a lot of miles to cover and don’t want long days of driving, so we are starting to work our way north. We’ll have to do the southern edge on another trip. It seems that five weeks for a trip like this just isn’t enough.
We turned off towards the Imperial Dam area, just to check it out. Just across the border in California is a large swath of BLM land and we discovered that there is a rather large RV community that camps there for a good portion of the winter. For $180, you can get a long term pass, good for six months, that gives you access to several camping areas, many of which include availability of fresh water, sewer, trash service, bathrooms, showers, and even community centers and a church. That’s about a dollar a day.
We talked to the person at the registration booth at the main camp for a bit and she was a fountain of information about this. We stored this information for future reference.
The road into this area runs past the Yuma Proving Grounds, an Army testing facility. We stopped for a short while at a display of tanks used in the Vietnam War before continuing north on US-95.
We stopped for the night on Palm Canyon Road, just outside the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge. This is another dispersed camping area. Just pick your spot and camp. This is a beautiful setting with the mountains in the background, Probably one of our favorite camping spots yet on this trip. Peaceful, big, quiet, flanked by mountains to the east--what a cool place! We got out the portable table and had dinner outdoors as the weather was perfect for this. And we were treated to a great sunset also.
The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
Day to day pours out speech,
and night to night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech, nor are there words,
whose voice is not heard.
Their voice goes out through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world.
In them he has set a tent for the sun,
which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber,
and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy.
Its rising is from the end of the heavens,
and its circuit to the end of them,
and there is nothing hidden from its heat.
Psalm 19:1-6
No comments:
Post a Comment