MEXICAN DENTIST!

Thursday, January 10

Good evening!

I just lost what I previously posted so will start over. Dang. Also, if anyone can help me download pictures, let me know! I have to re-learn! Dang again.

Monday morning I went to a big craft sale here in our Park. There are craft sales every day in different parks and areas of town. There's something to do every day of the week!

Monday afternoon our friends, Judy and Fred from Olympia/Tucson, came. Judy, Fred and Buster all wanted to go to the dentist in Los Algondonas, Mexico. I called and got them appointments for 9 a.m. on Tuesday.  Buster had one crown. Judy is having 14 crowns and Fred 6. They won't be back until late tomorrow but we came home today. I decided to wait until next year to have 4. In Olympia, Judy was quoted $30,000 for 26 crowns that her dentist told her she needed badly. The dentist in Mexico told her she only needed 14 and the cost will be around $2,200. Are dentists a ripoff in the U.S.? It pays to fly down and get dental work done and get a vacation too!

We stayed in the Hacienda Los Algondonas for two nights. If you have dental work for $1,000 or more, rooms are free. We paid $30 for our room as Buster's crown was only $160. (Last year he had 12 crowns and one bridge with the same dentist in Algondonas. We did not know about the hotel then). Anyway, our rooms were not the "Hilton" -- they were Mexican quality but definitely ok. We met so many nice people there who were all getting dental work and had a great time partying, snacking and yakking with them in the evenings. We had to come home to rest!

Of course Judy and I  shopped in all those touristy joints and hauled home Mexican wares we definitely don't need! We will be going back in next week or so to do our pharmacy run -- and a liquor run.....prices are unbelievable. Customs will only let you bring one bottle of booze per person across the border at a time. Pharmacy is no problem but no narcotics are allowed without a prescription.

I know many of you are in the cold and snow now. Hopefully it won't last long! It has cooled down here and only to be in 50's next couple of days. Freezing temps are predicted for the next 2 nights so don't plan on any lettuce this summer! ha. Tonight the wind blew hard and dirt blew everywhere. We couldn't see the mountains. The area has alot of dirt storms.

We had some good food in Algondonas. Tony, the manager of the hotel, drove the 4 of us to a little hole-in-the-wall amongst the locals one night. He came back and picked us up when we were finished eating and then gave us a tour of the town. The population is 3,500 and there are over 350 dentists in town. There are also many doctors, eye doctors, pharmacies, liquor stores and Mexicans with their wares for sale along the streets. I have some favorites I like to buy -- pine needle handmade baskets are my favorite.

I will keep trying to figure out the picture downloads. My directions just don't work. Grrrrrrr.

I'm tired. Goodnight!