February 8, 2013 by Rae

Visiting the Dentist in Nuevo Progreso, Mexico

I just got in from driving home from Mexico. Okay, saying I went to Mexico when I was visiting Nuevo Progreso is like saying I visited the United States when I was visiting Disneyland, but I needed my passport, so indulge me. 🙂

It was a short drive from my hotel in Harlingen to the crossing at Progreso/Nuevo Progresso. Parking is immediately before the border; don’t miss the entrance or your car is going to Mexico! It costs $2 to park all day in a fairly secure lot. You then follow the walkway to the border. There is a big bathroom right before you cross. The entrance is shabby, but the inside is beautifully appointed.

You need 50 cents to feed the turnstile that will let you enter Mexico. There is a change machine there, but having coins on hand (I was prepared) will get you through more quickly. You cross the bridge, then go through the secondary vehicular inspection point. After that, you’re in Nuevo Progeso. You won’t have to talk to customs agents at all.

Even though the culture change was striking, it wasn’t confusing the way it is in Tijuana. Walking down Avenidad Benito Juarez, vendors will try to hock their goods and peddle their drugs, but they are very polite and back off if you say no. It’s not an exhausting gauntlet at all. I just said, ‘No, gracias’ to everyone and earned myself a smile each time.

I started off by locating the office of dentist Gilberto Barajas, which was exactly where I expected it to be.

It was about 10:30, so I had two and a half hours to kill. I set off in search of a manicure! I stopped biting my nails (FINALLY) just over a year ago and have been wanting to treat myself to a manicure to celebrate, but haven’t bothered since I’ve been doing some much manual labour. I decided to compromise and just have the nails treated professionally and not get a full gel set on them. So anyway, off I went down the main avenue, glancing at the wares as I walked.

Very quickly, I noticed a blouse style that was ubiquitous. Every vendor seemed to have it in different colours. I was in love and finally asked about the price. $40?! That’s crazy! I’d heard that prices in Nuevo Progreso are set for gringos, but that was insane! I eventually ducked into a quieter clothing boutique and found the blouse yet again. A lady came up to me and asked “Se gusta?” (Do you like it?” I was surprised to be addressed in Spanish and thrilled that I was going to get to butcher the language a little. “Si, quanto?” I asked (Yes, how much?) I didn’t get her entire response, but the gist of it was “$30, but since you speak to me in Spanish, $20.” Sold. 🙂 Yes, a bit pricey, but it so rare that I really splurge on clothes these days, buying instead sale items at Walmart.

I had passed a bunch of manicurists, but they all seemed very busy. When a lady said to me as I passed, “Manicure, $6, you’re next!” I was all for it. Followed an hour of extreme pampering, including a full hand and arm massage. It’s too bad I didn’t have time to do my feet, too. 🙁 I had the gal paint my nails blue, but it didn’t take me long to completely mess up her paint job, so my nails are no longer blue. But they look amazing. She gave them an extra long oil soak and they cleaned up beautifully. The salon was very shabby, but the instruments were all clean and were disinfected many times during the process. My neighbour getting her feet done was a lady from Winnipeg (!) and next to her was a very macho looking elderly farmer in overalls and a checkered shirt who said about 10 times about his pedicure, “There’s a first time for everything and I will be back!”

It was almost noon by the time I got out of the nail salon and it was time for lunch. I had done research ahead of time and decided to go to Arturos’s. There, I was greeted by tuxedo clad waiters who brought salsa, pico de gallo, tortillas, and a very extensive menu. I ordered lemonade to drink. To my delight, it came with a maraschino cherry. I love maraschino cherries. 🙂

I didn’t feel like ordering in Mexico what gringos think is Mexican food so I bypassed the tacos, enchiladas, etc. and decided that it was time to indulge my bacon craving by going with the ‘Arturo Chicken Filet’, which was bacon-wrapped chicken, which turned out to be ham wrapped in chicken wrapped in bacon. Please, no guesses as to the calorie content! 😀 I had a choice of salad or guacamole to start. Having FINALLY developed a taste for guacamole, I picked that. Nom, nom!

Besides being a protein bomb, lunch was very carb heavy. After the tortilla chips, my meal came with onions rings, French fries, toasted bread, and tortillas! I’ve been on a tortilla diet since New Orleans so I passed on the bulk of the fried foods as well as the tortillas and sank my teeth into the delicious toasted slices. The tomato that came with my meal was sculpted like a rose; lovely detail!

Lunch was set at gringo prices, so two lemonades plus the chicken, plus the tip came to $17. I then used the bathroom and took the opportunity to brush my teeth. There was an attendant who stood by silently handing me paper towels as I needed them. She got a tip. 🙂

I then strolled over to the dentist. I was a few minutes early and he was running late, so I didn’t get into the chair until about 1:30. No worries, there was a Reader’s Digest, Canadian edition, to pass the time! 😀

Dr. Barajas’ clinic is utilitarian. It is spare and clean. I met him, his wife (Dr. Karina) and the gentleman who handles the front desk. They were all very friendly and welcoming.

When the dentist was ready, the attendant led me to a cubicle at the back of the building and got me comfy. Dr. Barajas came in, introduced himself, confirmed what I needed done, and checked out my tooth. He said the damage looked bad but it was a good sign that I had zero pain. The plan of attack was to numb the area since I need extra numbing time, start on the cleaning, repair the tooth, then finish the cleaning.

He was very gentle. He started by applying a topical numbing agent to my gum and then administered the deep numbing agent. I didn’t even feel the needle go in! The cleaning, while not pleasant, didn’t hurt and he guessed, very incorrectly, that it had been about a year since my last professional cleaning. My teeth are in good shape!

I’ll confess to tensing up a little when he started up the drill, but once he got started on the bad tooth, I relaxed as I was feeling nothing except very mild vibrations. Before I could even register that the filling was done, he was polishing my teeth. I think I was in that chair 30 or 45 minutes. It felt very quick.

This was definitely the best dental experience I’ve had wide awake (nothing will beat the wonderfulness of my wisdom tooth extraction under full anesthetic 😀 ). I regret that I will probably never be able to go to him again, especially since he noticed that I have another small cavity starting, which he did not have time to fix right then.

I can’t stop feeling that tooth with my tongue. I’m just so relieved it’s fixed. Total cost? $65!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Okay, $65 and the gas and hotel to come down here, but I got more enrichment out of the drive down here than I would have giving that money to a Canadian dentist.

I wasn’t as numb as I would have expected when he was done and I felt articulate enough to cross the border. It was almost 3PM and I had a four hour drive ahead of me, so it was time to go.

I am so very glad I was able to go to Nuevo Progeso today. The experience was worth the anticipation. The hidden bonus of the day was how much Spanish I was able to practice. I did both the manicure and shopping almost exclusively in Spanish. I cannot wait to come to Mexico for an extended vacation to really immerse myself in the language and finally gain a measure of fluency. Even though I spend USD today, being able to speak Spanish really made me feel farther from home than I really was.

The return turnstile needed 25 cents. There was a very clean bathroom just after, and another bathroom in the US customs building.

The first border crossing was painless. “What are you bringing back?” “A blouse.” “Have a nice day.”

The first?

I had been on the road home almost an hour and was going northwards on US-77 when traffic ground to a halt at an unannounced customs checkpoint! WTF?!

“US citizen?” “Canadian.” “Let me see your passport. What are you doing down here?” “Just visiting.” “Okay. Have a good day.”

Imagine if I hadn’t gone to Mexico! I wouldn’t have had my passport! I carry my passport at all times when I’m about 20KM from the Canadian border or closer, but I would never have thought to have it on me an hour north of Mexico if I was just hanging out there. Anyway, no big deal ultimately.

The drive home was quick and painless. I know y’all are sick of hearing this, but I love my truck. 😀 It’s makes those long hauls so easy and comfortable.

There were license plates from all over in the parking lot before the border. I was parked between Manitoba

and Arkansas.

The infamous fence that separates Mexico from the USA.

I was grateful for this bathroom! On the return trip, there is a bathroom right before the turnstile on the Mexico side and one in the US customs building.

Thank God for America and For Our Winter Texans. Welcome home.

Welcome to Mexico!

The Rio Grande.

Standing between two countries.

I’m really here!

Found the dentist!

Avenidad Benito Juarez.

My pretty blue nails didn’t last long. I can never seem to give polish enough time to dry. But there was no extra cost for the polish, so no biggie.

Croft, has Norma opened a store in Nuevo Progeso?

I find it hilarious that the big store on the tourist strip is ‘The Canada Store.’

Avenidad Benito Juarez.

Guacamole and chips.

My calorie bomb of a lunch. Notice the tomato. The fries were very good and not as anemic as they looked. I would have eaten more than just one of the really yummy onion rings, but I was headed to the dentist after. 🙂

Bread AND tortillas!

I didn’t know Del Monte makes ketchup! Different from Heinz, but very tasty!

Avenidad Benito Juarez from inside Arturo’s Restaurant.

The July 2012 edition of the Canadian Reader’s Digest.

Anne Murray: “I don’t know how Americans manage without Canadian Tire.” Me neither.

Driving home, I passed a gas station with very low prices. It’s been closed a good long while. 🙂

Driving over the big bridge in Corpus Christie.

Coming off the big bridge in Corpus Christie.

My blouse.

The parking lot had cars from all over. I was parked between Manitoba

February 8, 2013 by Rae

Corpus Christi Detour and Harlingen

From Port Aransas, I drove about 45 minutes to the small city of Corpus Christi. I just wanted to have a look at it, so I didn’t plan to do much, especially since I still had a two-hour drive to make to get to my hotel in Harlingen.

I stopped in at the vistors’ centre and was told that the Corpus Christi Museum of Science and History across the street could fill a few hours and give me a sense for the city. Perfect!

Admission to the museum is $12.50, unless you happen to be a lucky blogger and get there on FREE admission day! What a gift!

This museum MUST be experienced. It’s a treasure trove of varied exhibits, each beautiful planned and executed. From gem stones to the discovery of the new world passing by terrariums filled with turtles, alligators, and giant spiders, this museum is definitely worth a visit! I had a wonderful afternoon there.

Coming into the visitor’s centre, I noticed a class B rig in the parking lot that I had also seen parked next to me a few days before. It had Ontario plates. When I saw it at home, I thought that it had to be Marianne and Randy Edwards, but told myself that would be too much of a coincidence. When they saw my truck at the visitors’ centre, they put two and two together and waited for me to return to see if I was me that truck belonged to. We had a lovely chat and Randy gave me instructions for getting to the waterfront.

I took his advice and wound up at the Corpus Christi Marina. It was 4PM by this point, I was beat, and I had a long drive ahead of me, so I was done. I headed out towards Harlingen and stopped at the Kingsville Walmart where I ran into the Edwards again! There I FINALLY found a good pair of sandals (I love the Earth Spirit brand; very good quality, leather, inexpensive, only available at Walmart) so I have comfortable shoes this morning.

The drive to Harlingen was exciting. I had the radio on and wasn’t really paying attention to much besides the road so I failed to notice not only that my gas gauge needle was racing towards empty but also the ‘no fuel for 60 miles’ sign!!! When my gas gauge light came on, I was shocked to discover that the next gas station was 80KM ahead of me, so the only option was to turn back the way I came to go back to the last gas station I had passed. It was a very long 20KM, but I wasn’t completely empty when I got there. I really need an audio signal at the quarter tank mark!!!

That 40KM detour meant that I didn’t get into Harlingen until 7:30. I don’t like driving in the dark, but it’s easier in the truck, probably because I am higher up than car headlights and I don’t get blinded as much (even in pickup truck land). The hotel was right off of I-77 and very easy to find. It’s adequate for a one-star; shabby but clean with a lumpy bed.

There is a Chili’s restaurant literally next door. Chili’s is a huge treat for me. I’ve only been there four times before (I’m averaging once a year) and I only go if I stumble onto one (so I never ate at the one in Chesapeake). So I decided that fate was telling me I needed a good dinner! I always get their margarita grilled chicken, which comes on a bed of rice, black beans, and tortilla strips. Incredibly delicious. I ordered a beer, the server said okay, then he came back and said, “Sweetie, you are old enough to drink, aren’t you?”

I still can’t get over the fact that people think I am in my late teens to mid-20s. I look at myself in the mirror and I just see the deepening lines and fading scars that remind me that time is marching on…

It was almost 9:00 when I got in from dinner. I had hoped to update the blog, but my internet connection kept cutting out and was slooooooooooow. It was so frustrating that I shut down and went to bed around 11.

Breakfast is included, but I didn’t even bother to check it out. Instead, I went across the street to Starbucks for a bagel and coffee. Except for a coffee on the NY Thruway coming south, I have not had Starbucks since early May of 2012!

I’m getting mixed signals about how easy it will be to fill a few hours in Nuevo Progreso, so I’m in no hurry this morning. I’ll be heading out in a few minutes and should be there for 10:00, 10:30, giving me a couple of hours to find the dentist and have lunch.

Nuevo Progreso will be the furthest south I have ever wandered!

Entering Corpus Christi.

‘Whataburger Field’ made me laugh. Whataburger is a chain of Texas hamburger restaurants.

The visitors’ centre on Chaparral street.

Behind the museum of science and history there is this wonderful fountain garden.

Can any of my readers identify this tree?

It’s like a cactus tree!

With pink flowers.

More cacti in the xeriscape garden out front.

Xeriscaping is landscaping for arid conditions.

Bridge.

Corpus Christ Museum of Science and History. It heavily features Chrisopher Columbus and Spanish explorers, hence the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria on the sign.

entrance to the Corpus Christi Museum of Science and history

Wonderful exhibit about gems and stones.

Another sampling of this exhibit.

There were TONS more gems and stones to look at!

I enjoyed the exhibit about snakes.

This is a hog nosed snake. You can actually find these in Ontario.

Loved this bench!

Harmless milk snake on the left, dangerous coral snake on the right.

Red on black, friend of Jack.

Red on yellow, kill a fellow.

Carvings of many of earth’s mammals.

Tips for being a collector.

Harsh words on the difference between being a collector and being a hoarder.

Where is a turtle’s spine?

Inside the shell.

Beautiful detail on the shipwreck exhibit.

Plaque glorifying Columbus’s ‘discovery’ of the Americas.

The Aztecs had a civilization that compared to that in Europe.

market day

typical Texas ranch house made of limestone

You would have seen these houses in 1776, when Texas was still part of Mexico.

Potatoes and sweet potatoes are not related, but they are new world crops.

The Spanish say maiz, the English say corn, the French say maïs, the French-Canadian say blé d’inde (Indian wheat)

New world crops fed Europe and led to a population explosion.

There is evidence that syphilis is a new world disease that was brought back by Columbus and his men.

What would our world be without corn and potatoes?

The Texas cowboy’s lament.

Exquisite dress.

A gal would wear this if she was ‘queen’ of bucaneer days.

“We are all explorers seeking the meaning of the present in the past.”

Entrance to a Montserrat-style general store.

The general store would also be a social centre.

You can get all the necessities, from beer to toilet paper and KD.

There were no words to describe how exquisite this exhibit was. It was like entering a palace, with beautiful tiles on the ground and one more gorgeous detail after another.