I had a dentist appointment at 11:30 this morning, so I left quite early to give me time to hunt down chia seeds at the mercado. I decided to start with a lady who sells nuts and dried fruit and whom I could pretty find blindfolded from the entrance by Tony’s on Leandro Valle. She had chia seeds… That was a little quicker than I’d expected, I still had an hour to kill, and I couldn’t eat. Dang!
I wandered around the mercado a bit and found the dividing line between the tourist and the local sections. The tourist section is horrible, with the vendors being incredibly aggressive and unpleasant. There are a few things I’d like to buy that I know I’ll get the best prices on at the mercado, but the vendors really turn me off. You can’t just browse and take in all the sights and colours. Very disheartening and I wish there was a tourist bureau I could vent to… My friend Janet made similar comments to me during our Monday ride. She said she felt “assaulted” and I don’t think she’s exaggerating at all!
But the local part of the mercado is wonderful to wander around in! That’s pretty much anything that involves food. I had a leisurely stroll through the butcher and fish shops, realising that, really, I could buy meat and fish there if I came with a bag full of ice for the trip home. I’d definitely get better selection than at the supermarkets. I found the coffee roasting place a few people have mentioned, ogled the cheeses, and made a mental note of what fruits and veggies I wanted to pick up after my appointment.
Around 11:00, I decided to go sit in the dentist’s air conditioned waiting area and read. She had a few English magazines, so they were fun to browse through. She’s punctual, so I went in at almost bang on 11:30.
So going to the dentist in Canada:
Dentist: MY GOD. YOUR TEETH! Why don’t you go to the dentist more often?!
Me: I can’t afford it.
Dentist (tutting): Can’t afford it. *snorts* It’s all a matter of priorities. *gets to work*
Me: It hurts…
Dentist: Stop whining. It doesn’t hurt. *finishes* That’ll be an arm, a leg, and half a hand.
Going to the dentist in Mexico:
Dentist: MY GOD. YOUR TEETH! What is wrong with your country that dentists care so much more about profit than making sure everyone can afford dental care???!!!
Me: I wish I knew. đ
Dentist: This is going to cost you 800 pesos total (66CAD). Can you afford that?
Me: Yes! Thank you!
Dentist (gets to work): Does this hurt?
Me: Yes…
Dentist: We’ll wait another minute. *waits* How about now?
Me: Can’t feel a thing!
Dentist: All done. Are you okay?
Me: Yup! *happily hands over the agreed upon payment*
My tooth badly needs a crown, but I’m not willing to commit to that kind of work at this time. My plan is to get settled in MĂ©rida next year/early 2017 and then find a dentist and orthodontist I could form a long-term relationship with and get my dental issues fixed, something I have to say I rather regret not doing before I hit the road in ’08, when my dental plan would have covered a good chunk of orthodontic work. But it was time to go and I went.
The dentist said I couldn’t eat for an hour and a half and I was ravenous by this point. So decided that I would get an agua fresca, which is rather filling, as a compromise. But first, I picked up some fruits and veggies. The vendor held up the mango I’d chosen and told me it was $29 and did I still want it? I replied yes and that I knew they’re out of season. She gave me a thumbs up at that and bagged everything up for me. Expensive mango, but I was in the mood and I never hesitate to buy fruit as a treat! I also got a really big jicama, which was less than $10.
Then, I picked an agua fresca vendor who had guava! I discovered guava last year and I cannot turn down an opportunity to have a treat made from it! The agua fresca was huge, with tiny pieces of guava in it, for just $17. Like most Mexican sweets, it was just sweet enough, and very refreshing!
Now, I have to get some work done even though I am really not in the mood to do so. Let’s see if I can finish in time to get my Friday night hot dogs!