Tuesday 29 January 2013

A DAY IN ALGODONES MEXICO

I'M GETTING MY TEETH BACK---LOST AND DAMAGED ONES---I WANT THEM ALL BACK---NEVER MIND THE BRIDGES AND PARTIALS--I WANT SOLID IMPLANTS. I have 4 months each year to work on the project--Dec--March.  After that it's too hot to be in Yuma.  Step by step I hold on to my smile.

 I start here each year at this 360 degree imaging machine.
 
 Today's project is replacing a long ago post and crown
 Meet Dr Dominguez a root canal specialist who collaborates with the Rubio Dental Group.
 
That's Dr Rubio on the left with one of his associates. He has assembled a whole team of specialist to cover the dental spectrum---from cleaning to dentures to high tech titanium implants. On some days I have had as many as 6 of his team members work on me.
Dr Rubio specializes in implants and other difficult proceedures.   
The central number for all the associates is 928-255-0897(US) 
One of his offices.
 
Today I have a 2 hour wait while a post is being made---so I'll take you with me and show what grabs my attention. 
 
The busiest square in town is always alive with music---this guy playing the pan flute---beautiful. 
 Lots of these, carved of Ironwood----the ivory of the Sonoran desert.  A wood so hard and dense that it will not float---it is slow growing and getting rare--just like ivory.
I visit a bakery and surprise---this lady is an American citizen who emigrated to Mexico when she married a local guy.
 
 
 
Here's another surprise I didn't see coming.  Seemingly just another street vender.  When I saw the surprise, I retook her pict to let you experience it as I did:  head on and then------ 
Like this:  She's walking the streets with her baby sound asleep on her back. Is this a tragedy?  Yes---and every one of us is responsible for ending it.
 
 The infamous green door. (remember the song?)  I've been in there---a loud, sleezy, bar with what appeared to me to be prostitutes. No thanks!
You'd never guess what happened here: This small ditch is a tiny remnant of a giant flood in 1904/05.  The Colorado River broke through its barriers---created a new river and a new sea---The Salton sea. Here's the picts:
 
Walking on--I spot what I guess are fighting birds.
 
 This struck me too--the meeting place for Narcotics anonymous.
 
 Then I moved to the edge of the city ---saw this
And this---that's a man sleeping there---his doggie companions patiently waiting.
 
 Of course I engage him---It's what I do.  He sits up and chats with me---I can speak a bit of spanish.  He was amazingly friendly and open--and unashamed of his circumstance.  It was as though I bestirred a friendly farmer on his front porch.  I asked no embarassing questions---we chatted about funny things and told him I wanted to buy him coffee---gave him two bucks.  He melted my heart with his simple presence.
I loved him---and I won't forget him.  If I were Wayne Wirs (http://waynewirs.com/ I might believe this was an angel sent to show me PRESENCE. 
 I got my post installed---and a temporary tooth and head home. The crown will be ready in a few days.  This is the line of folks re-entering the US. Not a terrible wait--this one-- 32 minutes.
 
RANDY PHILOSOPHIZES: Mexico is a sink-or-swim economy.  It will break your heart to see little kids, grown men and old ladies walking long hours selling trinkets to earn a mere pittance.  It is not a decent life nor a worthy use of human time.  I cross the border hating capitalism on both sides.  Given the state of our technology---no one on this planet should be hungry or unclothed or unhoused---or uneducated---or unchallenged with worthy aims.  And no one should work for a pittance.  It demeans humanity as a whole that we tolerate such cruel inequity.  I pledge to give my best thought to this subject. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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