Nuevo Progresso, Mexico

My first day in the dentists chair.....

 February 2011-  I arrived for my dental appointment with Dr. Fabio Durzzo in Nuevo Progresso, Mexico at the appointed 10am. I met Dr. Durzzo (who prefers to be called Dr. Fabio) who welcomed me warmly saying he was sorry to miss out on dinner the night before. He asked if I was comfortable at my hotel and if I needed anything before we got started. His English is pretty good, better than my Spanish for sure! Daisy speaks good English and she was present for any questons I had. 

The office is modest but very clean and all the instruments he used came out of unopened individual sterilized packages. Everyone went straight to work chatting in Spanish to each other and all the time smiling at me and stopping to ask if I needed anything. 

I was surprised how much Spanish I began to understand once my ear was retuned to the language. You'd think I'd get enough exsposure to Spanish here in Amarillo but truthfully unless you seek it out, most folks here speak English all the time. But it is different when you're in Mexico :) Duh.. 

We went over my notes on what was going on with my teeth and then he did a full set of X-Rays. After a morning of assessment we decided on a treatment plan which would involved several root canals, some implant surgery and perhaps a surgical procedure to repair a poorly done root canal I had been living with for several years which was painful all the time. Dr. Fabio told me what he thought needed to be done and we talked about a schedule and the estimated cost.  I would end up with crowns or permanent bridges except for three teeth that would need two implants on either side of a crown tooth replacement.

We finished up about 2pm and Daisy said I needed to be back in the office the following morning at 9am to begin the root canals etc. Ugh. Oh happy day, how can I wait for all this fun? And me a dentaphobe to boot. I definitely needed something to drink.

I left the office and decided to explore Nuevo before heading back over the bridge to the USA.  (The picture above is of the main north/south street of Nuevo. Wall to wall shops and pharmacies, dentists and beauty salons.)

I was getting hungry by this time and followed the street south and around a corner to a small cafe called "Jessica's - Pharmacy and Cantina" I know it sounds funny doesn't it? Every single business that can have one, has a pharmacy in it. So you have things like Maria's Beauty Salon and Pharmacy, or Leon's Boot shop and Pharmacy or Granada Liquors and Pharmacy! 

This picture is looking south as you enter Nuevo Progresso. Note the turquoise building on the right, top floor on the corner, "Arturo's Plaza."  That's "Omni Dental," Dr. Durzzo's office. Also note the Mexican soldiers standing by the army tank stationed at the intersection edge of the border.... the heavily armed, Mexican soldiers I might add. 

I wandered into Jessica's Cantina and went into the small well lighted bar (and pharmacy) where a man was singing American pop hits and Mexican favorites accompanying himself on an organ. The bar was populated by about five gringos(as) smoking cigarettes and drinking beer or margaritas (which were on sale for $1.50 :)

I ordered a Corona and a plate of Mexican tacos and beans and chatted with the folks sitting next to me at the bar. As the afternoon wore on the cantina got pretty crowded with Americans and Canadians drinking and singing to the requests the cantate performed. I met some very nice folks from Toronto and another couple from West Virginia (imagine that) It was pretty surreal. No one from Nuevo was there as a guest, they were all working.

I left about 4:30 and walked back across the bridge to the US Border station where they looked at my passport and ushered me through. And I remembered to save back change so I'd have another quarter to put in the turnstyle to get back into the USA. Tomorrow was going to be a big, long, painful day. I hoped it would be worth it. 

I'll let you know. - Kyt

 

My first visit to Nuevo Progresso, February 2011

I finally scheduled my trip to Nuevo Progresso, Mexico for dental treatment at the end of February 2011.  I booked a flight from Amarillo, and a hotel (America's Best) and a rental car.

I have never been to Mexico before or even south Texas so the whole trip is an adventure. I've always wanted to go to Mexico since I love the culture and music and dance and language and the arts of Mexico. Will I love the reality of Mexico? Qien sabe?

I arrived in Harlingen on a sunny Sunday evening and made my way from the baggage claim to the rental car kiosk and out to the Ford Focus I managed to talk the clerk into letting me have. Man was it hot! Not the car, the temperature.... about 80 degrees. I was sweating like a pig by the time I got my luggage in the trunk and settled in the driver's seat and cranked up the AC.

The trip to Weslaco from Harlingen (pronounced har'-lin-jen) took about 30 minutes and I found the hotel located just off Hwy 83 and International  Blvd.

America's Best? What a dump! No kidding. The whole place was really in poor repair and the pool water was green, seriously.  I decided to go ahead and stay there this time but vowed to find another place next trip.

I checked in and put my stuff in my room and then called Miss Bea, Dr. Durzzo's assistant.  She had asked me to call her when I got to my hotel offering to come pick me up and for a show and tell trip across the border. I really appreciated her doing this so I would feel more comfortable crossing by myself the next day for my first appointment. Wow! I've never had a dentist's staff do that before...

We drove south down International Blvd to the small parking lot on the US side of the International Bridge at Nuevo Progresso where we left her suv and paid our $2 for parking in the guarded lot.

We walked the short distance to the border crossing where she showed me how to put my quarter in the turnstyle and walk over the border. The walk over the bridge was pleasant and we were joined by a dozen or so other Americans going over. I stopped to look at the Rio Grande since I'd never seen it before. It's a pretty river, kind of lazy and winding along banks of green plant life (what a change from Amarillo with no water or trees).

We walked the one block to Dr. Durzzo's office which is upstairs in the "Arturo's Plaza" building on the west side of the main drag through Nuevo Progresso. It's the big turquoise two story building on the first corner after you get into the village. Literally five minutes from parking lot to Dentist office. Sweet.

She introduced me to the receptionist cum assistant Daisy who told me she had scheduled my first appointment for 10am Monday morning. Then Bea and I went to one of the most popular restaurants in Nuevo,  "Arturo's," which is located on the east side of the main drag.

The meal at Arturo's was divine and the service unbelievable. The waiters were dressed in crisp white shirts and bow ties and even though we were eating enchiladas and salad it was truly a fine dining experience. Yum. I decided to eat well since I was looking at a few root canals and some surgery the next day. I figured I'd be drinking my meals after that for a couple of days.

After our meal we walked back across the bridge to the parking lot. I felt perfectly secure in my path for the following day thanks to Bea showing me the ropes about crossing into Old Mexico.

Rating for my first day in Mexico: definitely a 9 or 10. More later about my first day in the dental chair and meeting Dr. Durzzo.

Hasta Luego!

~Kyt