Going to the Dentist

Going to the dentist seems like a pretty mundane thing. But, when you are thousands of miles from home in a basically third world country it gives one pause. I popped one of my crowns off the other day and this needed fixing. I found the local dentist's office and went in. The place was fine. A little rougher looking than the architecture we are used to in the states but clean and friendly. The dentist himself seemed to have a bit of German accent and seemed a little too interested in my fillings but that's probably just me. The tower of tools thay we are used to seeing next to the chair looked familiar and then I realized that it looked familiar because it was very much like the one my dentist had. . . when I was a kid in the 50's!

The dentist was able to clean up the crown and glue it back on. He checked my other teeth and recommened replacing a couple of filings (see?). Cost? 300 pesos which is a little under $10. I think I will get more work done here. He said in general dental work is about 40% what it is in the states. Makes me wonder if dental care in the states is expensive BECAUSE so many people have dental insurance.

We'll probably learn more about health care as we travel about. I think there is a false conception out there that quality health care only exists in the states but it may be more true that that is where the expensive quality health care lives but there is simple quality elsewhere.

I met and talked with Bruce Van Sant yesterday. He is the author of The Gentleman's Guide to Passages South which is THE bible for making your way to windward through the Bahamas, Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico. He lives in Luperon now after years and uncountable miles cruising these very waters. He gave me a pretty stern reprimand for coming in on the day we did but I'm still not sure what I did wrong. I'm giving him a proof copy of my book soon for him to review now that he is hopefully done hollering at me.

This is how they serve the cervasa down here. 22 oz bottles of El Presidente. They're cold and they bring you either a bamboo or clay carafe to put it in much like one would do with a chilled bottle of wine. 22 oz for 80 pesos. . . that's almost two beers for about $2.60. Beats the hell out of the $4 Bahamian beer.



Later today we are going to take a gwagwa which is a local bus to the next little town where there lives a cash machine. We'll see.