Yesterday Anna and I went to Mexico so Anna could get some dental work done. I, being the loyal friend that I am, went along for moral support. While she was under the drill for a couple hours I had a very interesting conversation outside the front of the building with a local mexican fellow who works for the dentist.(I had to leave the building as I couldn't bear the sound of the drilling any longer). Basically, he just stands in front of the office and if someone wants to see the dentist and the dentist is not there then he makes an appointment for them or phones the dentist to come down. So after a couple hours visiting with him I managed to find out a lot about Nuevo Progreso and how the people survive there. Basically, the main income of the people in this town comes from the "Winter Texans". When the Winter Texans go home in the spring, the people have a hard time finding work to make ends meet. There is very little government assistance, mostly just food vouchers for a week or so. The fellow I spoke with works in Texas throughout the summer months and then comes down to Nuevo Progreso in the winter to work. This fellow makes about $50.00 a week working in Mexico. In spite of this, because things are so much cheaper there, he says he manages to get by on that pay.
When Anna's grilling was complete we walked around main street to do some shopping.There are some unusual buildings on main street; like this narrow one below.
This Super Centre has a wide variety of items from dresses to alcohol and everything in between. I bought myself a fabulous dress there.
I had some delicious street food called Lonches. They were so good I had three of them. They cook and sell them from little carts on the street. They dip a bun in hot oil, then take it out and put some kind of shredded meat and cabbage in them. Then you put lots of hot green chile sauce on them. They are absolutely yummy. I am practicing my Spanish so managed to order and thank the fellow in Spanish. Okay, so Anna had to prompt me a bit, but mostly I did okay. I felt bad that Anna wasn't able to eat. Not bad enough to pass on the lonches, but I did try to express great sympathy towards her while I ate.
We returned in time for me to walk to the market and pick up some veggies for the pot luck here at the Park. One of us got to attend the pot luck. It wasn't Anna because Anna was in great pain and agony. I brought her home chocolate brownies to cheer her up. (Anna is famous for her love of chocolate-do not, I said DO NOT leave her alone in the RV with chocolate. She simply cannot be trusted!)
While at the potluck, I had a visit with a fellow from Iowa who was telling me about the land prices there. A neighbor just sold 80 acres of farm land for $21,000 an acre. This land had been flooded for an entire year by the Missouri River. There must be a lot of money in soya beans and corn!
By the way, for those of you who are following Anna's blog and read the story she made up about me and the pink dress, let me say this. I am seriously plotting my revenge, so stay tuned.
Keep warm.
I'm real scared!
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