My Argentinean Doctor(s)

My Argentinean Doctor(s)

Thursday, Jan. 19, Mendoza, Argentina

I went to the doctor today. I guess "Sergio" is my lucky name these days. That was the name of the policeman who helped me find a hotel two nights ago, and that is also the name of my doctor! He seems great. The reason that I put the "s" on "doctor" above, is that there was another lady doctor who was with me as my translator. Sergio speaks a little English, but she speaks more. So while Sergio removed my temporary splint and worked on me, the lady doctor stood there talking to me. All the time, the waiting room was full of patients, so I know I was being favored. Unfortunately, Sergio didn´t do what had been planned for today--taking out the stitches and putting a hard cast on the hand. The two holes with the stitches looked a little pussy. He put an antiseptic on them, and I think he wants them to clear up more before taking out the stitches. He put the splint back in place a little looser than the other one which had been very tight. He suggested that I see another doctor next Tuesday to have the stitches removed. I realized the difficulty of finding another doctor, so I suggested that I might just stay here and come back to him. When I did that, he said we could do it on Monday so I wouldn´t be delayed too much in continuing my travels. I am looking forward to the ease of seeing him again and getting it done. I wish I could come back again in four weeks to have him remove the cast, but I probably won´t be anywhere near here. Anyway, my office visit cost $10, and the one on Monday will be the same. Since he´s a specialist, it would have cost me a co-pay of 4.5 times that much to see him in the U.S. with my insurance company!!

Merryl told me that I needed to get more calcium into me so that my break will heal fast and well. One of the ways I have decided to do that is through ice cream! The two best ice cream shops in Mendoza are across the street from each other only one block from my hotel! I went to one yesterday and again today. I got about a pint each time of three flavors. The only flavor that was a dud was vanilla. Yesterday, I got dulce de leche con nuez, chocolate Nevada, and coconut. But coconut has always been bad for my stomach, and my stomach is feeling uneasy. So today I got dulce de leche (without nuts), chocolate (without nuts), and vanilla to make it easier on my stomach. The ice cream is really delicious, and the coconut was the best of all of them. Tomorrow, I will try lemon, I think, as a flavor. I don´t know what else I will get.

Mendoza has wonderful plazas where people gather day and night (but especially at night). The biggest one is Plaza Independencia. It´s about 4 blocks square and right in the center of town. At night, it is filled with lovers, stollers, entertainers, skaters, bikers, etc. I spent part of the evening there last night watching people. There are many smaller one-block square plazas scattered around town, too. One of the nicest of these is the Plaza España. It has wonderful tile sidewalks through it and seating areas covered in beautiful tiles. I stopped there yesterday afternoon to read my guidebook and watch people. All of these plazas are full of social life; it is such a nice thing to see and enjoy.

I´m doing lots of sleeping here. I guess I was behind after my two nights of bus sleeping followed by a late night caused by hotel hunting. Yesterday, I napped for 2 hours in the afternoon. Then I slept from 9:30 last night until 8:00 this morning. Then I took another 1 1/2 hour nap this afternoon!

I haven´t had a good meal yesterday or today because, as I said above, my stomach has been uneasy. Besides the ice cream, I bought bland things to eat for last night--crackers, a liter of milk (for the calcium), and a banana. Each morning I have breakfast at the hotel--slice of cheese, slice of ham, 3 types of bread, butter, jam, and coffee or tea. That´s the most exciting meal of the day so far. I had the ice cream today at lunch time. Then I ate some more crackers and a banana around 5 p.m. I will probably buy more milk to drink tonight and have it with crackers. Maybe I will feel like eating tomorrow!

Since I am staying here through Monday, I will try to get a bus ticket to take me into Chile for Tuesday. I plan to go to Valparaiso first. Anyway, that means I will miss seeing San Juan, a city north of Mendoza. The guidebooks don´t really promote it much. It´s just another place where there are some vinyards that can be toured. Otherwise, people going there need a car to see the sights in the mountains nearby. I had also planned to go to San Rafael while in this area. It´s considered to be a mini-Mendoza. But now I have decided to try to stop there on my way back from the lake district of Argentina. I can pass through San Rafael as I make my way toward Iguazu for my flight home. So, if all goes well, I will cross through a pass over the Andes and be in Chile next Tuesday or Wednesday.