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Los Algodones, MexicoMar 12, 2012
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Walking "into" Mexico is easy, no long lines here. :-)
Jerry in front of the "Welcome to Mexico" sign.
There are a lot of pharmacies with "cheap" prices for meds.
Today was very exciting, we crossed the border into Algodones for our first visit. We parked our car in a large paved parking lot run by the local Native American tribe. The cost was only $5. We walked across the border without any lines or checking the passport etc. Going in is easy, going back takes about an hour or so waiting in line.
Algodones, Mexico is an unusual little border town. There are more pharmacies, doctors, dentists and opticians within a four block radius than anywhere else in the world! This area attracts thousands of Canadians and Americans weekly. You can find heavily discounted prescriptions, eye-glasses, and medical and dental care. And, if you listen to your friends in the snowbird RV parks, they can tell you that the care from their Algodones doctor or dentist is as good as anywhere back home.
We were very happy to have friends who went in ahead of us, and showed us the ropes. They shared all their information about where to park our car, where to shop and even the dentist they used. We appreciated their help very much, it made our trip to Algodones much easier. Thanks a million to our new friends, Jerry & Lindsay!
Jerry got his teeth cleaned for only $25. We both had dental evaluations. They used the fanciest equipment I have seen in a dental office. We will be going back in a few times for dental work next week.
We had a full Mexican lunch with entertainment for only $6.99. The music was a bit loud at times, we could not help laughing at a man sitting near us. He stuffed his ears with napkins to shut out the noise. ;-) It was really loud!
After lunch, we stopped at a few shops before starting the walk back to the border. When we first looked at the long line, we were shocked, but it only took about an hour or so. They have benches to rest along the way. Jerry and I took turns keeping our place in line while one rested. We saw a ton of stuff to buy in the lines.
We had a great time and look forward to returning again. Check back later for more from Yuma and Algodones.