Deserts and Dentists

Early morning at the Sonoran desert

In my last blog, I mentioned visiting Biosphere 2 after leaving Gilbert Ray State Park in the Sonoran desert near Tuscon AZ.
The 1/2 hr drive NE of Tuscon was well worth it.




According to Time Life books, Biosphere 2 is called "one of the 50 must-see wonders of the world". It was created "to better understand how natural environments generate conditions appropriate for life".Construction began in 1986 .
In 1991, 8 people including scientists and a medical Dr, entered the Biosphere for a 2 yr research study. They were sealed in and lived completely self-sufficiently, recycling the air, water, and waste as well as growing their own food.

Biosphere 2

Electricity was supplied by solar panels.
They cooked, did research work, monitored the various pieces of equipment and were in touch with the outside world regularly. 

It is called Biosphere 2 because the earth is Biosphere 1.
Another smaller group  entered in 1994 but had to come out after  only 6 1/2mos due to lack of funding.
The biosphere encloses 3.14 acres and includes various areas for research including an energy center, an "ocean", rainforest, and farm area.
It was fascinating!
The Biosphere was gifted to the University of Arizona in 2011 is continuing to manage the facility. Daily public tours are offered.

Rainforest in Biosphere 2

I left Biosphere 2 to drive to Picacho State Park, NW of Tuscon, where I stayed for 2 days. It was a wonderful place (except for traffic noise) right on Hway 10 with some great hiking trails.

On Jan 19, I drove a few hrs on to Yuma and spent a night in the parking lot at a casino there. There were dozens of motorhomes there and no definite limit to how long you could stay there for free (although they would probably say something if they saw you there for weeks). Most people were there for the free parking, some for playing at the casino, and many on their way to get dental work done in Los Algodones, Mexico which was a few km away. I had made a dental appointment there and drove closer to the border to an RV park "Sleepy Hollow" from which I could walk.
Sleepy Hollow is very handy. It appears a but run down but has a good community spirit, particularly in the "dry camping" area (no hook ups but a dump station, showers, laundromat, and water available. At $50/week or $110/month, it was a really good bargain. The dry camp area has its own community, many of whom live there for the whole winter. They gather every night for a bonfire, music and sharing stories. They look after each other and it feels safe and comfortable.
After checking in , one of the campers gave me a ride on a motorcycle to the border as I was a bit late. That was a thrill!
Crossing the border was easy as you can just walk through with no need to show a passport (you have to show it on the way back). A worker at the dental clinic met me and took me to the Alamo clinic. It looked like a modern clinic and the people were friendly. The check up and regular X-rays were free. Because of some dental problems, I have had trouble chewing. The dentist advised that I needed to have 4 teeth out then wear a retainer for a while then get implants or a partial. An appointment was made for me to see a dental surgeon.
I left there super stressed and didn't feel good about it.
The next day i met a camper who told me of a very good dentist he has gone to for many years and trusts him so I cancelled my appointment with the surgeon and visited this other clinic for a second opinion.
The Escobedo clinic was much better. It was clean, modern and the dentist spent time explaining to me that they do everything they can to preserve teeth. He told me my teeth were quite good and that some crowns and an implant would be the best solution. I returned to have some of that work done and will almost be done next week (except to come back in a year to complete the implant) .Dr Franco was very good and kind and my fears disappeared. The costs are considerably less than in Canada and now I wish I had come here years ago. A crown is about $300.

 Thousands of tourists come through this border. There are over 400 dentists, many optometrists, lots of pharmacies and liquor stores.
You can also get hearing aids and the streets are lined with shops selling jewellery or souvenirs. You can hear music

 and the streets are filled with tourists from all over but mostly US and Canada.
Going across the border back to US takes longer. The line-ups are huge and it can take over an hour to get through. You have to show your passport and sometimes hundreds go through at any time.
You can also buy many drugs without any Prescription such as amoxicillin 500mg and 100 for $4.00.

The library is about to close. The next blog may not be for a while. all is well!

"Not all those who wander are lost" (J.R.R. Tolkien)

"Happiness is not a destination; it is the attitude with which you choose to travel." ( Amrit Desai)