As I rode into Columbus, this roadrunner crossed my path. Where's Acme when you need them?
The first week in Columbus, I rode the bike around town several times, at least twice a day, and visited all the local sites. And I did find a very nice little cafe with WiFi. Named the ‘Patio Cafe’ it’s right downtown Columbus and has the best food! Wow, the soups especially were unique and delicious. Everything I had there was just excellent. The kitchen staff all spoke Spanish and no English but the waitress told them that I wanted to take them all back to Fairbanks with me. They laughed at that but didn’t want to go. Shame though, I could have opened the best restaurant in Fairbanks.
He stopped to check me out.
The open desert near the RV park.
While I was riding my bike around Columbus, I noticed another museum across the street from the one I’d already been to. This one was much bigger, newer, built by the park service. It took a couple hours to wander through the place and read all the history. Naturally, it’s focus was the attack by Poncho Villa and the US army’s response and campaign.
A touring car used to escape the attack. Has bullet holes all over. The family that used it was able to miss being killed, but here were some wounds, and headed up to Deming to alert everyone up there of the attack by the Mexican forces.
Just an old wagon.
An army transport vehicle used during the campaign.
A plane used during the campaign, 'The Jenny', and the commanding Generals touring car in the background.
An armored car, which turned out to be a precursor to the tank.
This hill overlooks both the town of Columbus, and the attack route of the Mexicans.
Where the army staged for the counter attack. The Mexican border is just three miles away.
And the town of Columbus.
After roaming around the site for 2-3 hours, I went back into downtown and visited the sites of the attack.
A week later I called and set up my first dental appointment in Palomas, Mexico at the Fierro Clinic.
The Fierro dental clinic.
The office is very modern, comfortable dental chairs…lounges really…Novocaine or whatever they use these days that actually worked (I’d had some surgery done in Mazatlan where the doctor had to inject a pain killer five times because is wasn’t working like it was suppose too, like it had been watered down), and an assistant that speaks English. After showing the doctor my broken fillings, he went right to work setting the root up for a crown. Instead of the $600-$900 I’d be quoted in the US, this would only cost me $190. After the work was finished, I walked over to the counter to pay and Dr. Fierro asked me how everything went. Shook my hand and thanked me for coming. I left the office and headed back to the border. Two hours later, after they had run out of patients, the good Dr. and the staff were having an early afternoon dinner when two armed men charged into the building wielding automatic weapons and grabbed Dr. Fierro. His kidnapping was in the Deming newspaper the next day and the staff at the RV park where I was staying let me know about it. That kind of put a damper on my dental work visit to Mexico. Who wants to be kidnapped walking to the dental clinic? I waited an extra week to see what would happen to the good Dr. and to let things cool down a little before I started to go back for the rest of the work. The staff was pretty closed mouth about the kidnapping when I’d inquire about the doctor, all they would say is that they didn’t know anything about the situation. Protecting the business I gathered. Anyway, after I left that day, I wandered down the street towards the border and stopped in what’s known as ‘The Pink Store’. This is a nice large store stuffed with Mexican handicrafts from all over Mexico. Then there is a bar and restaurant there too. In fact, when you walk in, they ask if you’d like a Margarita. Free! But just after dental work that doesn’t sound all that appealing so I skipped on that. But I did have a nice lunch.
Giant sculpture outside of the pink store.
Some of the brightly colored ceramics available. These happen to be bathroom sinks.
A look at the thousands of items available.
I can't fit this sculpture in my RV.
My favorite glass works. I almost bought a set of these.
Another of those metal sculptures outside the Pink store.
Just showing the wild colors they use for buildings down here.
An interesting building a block off the main street in Palomas.
Just as I was taking the above picture, this guy on a bike zipped past me and shouted something to some bad looking dudes to the right of the building. Sounded like nothing I wanted to be involved with so I quickly got out of there and back into The Pink Store for a few minutes. Nothing happened back there that I know of after that, no sirens, no squealing tires so I probably misjudged the action going on. I did feel it had something to do with my walking back there with a camera, but I never pointed it at the guys standing along side the street. The guy on the bike came back as I was walking back to the Pink and gave me a glance over his shoulder as he passed me. Wasn’t a friendly glance either.
So, that was my first trip into Mexico since early 2007. Exciting in many ways. Nerve racking in others. Palomas is only around 45 miles from El Paso/Juarez. Juarez is the murder capital of the Americas. Over 2,000 killed in ’09 and now in ’10, already more dead then at this time last year (I’m writing this in Jan. ’10). Many kidnappings too. Not often tourists but that isn’t unheard of either. Especially in the bigger cities.
But, despite the potential for violence along my route, I’m determined to head on down to Guadalajara in early January, then over to the coast. The people in Mexico are really nice and I’ve only felt threatened once in all the months I’ve lived there. I didn’t expect this trip to be any different.
I built an adobe house across from Paquime in Old Casas Grandes, Chihuahua, have been through Palomas a 100 times, and on a visit, recently, Oct., stopped in to the Fierro Dental Clinic to get a tooth filled, it’s excellent work and cheap, a friend in Albuquerque that was growing chillis in Casas told me about Dr. Fierro’s kidnapping, unfortunate, but typical of what is happening along the border with the lawlessness of the dominant drug cartels, Sonora and Juarez, the police are immobilized, I like your coverage of the Pink Store, it’s a jem, best array of crafts I’ve seen in all my travels deep into MX, including Guadalajara and Saulita on the coast, I often wonder how the owners and friends Yvonne and Sergio keep out of harms way, Yvonne has long roots there, her father has the pharmacy, they must know the turf well, but it’s a precarious situation that is out of control, and in my opinion, it will only improve with joint US/MX direct military action in a zone south of the border.
Jack, You are correct about military, they need to step up their presence along the border. I also worry about the owners of The Pink Store. Why there isn’t a strong military presence there in Palomas is beyond me. I didn’t see a single soldier there during my many visits. I still haven’t heard about Dr. Fierro. Sad. I only met him that one time, but would have liked to get to know him.
Hola, chaos.goblinbox.com – da mejor. Guardar va!
Gracias
BernieR
Translation: Hello, chaos.goblinbox.com – da best. Keep going!
Thanks
Thanks for the kind words, BernieR!
My experience with The FIERRO DENTAL CLINIC in Las Palomas, Mexico has been VERY POOR. This leads me to advise anyone contemplating using this clinic to read below.
Summary:
They performed shoddy work. I have consulted with a top oral surgeon here. Fierro put in four implants; one came out; one is at an angle and poorly placed. This will necessitate removing the angled implant and doing a bone graft to repair it and the lost implant and then putting in two new implants. The other two implants that Fierro put in are shorter than they should be, but I cannot afford to replace them with implants of an appropriate length.
Fierro did not respond to repeated phone calls when the implants got infected.
Fierro caused me to make two totally unnecessary trips of 11 hours driving each.
Fierro personnel were extremely rude, saying that they were too busy to talk and hung up on me twice.
History:
I made an appointment at the Fierro clinic for implants and drove down and was informed that Dr. Daniel Gonzalez, who did the implants, was not there. The secretary said that they called but did not get me. However, she did not leave any message about the cancellation. I asked why they did not leave a message and she did not reply. I checked my phone and there was one unanswered call from the day before.
I made an appointment for next week.
I arrived but Dr. Gonzales did not have the proper size implants.
These two unnecessary drives cost me a full day each. Each day consisting of eleven hours driving and I had to leave at 3:30 in the morning to make the appointment at 9. I also lost two full day’s work. Cost to me (gas, depreciation for mileage) is $384.54 per trip.
On my third trip Dr. Gonzales placed four implants. I asked him about antibiotics three times and he said not use any, but to put on an antiseptic paste which I did. During this session the clinic director, Guillermo Sanchez, demanded most of the money agreed to, even though there were still four crowns to do. I also mentioned the two unnecessary drives and what they cost me. He just shrugged, and did not even apologize, let alone suggest some reimbursement.
I got an infection and called the clinic and asked that Dr. Gonzales call. During that call, someone at the clinic suggested the wrong kind of antibiotic. It did not work. I called to report on my lack of progress, and again asked that Dr. Gonzales call. If he could not call, then to have someone else who could give me proper advice. No one ever called. The secretary said that I should take clindamycin, but told me the wrong dose. When the infection persisted, I consulted my local dentist who doubled the dose of the clindamycin, which eventually cured the infection. I had to take it for over two months at a substantial cost.
No one from the Fierro clinic ever called to enquire about my problems resulting from their work.
The local dentist took radiographs and noted that one implant was missing. He referred me to an implant specialist. I consulted with this specialist to learn that I will require extensive repair.
I set up an appointment to call to speak with Dr. Daniel Gonzales, who did the implants, and the director Guillermo Sanchez, as well as to have someone there to insure there was an accurate translation. I called on time. The director of the clinic was not there. I spoke briefly to Dr. Gonzales, but he had to get off the phone and suggested that I make an appointment to see him again. I suggested that I be reimbursed some money and was told a flat NO. The women who spoke English well, twice refused to give me her name and said she was too busy to talk, but would call later; then she hung up on me. She has not called.
I am seeking legal advice about a law suit.
I haven’t been there since ’09 so I don’t know how they are running the clinic since Dr. Fierro disappeared back in ’09 (two hours after I left the clinic). My work was done in a very professional manner, I had a root canal, crown, and an extraction. All were well done, as I found out earlier this year, 2012, when the root canal was X-rayed and the dentist told me that it was a difficult job because the root turned a bit, but was done extremely well. But I think I’ll drop my plans to return there. Sorry you’re having such a bad time with them now.
Tested the Mexican dental market in Jan/2014 at the Fierro clinic in Palomas. I expected decent work based on the reception area, waiting patients, and dental assistant Sylvia, who spoke excellent English. The experience in the dental chair was less favourable. I don’t know who worked on me as his name appears nowhere on my invoice but his English was very limited. He appeared more interested in carrying on a personal conversation with Sylvia than communicating with me. The cavity filled was crude, not built up to normal tooth level, and left with rough edges and material between the teeth. It is functional (barely), so I suppose it is worth the money paid. I am not turned off from the experience but I will definitely not trust the Fierro clinic with any more work. I will instead use their work to solicit comments and reviews from the next dentist I consult with in Mexico.
Sorry to hear of your experience with the Fierro Clinic. I guess it’s gone downhill quite a bit since Dr. Fierro was kidnapped. I did have a less then positive experience for a short time with one of the male doctors, but my next visit was with one of the women doctors and that visit was very positive.
Thus goes the dental services. We too were ripped off for the amount of $1300.00 by Dr. Antonio Gonzales at his Dental Implant center in Palomas, Mexico. This man, Antonio Gonzales is at most a thief, has no idea of what a dentist does, his aide had to rescue him twice as he had no idea of what he was doing, he took my wife’s lower denture and completely destroyed it with his dremel, we came out of his office with a ruined denture and another that he attempted to make and also ruined. In short, $1300.00 is a large amount to give, not pay, to an impostor. I warn people to stay away from that dental office.
After that expirience, I don’t blame you. Hopefully, my visitors will heed the warnings here on my blog and skip a visit to that dentist now that Dr. Fiero is gone. I read that there’s another dentists office there that does good work but I have no personal knowledge of that.