Dentist’s orders: lots of lemon ice cream and then the earth shook

 

On 19 September I had an appointment to visit a dentist in Puerto Vallarta because I was worried that a filling in one of my molars might be failing. The dentist told me that my tooth had fractured and that I would need either a crown or an extraction depending on the depth of the fracture. Alas, an extraction ensued.

 

The dentist, Minerva, who cares for the dental health of the children at our son’s charity, Pasitos de Luz, works alone in a small office. No receptionist, no assistant to pass the necessary tools.

 

After a painless extraction, she wrote for me my “indicaciones”:

·      Don’t eat pork (the meat is said to be a possible source of infection).

·      Don’t spit, drink with a straw, rinse my mouth and spit. Don’t be out in the sun (difficult here). Don’t carry heavy items (easy to comply).

·      Avoid foods with small seeds and spicy foods (a disappointment in Mexico).

·      Eat plenty of lemon ice cream (apparently it helps reduce the risk of infection).

I am diligently obeying the final instruction.

 

As we were being driven home the driver announced that he would have to pull over because he may have a puncture: the car was moving from side to side. We stopped at a light where the drivers and passengers of two cars were in vigorous discussion. “They must have drunk too much tequila” the driver said. Then we noticed that crowds of people were standing outside buildings. We had experienced an earthquake.

 

In Mexico City there are earthquake alarms. Indeed, 19 September is the precise date of the last two quakes to shake the city and a city-wide simulacro (rehearsal or drill) had been held two or three hours before the real quake. There were no alarms here. Our son told us that at Pasitos colleagues left the building promptly, contacted family with their mobile phones, and ate croissants before being sent home early.

 

All in all, a day to remember. And now to eat more ice cream.