As a young boy, age 10, many, many years ago, I had a cavity in a tooth. The family dentist at the time said an extraction was in order. To this day in my mind, the dentist used a hammer, a chisel and a pair of visegrips to remove the tooth, which came out in pieces. That was, I believe to this day, what started my dreaded fear of dentists. In boot camp (U.S. Navy 1958), I experienced another encounter with a dentist, that time, I must say, was not quite as bad but a close second to my first experience. Then, one day a while back, out of necessity and a lot of pain, I went to a local dentist, Dr. Grijalva, here in Rocky Point. I figured he could not make me hurt any more that I already did. Boy, am I glad I went! I was amazed with his expertise and mainly virtually pain free treatment. I have now lost all my fear of dentists. For the last few months I have been going to Dr. Grijalva almost weekly to repair teeth that have neglected far too long. Soon will have implants in a few spots where the tooth was too far gone to save. Prior to the implants it was necessary to have that dreaded procedure called “root canal”. Dr. Raymundo Lopez Pradis, an associate of Dr. Grijalva, is a specialist in root canals. He performed five on my teeth and, I can truthfully say, I never once felt any pain or discomfort. During my last visit with Dr. Grijalva, I told him about an advertisement I had seen on television for a dentist in the U.S. Who says he can put implants in one day.
His reply was that it is possible, but only one in a hundred people can qualify for that type of procedure. I know that, from my own experience, I don’t see how it could even be possible. I have had four different impressions made, to insure the height, width and alignment are correct for a proper bite. At one time, when the town was full of visitors, if you wanted an appointment with Dr. Grijalva you may have had to wait up to 2 1/2 months. Now, with the economy as it is, the average wait for an appointment is one to two weeks. In conversations with my friends and some of the tourists who visit the Rocky Point Times office, there are many qualified and experienced dentists here in Rocky Point, most whom speak English for your convenience. With several business closing their doors here in Puerto Peñasco, due to the poor economy, its good to see that two new places have opened, supplying much needed employment opportunities. Open during the first week of March, Bodega Aurrera, Mexico’s affiliate to Walmart held their grand opening. The parking lot was filled to capacity and vehicles lined up on the main boulevard, Benito Juarez, waiting to enter. I understand that it is similar to a full blown Walmart. They carry clothing, electronics, groceries, etc.
I was talking to a friend of mine who shops at what was, previously, the largest grocery store in Rocky Point, Super Ley. This person told me that since Bodega Aurrera opened, Super Ley now announces, in English over their PA system, specials of the day and if you need assistance it is available. I guess competition creates change. Personally I prefer to shop at the smaller stores like Los Cuates or the local butcher shop for fresh meat. The other grand opening was out on Sandy Beach at the Reef, a new Mexican specialty restaurant called “Mi Familia”. It is located directly above the Italian specialty restaurant Mare Blu. I don’t care to go to restaurants by myself, and Sandy was busy working on our next edition, so our office manager Alicia went with me to the opening. When we got there, the entire place was packed. There was only one table for four left, which we gladly shared with John and Janet Quigley from Puerta Privada. Our first serving was a cup of chile soup. The main dish was the best Chile Relleno, stuffed with scallops and shrimp, then a rice pudding dessert was served. Excellent service, good food and a great atmosphere. The place to go for Mexican fine dining. Check out Gretchen Ellingers article about this new restaurant, also in this months issue. La Familia is open daily from 4pm to 10pm. For reservations call (011-52-638) 383-0605. Ask for their daily special from Chef Rene Acosta, or stop by for a refreshment at the scenic bar which is hosted by Eduardo Gomez, and enjoy a cocktail and the view.