The rules are simply different
Going to a doctor´s appointment in Central and South America is very different from anything we experience in the states. In the states you typically make an appointment for a specific time and you usually see the doctor around that time. Or at least the nurse comes to get you and you do your waiting half naked in an exam room. And when you do have to wait, someone can give you an idea of how long the wait might be.
Well not so south of Mexico, or so it seems. The system we´ve encountered involves giving numerous people the same appointment time and then you are slottedfirst come first serve, based on when you arrive at the office. My routine 3pm doctor´s appointment on Tuesday wasn´t really a 3pm appointment. It was finally my turn at 5:45pm. How do people with jobs make that work for them? Once you figure out the system you relax and know that it may take two or three hours. That´s ok though – this is all part of our cultural experience abroad.
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Trevor and I are starting to get the boat ready to depart Cartagena. We need to provision with food for the next month and make sure any major repairs are done. We hope to depart in the middle of next week and head north toward Honduras. We´re looking forward to getting out of the city and getting water moving under our keel again. I hope to have an update of our past couple weeks up on the blog in the next few days.
kjm