Oaxaca

I got really sick here in Oaxaca and some new friends came to my rescue.  I probably wouldn't have been able to find the hospital without Carmen - let alone navigate the Mexican health care system and get the antibiotics I needed.  Then I stayed with her and her siblings for two days while I got over the worst of it.  Mexicans have been extremely generous with me everywhere I've been.

If I understand correctly, Mexico has socialized health care.  Even for me, a foreigner, I had to pay only a few dollars for my doctors visit (which couldn't have covered the labor involved in diagnosing me and cleaning up the mess I left on their floor.)  The doctor was friendly and un-harried; the medications were free if they had them in their state run pharmacy and a few dollars (in the 50 peso range) to buy in the commercial pharmacy.  There are also a number of natural health stores, where herbs and traditional remedies can be found - as well as a surpising number of homeopathic stores. 

At 8PM I'll get on a bus for Chiapas and on monday I begin Spanish classes at a school run by the Zapatistas in a place called Oventic, one of the 5 "Juntas of good government".  They just sent me a conformation email and said I needed to buy galoshes because it will be muddy. 

And I'm learning my first Mexican song, "Cielito Lindo".