ChrisOndo.com

Ive always wanted to fly a plane and this opportunity recently came.  I told a friend of mine about this idea and it just so happens he has a pilots license and owns a small plane. He invited me to go for a joyride around Minnesota / Canada in his plane which is basically a glider with a propeller or a mini plane. I accepted his invite and he took me up for a joyride.  He made a lot of sharp turns and other cool maneuvers at low altitudes which was kind of scary but was really fun. Below are some photos and videos of this experience.

International Falls airport

Cockpit

Flying video

Landing video

Back in the summer of 2009 I ate a bowl of captain crunch cereal for breakfast. While chomping away I felt something in my mouth that was much harder then the cereal so I spat in a napkin and saw half of my molar. I immediately got on the phone and called a local dentist in Orlando Florida who saw me a few hours later. While I was in the dentist chair I asked the dentist to tell me if he sees any additional problems in my mouth. After a few Xrays I was told I need several root canals, crowns and fillings. This is what happens when you drink lots of soda.

The price quote was outrageous and totally not something I could afford so I asked a buddy of mine who has been all over the globe for advise and he referred me to a dentist in Tijuana Mexico. Of course I was skeptical but knew I didn’t have any other choice.  I reached out and made contact, sent my dental Xrays to the dentist and a few weeks later I booked a flight to California and just packed my bags and off I went. I heard there was a lot of violence in Tijuana so naturally I was scared but not enough to neglect fixing my teeth. I put $300 under my foot in my sock in case I needed to bribe my way out of a dangerous situation.

After I got off the jet in California I hopped on a bus and took that to a train that took me to the Mexican border.As soon as I got off the bus I put my mask over my mouth and nose because I was scared of the swine flu that was all over the news. Everything outside looked run down worse then skid row in Chicago. It wasn’t pretty that is for sure. I waited until the trains last stop and exited at the Mexican border. I began walking to the border and was very cautious of my surroundings as there were many groups of not so friendly fellas around. I kept my mouth shut and kept walking. I walked through these spinning gates that made a loud sound of clang, clang, clang and I knew that once I walk through that gate I am no longer in the United States. I was a bit nervous from all the stuff I heard on the news about violence and the swine flu.

I crossed the border and walked over a dimly lit bridge that was wrapped in chain link fence and graffiti. After I got past the end of the bridge I saw several Mexican police officers AKA Policia that were wearing ski masks and holding some kind of assault rifles.  I thought to myself I feel safe with their presence and another part of me said what the hell was I thinking when I made the decision to come here. Anyways I approached a Policia officer and asked to you speak English and he shook his head no. I thought to myself this is going to be a real adventure. I walked maybe a mile then called the dentist which sent a girl to pick me up.

I met the dentist briefly then went to a hotel called Hotel La Villa which was walking distance from the dentist office. The dentist was Dr. Javier and he was very friendly and told me everything will be ok hence he could tell I was pretty nervous. I then walked to the hotel, checked in and walked the streets of Tijuana for a few hours out of boredom. The next morning I walked to the dentist office and was immediately seated in the dentist chair. Dr. Javier was a very kind and gentle dentist and really took his time with me unlike the dentists I have experienced in Orlando Florida that seem to only care about how many patients they can see in a day to fill their cash registers with money.

The Mexican dentist experience was different. I felt that this dentist really cared about me and did an outstanding job.  Granted Tijuana was the most poverty stricken place I have ever seen with my own eyes the dentist was a blessing from God and I am very thankful to him. How much did this dentist charge me VS the cost of the dentist in Orlando? About a 1/4 of the price and that included the price of round trip airfare, hotel for a week, breakfast, lunch and dinners, and a hundred bucks for going to clubs at night and buying a few souvenirs.  Was it worth it? YES and I would do it again if I had to. Overall I had a good time and came home with a perfect smile.

Me wearing a mask on the train to the Tijuana border

Tijuana border entrance

Hotel La Villa

Federal Policia

Friend I made in Tijuana

Good Sam Dental

It was getting a little to warm for me in Florida so I decided to  go somewhere else.
Scratching my head for a moment I knew Canada would be a drastic change.
As I expected everything is different and I believe this change will do me good but I didn’t realize it would be this cold. What the heck was I thinking? Negative 15 degrees!

Took a quick picture before getting on this prop plane

Looking out the window

Mounds of snow all over taller then me!

Ice covered roads

The snow is pretty deep