D
Derfish
Guest
Me again. Emuff dead tourist business thought I would share my personal prubbles instead. Hasn't killed me yet, but it may!
My sister in law sent me the wrong diabetes test strips, so I ordered them online from Walmart. Today I get an email from Walmart back ordering them, will send if and when they are available. So I went to the regular clinic to buy my insulin and asked the nurse if she knew of where to buy test strips. "Not that brand, but the farmacia here has them." I thought she meant the farmacia of the clinic, but she was soon chattering on the phone and then thrust the phone at my face. "Hello" a guy said in my ear. "What are you needing?"
"A new glucometer to test my blood sugar" I told him.
"We have them here I will bring you one." "OK good, how much are they?" "I will bring you one wait twelve minutes." I went back with "How much is it?" "Mil dos cientos pesos." which is not a bad price at $24.00. "Do you take credit cards?" Yes I will bring it to you at clinic." "Thanks, how many test strips does it have?" That took a bit of back and forth, but finally he understood when I called them "cintas". "50" he assured me.
Maybe 15 minutesd later the phone was thrust in my face again. "Hello" I said.
"You come to my farmacia to get the glucometer." "OK" I said, "Where is your pharmacy?" "Thank you, see you here." He replied. The nurse assured me the farmacia was nearby in Padre Granero. The most confusing neighborhood I have looked for an address in. I followed her as she mounted a motoconcho as I drove my trike. We arrove 6 blocks away and went into the farmacia. There they had he glucometer. But it had no test strips within when I checked, and when I presented my card the gal let me know they didn't accept cards. ( I almost said to check with Pichardo) She of the farmacia and the nurse who was there with me prattled a bit and called the man who owned the place. He was there about 5 minutes later, pulled out the machine the type they used in the 80s, where he unplugged as telephone and used that cord for his credit card machine, and tried to run my card. "No money in your account." He announced to me. He ran his own card and used it to prove to me there was no problem with his machine. I left and went to Jumbo and pulled out cash, no problems, went back to the farmacia and passed 1500 pesos to the gal, the owner not in evidence. There was a box of 50 test strips with the meter, all set, except she closed the cash register without giving me change. I called her on it. I don't mind giving a tip when appropriate, but this was getting tiresome. She had to go next door to change a 500 peso note. On my way back to the clinic to get my insulin I met the nurse walking. She said the clinic was closed for the day and I would have to return manana for my insulin! OK!
My sister in law sent me the wrong diabetes test strips, so I ordered them online from Walmart. Today I get an email from Walmart back ordering them, will send if and when they are available. So I went to the regular clinic to buy my insulin and asked the nurse if she knew of where to buy test strips. "Not that brand, but the farmacia here has them." I thought she meant the farmacia of the clinic, but she was soon chattering on the phone and then thrust the phone at my face. "Hello" a guy said in my ear. "What are you needing?"
"A new glucometer to test my blood sugar" I told him.
"We have them here I will bring you one." "OK good, how much are they?" "I will bring you one wait twelve minutes." I went back with "How much is it?" "Mil dos cientos pesos." which is not a bad price at $24.00. "Do you take credit cards?" Yes I will bring it to you at clinic." "Thanks, how many test strips does it have?" That took a bit of back and forth, but finally he understood when I called them "cintas". "50" he assured me.
Maybe 15 minutesd later the phone was thrust in my face again. "Hello" I said.
"You come to my farmacia to get the glucometer." "OK" I said, "Where is your pharmacy?" "Thank you, see you here." He replied. The nurse assured me the farmacia was nearby in Padre Granero. The most confusing neighborhood I have looked for an address in. I followed her as she mounted a motoconcho as I drove my trike. We arrove 6 blocks away and went into the farmacia. There they had he glucometer. But it had no test strips within when I checked, and when I presented my card the gal let me know they didn't accept cards. ( I almost said to check with Pichardo) She of the farmacia and the nurse who was there with me prattled a bit and called the man who owned the place. He was there about 5 minutes later, pulled out the machine the type they used in the 80s, where he unplugged as telephone and used that cord for his credit card machine, and tried to run my card. "No money in your account." He announced to me. He ran his own card and used it to prove to me there was no problem with his machine. I left and went to Jumbo and pulled out cash, no problems, went back to the farmacia and passed 1500 pesos to the gal, the owner not in evidence. There was a box of 50 test strips with the meter, all set, except she closed the cash register without giving me change. I called her on it. I don't mind giving a tip when appropriate, but this was getting tiresome. She had to go next door to change a 500 peso note. On my way back to the clinic to get my insulin I met the nurse walking. She said the clinic was closed for the day and I would have to return manana for my insulin! OK!
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