IT PROBABLY WAS THE BIZNAGA

Last Saturday Helen and I went with two other missionary couples for an outing to San Angel.  This is an area in the southern part of Mexico City where on Saturdays there is a large outdoor Mercado Artesañal (Art Fair).  We looked at the wide variety of art, did some souvenir shopping, visited an old Catholic Church, ate some barbacoa tacos and I found my first biznaga.  My family remembers this extremely sweet candy made from barrel cactus.  It is crystallized in the same manner that one gets the dried, crystallized papaya, mango, pineapple, etc.  No chocolate involved.  I paid 50 cents for a 6”x4” x1” block.  We sliced off a few pieces for everyone to try, but I had no takers for seconds.  I wrapped up the rest and took it home in my newly acquired Man Purse (Man Bag, Murse, etc.).  On Sunday, I was writing up my weekly report and felt the urge to nibble a bit and before I knew it I had consumed the whole brick. At about 10PM, the first waves of abdominal growling started.  For the next 48 hours I had headaches, body aches, abdominal cramps and I couldn’t get more than 20 feet from the toilet.  I didn’t leave the apartment until Wednesday and then just to go across the street for my weekly visit with the Area Mental Health Advisor then spent the rest of the day in the apartment.  Thursday a group of us made our way to the Universidad de la Vida to get our Inapam, a card identifying us as Senior Citizens.  This card will give us significant discounts on transportation costs, entrance fees, etc.  Then I spent the rest of the day sleeping and woke up Friday feeling much better. We made our way to the Temple Clinic Friday and I gradually improved and feel quite well today with some lingering expulsion of gases. I thought you would like to know.  I’ve had my touch of Montezuma’s Revenge thanks to the biznaga and I hope that does it for the rest of our mission, although I probably will try some more biznaga, just not so much at once.  No pictures of me in bed.  I ate all the candy before I thought of a picture. By the way, I’m an Uber fan. I can get to the far reaches of the city for less than $10 and we go with two couples for $5 each couple!