Today I had a dental appointment in the murder capitol of the world.
Wait, let me back up a bit...
A few weeks before leaving home for my Mexico trip, I decided I might as well get my teeth cleaned while I was down there. I hadn't been to the dentist in three years, and although my teeth are holding up pretty well, I thought I'd take advantage of Mexico's low prices on dental services. So I made an appointment at Smile Acapulco.
Of course, I'd been warned by the news, well-meaning relatives, and the United States government to never, never visit Acapulco, the "Murder Capitol of the World". But then I discovered I could get my teeth cleaned there for just under $50 US, so I decided to chance it.
My merry group of voluntaryist travelers had planned a day-long boating trip for today, but I couldn't go with them because of my dentist appointment. (I'm not jealous AT ALL. I mean, when faced with the choice between sitting on the deck of a boat, drinking beer and laughing with five of your best friends, surrounded by brilliant blue ocean, or having a person in a white coat use vibrating tools on your molars, it's no contest.) So to the dentist I went.
But first, a taxi van trip across Acapulco with the aforementioned group, during which, to everyone's surprise, no one got hit by a stray bullet. Finally, we arrived at a restaurant called Pollo Feliz (or "Happy Chicken"), where, pleasantly, we were not forced to eat our lunch while the waitresses held butter knives to our throats. Afterwards, I parted ways with the rest of the group as they walked across the street to the marina to meet up with their boat operator (who, I've heard rumors, moonlights as a knee-breaker for the cartel.) They got on their boat and motored out to sea, and I was left alone to cross the most dangerous city in North America in search of the dentist's office.
and 
drink beers on the street in dangerous AcapulcoI walked thirteen blocks down the costera, past friendly fishermen and families waiting at the bus stop. Amazingly, I was not mugged by those little old ladies selling necklaces and trinkets from a blanket on the sidewalk. But I couldn't take it any longer. I had encountered the most dangerous aspect of Acapulco: the sun. My skin felt like it was about to blister, and Acapulco, being the dangerous city it is, doesn't seem to know about sunscreen, so I couldn't find a place to buy any. (Curse my melanin deficiency!)
Faced with the prospect of being immolated by the sun in the murder capitol of the world, I decided it would be best to catch a taxi the rest of the way to my destination.
My taxista, Mauricio, drove me to the most dangerous depths of El Centro, where I saw not two but three street dogs fighting over a box of restaurant leftovers. I barely escaped alive. Finally, he dropped me off in front of the dentist's office and I army-crawled from the taxi to the door so as to avoid landmines.
The dentist's office was clean and bright, and the dental hygienist treated me gently. I was tense the whole time, though, because from what I'd heard on the news, dental clinics probably get shot up by cartel members almost every day. Luckily, it didn't happen while I was there.
I paid my $50 US dollars and exited the clinic. Walked a couple of blocks until I came to a pizza place, where I went in and had a delicious Pizza Margherita and a coke. The waiter wasn't even wearing a bulletproof vest! After that, I stopped by an ATM and withdrew 2000 pesos in full view of several amicable looking people, and none of them robbed me.
I caught another taxi back to the AirBnB and he only charged me 60 pesos, which is around $3.20 US, for a fifteen minute trip. When he dropped me off at the entrance to the apartments, I heard a loud popping sound and flinched, but it was just a car backfiring down the road.
Now, here I sit on the balcony, writing a Steemit post and enjoying this view: