El Paso, TX

I came to El Paso with the impression that it was a large city, and in fact it does have a large population, close to a million, which is considerable for an American city.  As I mentioned in one of my previous posts, El Paso shares a border with the Mexican city of Juarez, whose population is even larger. These two are extremely close together and one could be forgiven for mistaking them for one united municipality, if only there were no fence between them.

The fence itself, though I was aware of this physical barrier separating the US from Mexico both in Texas and in Arizona, still managed to surprise me as I cycled next to it one evening. The sight of this seemingly impenetrable barricade as well as the regular patrolling of border security was a stark reminder for me of something which I feel very strongly about, the artificial division that humans have created between each other and which so many of us not only take for granted but treat as if they were absolute. Many people lose their lives over these boundaries, and I find this to be completely unnecessary.

Going back to my initial point, though the population of El Paso is high, it has the feel of a much smaller city, at least when viewed from the center. The downtown core is negligible and tall buildings are few. There is a considerable amount of sprawl, however, and several overpasses crisscross the city in all directions, feeding the outlying suburbs.

On my first day there I hung out in one of the more commercial districts east of downtown while I waited to meet Rodrigo, one of the two people who had accepted my request on couchsurfing.
We met at a little bar named The Hoppy Monk, conveniently located about three minutes from his house.  I had picked Rodrigo because of his varied interests, some of which I shared, but based only on his appearance I would have guessed him to be somewhat formal and uptight. He turned out to be nothing of the sort, and not only invited me to share his tofu dish but also offered to buy me a beer. We got to know each other a bit over hops and bean curd, then I invited him to join me in writing positive slogans on sidewalks. Inspired by an online event organized by a fellow nomad all the way in England, I had added El Paso to the list of places taking part in this attempt to create some conviviality among people. Rodrigo was all for the idea, so we got some sidewalk chalk, drove downtown, and picked a spot right by his workplace. After a few well-placed quotes which we documented and posted on the facebook event, Rodrigo drove me back to my camper. My intention was to stay in the city as long as I needed to in order to make some money and then continue on my journey, and hopefully meet up with my new friend at least once more before departing.

The events of the next day have become a blur so I can't quite remember how I spent it, except that in the evening I went to a local homeless shelter called Rescue Mission to volunteer and get a free meal. This was my second time volunteering at a shelter, the first time being in Santa Fe. This one was organized a little differently and only required volunteer help during mealtimes, which worked well for me.
After supper I made my way back and though I can't remember the exact sequence of events, I spoke to Rodrigo again and he invited me to come over. When I got there, he mentioned that he was going to Guadalajara for a week and offered me to stay at his place while he was gone. This was a very generous offer, which I gladly accepted. Not only was the weather chilly in the evenings but it would be nice to live in an apartment for a few days. Ro's hospitality didn't end there as he entreated me to use whatever I needed at his place, including the food he had in his pantry.

As I was not having any luck finding work through my usual channel (craigslist), I decided to take a different approach to raise funds. I went for a walk the next day, intent on accosting people and asking for their support on my journey. I walked down Mesa street from Ro's apartment and had several interesting encounters. Besides scoring $5 from a young man I met, I sat down with an old lady in her doorway and we talked for twenty minutes. I also briefly chatted with a Mexican man who was trying to earn money by washing people's cars using a sponge and bucket. Continuing on my way, I saw two men struggling to install a capstone on a concrete pillar, so I offered to help them. They gladly accepted, and though I didn't want to ask for money, one of them slipped $5 in my pocket and gave me his card with the instructions to call him on Friday so we could go out for supper and talk. His name was Javier.

I received around $17 that day after a few hours, then went home. That evening I went to Rescue Mission again and later arranged to meet with Amanda, a friend of Rodrigo's. She picked me up at his place, accompanied by a young lady who was staying at her place for one night, herself on a bicycle-powered journey across the United States. Amanda took us to her blacksmithing class and afterward we went back to her place for some hot apple cider. Lastly she took us to Village Inn for some pie and hot chocolate.  So far I'd had only pleasant experiences in El Paso, met many friendly people, and been treated like a king.

The next day I spent five hours walking and putting flyers on houses in the far eastern part of El Paso. For this I earned $100, which was a significant sum for me. In the evening I met with another couchsurfer who had responded to my public request. Her name was Adriana and she turned out to be Rodrigo's ex-partner. She took me to a nice little bar called Joe Vinny & Bronson's Bohemian Cafe. There was an art show that she wanted to see and which turned out to be themed around rats. It was quite interesting, in fact, and I had one of the best beers I've tasted so far, a vanilla porter.

On Friday I called Javier and we agreed to meet in the evening after he was done with his work and appointments. He picked me up quite late and we went to Cabo Joe's on Mesa. This was a very noisy bar and we sat outside in order to hear each other, though it was quite cold. I had my favorite beer again and the night started to go downhill. Javier turned out to be a friendly but exceedingly difficult person to talk to, in my opinion. He insisted on talking continuously without hearing anything I said, and though he asked me a question here and there, he didn't consider it important to listen to my responses.
After Cabo Joe's he took us to another bar where he knew several people and where a live band was playing.  The evening continued in a similar fashion and Javier continued to drink. By the time the bar closed at 2am, Javier was well past able to drive safely and I was in a sour mood. I drove Javier's car back to where I was staying and then let him go home. I didn't have a good feeling about this man anymore, but he did say he would get me work, so I still had a bit of hope left.

I went to Juarez that weekend and on Monday I again tried to look for some money while waiting to hear back from Javier. Finally I messaged him and he told me to meet him where we had originally met. My first assignment was to sit and watch the house in wait for its occupant, who owed Javier money.  I did this for a few hours, then went for lunch. I had been referred to a place called Cafe Mayapan by Amanda on the day that I met her, and had visited the place once. Cafe Mayapan is part of an organization called La Mujer Obrera, a local NPO that works in support of Mexican women's rights in El Paso. I had visited the place once a few days before and had received a free meal in exchange for washing dishes. I went there again and once again offered to help in any way I could, though I was able to pay my meal this time.
Afterward Javier picked me up and I helped him on a roofing job. He offered to pay me $7.50 for the work I did. Though a paltry sum, this was better than nothing, so I accepted it.
Over the next few days I worked with him on several projects of his.
This was my second week in El Paso, and on Wednesday Rodrigo returned from Guadalajara. He offered me to stay at his place as long as I needed to, which I gladly accepted. I was happy to have met such a wonderful person, and on Saturday he introduced me to his cousins who were visiting from Juarez. We had brunch at a lovely little cafe called Hello Day right downtown, then we walked around for a bit and Ro showed us his office. The initial plan was to visit a town called Mesilla about an hour outside of El Paso but by the time we were ready to go it was almost dark, so instead we went to a Barcade, which is a popular form of entertainment consisting of a bar with arcade games. We also went to an Asian supermarket and then a Mexican one. When we got back to Ro's place, his cousins gifted me some Mexican candies they had bought for me as well as a lucha libre mask. It was a tremendous pleasure to be treated so kindly by people whom I had just met that day.

I was practically ready to leave El Paso, though I just barely had enough money to get to San Antonio, my next destination. The idea of working for Javier wasn't appealing but I thought I could do it for a few more days, just to make some extra cash. Monday didn't go well as I had a misunderstanding with him and ended up not doing what he needed me to do. He did however ask me to return on Tuesday, which was to be my last day. My relief upon leaving that afternoon was palpable, and I looked forward to being on the road again.

I spent Wednesday tying up a few lose ends, including saying goodbye to the people I'd met at Cafe Mayapan and Rescue Mission, buying some new workpants, as well as some groceries for my upcoming trip. I also had an excellent slackline session that day, something I hadn't done in nearly two weeks.

Thursday was Thanksgiving in the US and I got ready to go. I packed up my stuff after breakfast, got my van ready, and vacuumed the floor at Ro's place.  We said our goodbyes, with the hope of visiting the Venus Project in Florida together in early 2015.

My last intended stop was Dunkin Donuts, for a coffee, but alas they were closed for the holiday. Krispy Kreme was closed as well, though their drive-thru was open. I walked up to the window (Dharma was too tall to fit in the drive-thru lane) and ordered coffee and donuts. I had been told their donuts were the best, so I was excited to try them. The Krispy Kreme employee told me that next time I wouldn't receive service unless I had a vehicle, at which point I became irritable. To my surprise, I got my order without having to pay for it, presumably for the trouble I'd had to go through, and this made me feel humbled. I had shown my unfriendly side and instead of responding in kind, they showed me their generous one.

I finally hit the road and headed east towards the small town of Marfa, after two-and-a-half weeks in El Paso.

Ciudad Juarez, Mexico

Ciudad Juarez and El Paso might as well be one city, only separated by an international border. To the north lies the Texan city of El Paso, to the south, Ciudad Juarez, or Juarez, as it's known locally, in the north of Mexico. Their proximity is the main reason that creates the illusion of these two metropolises being united, as well as the frequency and ease with which people travel back and forth. That is more or less where the illusion ends. The contrast between the two urban settlements is very distinctive, though perhaps not as much as the contrast between Aranyaprathet and Poi Pet, or Johor Baru and Singapore, two other crossings which in some ways remind me of this one.

El Paso, though not extremely rich and certainly not the nicest city even in Texan standards, is still an American city, and so has many of the basic amenities one comes to expect in this country. Juarez, on the other hand, is clearly a third-world city, and this is obvious as soon as one exits the port of entry. Roads are poorly maintained, peddlers and beggars abound, and traffic is organized chaos. People drive haphazardly, not bothering to use turn signals, and applying their horns liberally. There are no curb cuts in sidewalks, as I found out to my chagrin, and pedestrians or cyclists do not have the right of way.

After only a few minutes in Juarez, I felt like I was in Thailand all over again. Despite the vast difference in language, my weekend here repeatedly reminded me of my time spent in South East Asia. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but I admit that I didn't quite expect it. I'm not sure what I did expect, come to think of it.

Before coming south of the border, I had done some planning and connected with a few people to arrange my accommodation. I didn't want to bring my van down for fear of being searched on the way back, so I decided to ride my bike and actually couchsurf this time. Coincidentally, two of the people whom I contacted and who accepted my requests are friends of Rodrigo, at whose house I'm currently staying in El Paso while he is in Guadalajara.

Nicia took me in and let me stay at her hostel free of charge. Hostal 697 is the only hostel in this city as far as I know, and I was the only guest staying there. It is located about 10 minutes from the border, which makes it very convenient for travelers.
The first thing I did after crossing and before coming to the hostel was to bike over to El Equis, which is a large red x-shaped structure erected close to the border a few years ago as a monument to the crossing. The structure can clearly be seen from a distance in El Paso, and I initially thought it was on the US side.

At the hostel I was greeted by Nicia and two of her friends, who were hanging out in the kitchen. They offered me a glass of the most delicious tequila I've ever tasted, and some pumpkin pie, which was equally delectable. We chatted for a bit, getting to know each other, and were later joined by a few more friends. At the end there were eight of us, one of whom was Adriana, a friend I'd met a few days before in El Paso, and another was Israel, the second person who had accepted my couch request.

We went to a bar downtown called Kentucky Bar, which is supposedly very famous and dates back to 1920. This bar, as legend has it, was where the world-famous margarita cocktail was invented, though according to Wikipedia this event occurred in a different bar further up the road. We had a few drinks and some food, after which we went for a walk and stopped at a cafe. Afterward we made our way to a house party where a friend's birthday was being celebrated with a barbecue, drinks, and of course lots of Mexican spicyness. As soon as I walked in a shot glass was placed in my hand, filled with sotol, a local alcoholic drink, which had been spiked with rattlesnake venom. I sipped it warily, in part because I don't like hard liquor (the tequila had been an exception) and because I didn't think ingesting snake venom was a great idea. I'm still here to tell the tale, however, which is the important thing.

On Sunday morning Nicia made pancakes for breakfast for the two of us as well as Adriana and Alejandra, a friend. The day was somewhat blustery and overcast so our stroll to the weekend bazaar left us feeling chilly. We explored the Juarez market and then went in to get some lunch at a local restaurant. There the proprietor told me I would get the best coffee I'd ever tasted in my life. Café de olla is brewed in a clay pot, which gives it a distinctive flavour, and this is further enhanced with cinnamon and piloncillo, a type of candy made from sugar cane. The beverage was delicious, but it didn't taste anything like coffee, so my conclusion is that it wasn't the best coffee I've ever tasted since I wouldn't have had a clue what I was drinking had I been left in the dark about the nature of this concoction.

After lunch I went for a walk on my own and took some photos of the downtown area. Juarez teems with police and military-type personnel with large guns, and I asked a couple of these if I could take their photo. They declined but suggested I could pay them for it. This I declined in turn. Later I took a photo of another one of these types but he saw me and forced me to delete it. I thought to myself, I'm just a gringo tourist, I'm harmless!

After this unpleasant incident (at least my phone wasn't taken away from me) I was walking back and noticed a dog behind a fence. This creature looked absolutely miserable with a large bump on its face and blood around its eyes. It appeared to have been beaten. This made me sad and reminded me that in Mexico, life doesn't hold the same value as it does where I come from, non-human life especially so.

I said my goodbyes to Nicia around four in the afternoon, changed my pesos back to dollars (I had spent under $12 the entire weekend!), and headed back to the border. I made it back across unmolested, though an avocado and a pear were taken from me, which struck me as ironic since the majority of avocados in Canada and the US originate from Mexico.

My trip to Juarez had been a pleasant one overall, the people I met and who became my friends made me feel welcome and treated me very well, and the experience of visiting a new country was an educational one for me, as always.

Roswell, New Mexico

After leaving Santa Fe, I drove south through Albuquerque and stopped in Portales, just south of the town of Clovis. The drive down was interesting as there was a thunderstorm and I drove right through it. It was pitch black, the road was wet, and all around me lightning bolts illuminated my passage. It was quite eerie, in a way.

Thanks to my poor planning, the Blackwater Draw museum, where I had hoped to see the Clovis artifacts, considered to originate from the oldest known North American culture, was closed on Mondays, so I didn't get to go in. I was somewhat disappointed, but decided to keep going rather than staying one more day.

My original desire to visit Roswell was due to its UFO fame. I wanted to see the UFO museum, which is properly called the International UFO Museum and Research Center, though I was a bit puzzled by the research bit. What was being researched there, after all these years? It turns out there is a library attached to the museum, which is supposed to be the most extensive UFO library in the world (well, after the Vatican, that is. Go figure!), so you can do your own research.
I had also hoped to perhaps get to see the spot where this supposed UFO had crashed, but as it turns out, this is nowhere near Roswell as the craft, or whatever it was, landed about 30 miles north outside a town called Corona.

As I was planning my route, however, I also looked at HelpX opportunities in New Mexico, and found one right in Roswell. I hadn't used HelpX before, but I wanted to connect to people more and perhaps contribute to them in some way, so I was experimenting with it. I contacted the person in Roswell and got accepted right away.

I drove through the town first to see where the museum was (right on Main street!), then made my way to my first HelpX assignment, a few miles west of Roswell proper.

I was welcomed at the door by Karen, who has been living in her house for a couple of decades, and who also keeps a menagerie of llamas, goats, chickens, ducks, cats, and goldfish. That day she had in her house three other people, all from HelpX. I met Chuck and Eve, a young couple from Louisiana who are traveling around on a semi-permanent basis, and Brad, who is from Fort Collins, and also travels more or less full time while participating in HelpX.

Brad showed me the duties he would be passing on to me as he was leaving the next day. All that was required of me was to water the plants around Karen's house and feed her pets while she was away in Albuquerque for a few days. I would basically have the house to myself from Thursday morning until Saturday night, and in exchange all my food would be provided as well as accommodation if I required it.

That night Chuck made supper for all of us and we got to know each other around the table. Afterward I was chatting with Eve and since she had several tattoos, I mentioned that I was looking for a way to get one myself without paying too much, if anything, so perhaps in exchange for a service. As it turns out, Eve has been a tattoo artist for sixteen years and she offered to do it for an amazing price and a ride to the laundromat, to which I gladly acquiesced.

The next morning after having breakfast, I submitted my arm to Eve's needles and came away with a beautiful replica of two Japanese calligraphic characters on my arm, which read "wabi sabi". This is the Japanese concept of the acceptance of transience and imperfection.

For the next few days I spent my time hanging around the house reading, socializing with animals, and occasionally trying to meditate. I rode my bike to the city on Wednesday and saw the UFO museum, which left me somewhat unimpressed. On Thursday I rode to town again and set up my slackline in a park for a few hours.

Friday evening rolled around and couchsurfers rolled in. A couple from Finland came to stay at Karen's house for two nights, as did two young men from Germany. Saturday we all drove down to Bottomless Lakes State Park and later Bitter Lakes Wildlife Refuge, where we walked around for a bit. In the evening Karen came back home from her trip and we sat around the campfire talking and roasting marshmallows.

Sunday morning was departure time for everyone, and gradually we all bid Karen farewell and went our separate ways.

My introduction to HelpX was a very pleasant one and it has made me want to take part in this exchange more often. Hopefully as I travel through Texas I will find more assignments.

Santa Fe, New Mexico

As I may have mentioned in my previous post, Santa Fe was originally supposed to be the place I stopped first before going down to Albuquerque, but due to poor data coverage in this state (I experienced this again as soon as I left Albuquerque the second time, and didn't get any signal until I reached Roswell, where I am now), I continued southward and came to Albuquerque first. This turned out to be a good thing in fact, as I was very low on funds and Santa Fe isn't really a place where I can easily find work.

After spending a week in Albuquerque, however, and earning $300 working at an auction over the weekend, I had enough to head back north and discover the much smaller city of Santa Fe, which, I had been told was well worth seeing.

I had arranged to meet with several people from Couchsurfing while there, the first one of whom was Rob Kavalek. Rob is originally from Washington, D.C., if I'm not mistaken, and he moved to Santa Fe a few months ago. I met him at his house and parked my van in his driveway, where I would remain for the majority of my time in this city.

Rob was extremely affable and after I had lunch we went for a walk to the historic district of Santa Fe which, as I later discovered, is the only part worth seeing as the rest of the city is fairly bland, not overly attractive, and quite typical of North American cities, once again.
We stopped at a local coffee shop which is also a bookstore (those are the best!) and chatted for a while over coffee. Afterward we continued our walk and I got to see the uniqueness of old Santa Fe, the New Mexican architectural style of which has been preserved by zoning regulations. On our way back Rob suggested we get some Chinese dumplings, which are only available one day of the week. My lucky night! I hadn't had authentic Chinese dumplings (meaning not the frozen kind) since leaving Taiwan over seven years ago! I very much enjoyed my supper, as did Rob (Rob didn't enjoy my supper, he enjoyed his), and it was a great way to wrap up my first day in Santa Fe.

I spent the rest of the week exploring the city, the first day on foot as I still hadn't repaired the flat tires on my bicycle, and looking for food in dumpsters. I bought two inner tubes for my tires and learned that the culprit I had this damage to thank for is colloquially referred to as "goat's head" in New Mexico, due to the shape of the thorn. They seem to be quite a menace in these parts and many people fall victim to them, both in their feet and on two wheels. I hope to avoid goat's heads for the rest of my stay in New Mexico, except for the two caprids I am now feeding in Roswell.

I didn't find much food in Santa Fe besides a bag of string beens and three eggs, but these were still well appreciated.  I did pick up a book at a used book store, and the long walk I took on my second day brought up some interesting ideas for me, which I will mention at a later time.

One evening Rob and I went for supper at a popular local New Mexican-style restaurant, La Choza. I had been told that I absolutely had to try green chillies, which are a specialty for this part of the country, so I had my fill that night. I think I prefer green chillies to red ones, actually. I don't often eat spicy food, but these seemed relatively mild, and the flavour was more pleasant, less bitter. Supper was amazing, and we were both stuffed at the end.

Another person I had arranged to meet while in Santa Fe was Kristen, and we did so at a little teahouse in a trendy and artsy district of the city. Kristen is an interesting person who bears several uncanny resemblances to my ex partner Kristin, even in name. Her academic and travel interests are similar to mine so we had lots in common. A day after meeting her I responded to a post she made on facebook asking people to help her watch over her pets while she was away for a few days, and I offered to be of help. Kristen lives just outside of the city, in a secluded area with only a few residences and many dogs. I spent two and a half days there taking care of her dog and two cats and exploring the vicinity on my bike. It was a lovely way for me to end my stay in Santa Fe.

Before leaving Santa Fe, I spent one day volunteering at a local homeless shelter, where I cleaned up and got some free food. I've been inspired to connect with more people as I travel, and this way I can do that, offer my services, and get fed at the same time. It's a win-win for everyone!

I passed through Albuquerque on my way south on Sunday, as I still had two things I wanted to experience there. The first one was meeting Tim Harris, who owns Tim's Place. I mentioned this in my previous post, I believe. Tim has Down's Syndrome and his parents bought him a restaurant four years ago. Tim makes a point of hugging everyone who comes to his restaurant, and this was something I'd planned to experience since I saw his video on youtube a year back.
I got my hug and a few photos with Tim, as well as a meal, and the only thing left for me to do in Albuquerque was to take the Sandia Peak Tramway, which has the world's third-longest cable car span and is North American's longest aerial tramway. Unfortunately due to high winds, it was closed, which was slightly disappointing, but at least I saved $20.

Instead I started making my way south, with the intention of visiting Blackwater Draw Museum close to Clovis, and then onward to Roswell, the supposed site of a UFO crash in 1947.