(Near) The Murder Capitol Of The World

Sunday morning, after boondocking on the side of Hwy 118 outside of the McDonald Observatory we got back on I-10 and headed towards El Paso. The last 80 miles of Interstate 10 leading up to El Paso mirrored the Mexican border and it was exciting to be so close to a foreign land. Unlike Europe, where one can visit multiple countries in the same day, the US is so enormous that it is a rare treat to find oneself on the doorsteps of another country. El Paso lies right across the border from Juarez, and unfortunately, Juarez has recently seen a huge increase in drug related gang violence, leading to it being dubbed the “Murder Capitol of the World”. Most online travel guides warn against crossing into Mexico in this part of the country, and we decided not to test our luck. Instead, we spent our two days in El Paso exploring the city and the outdoors at the Franklin Mountains State Park.

Driving into the Franklin Mountains

We found a great parking spot for our trailer at the Tom Mays campground, tucked high in the Franklin Mountains. The campground came with no amenities, but allowed easy access for hiking and biking in the state park. That evening Skyler went biking on the huge single track mountain bike trail network and the next morning we hiked up to a collection of Aztec caves on the mountain side.

Our spot at the Tom Mays campground

The view from the Aztec Caves

After our hike we drove into town and spent the rest of the morning strolling the streets. We walked within blocks of the Rio Grande, the river that separates the US and Mexico. The border was obvious, with tall metal fences stretching as far as the eye could see in both directions. Border Patrol agents drove back and forth along the river bed and patrolled from driveways and on the sides of the street. The city buildings looked like they had seen better days and everything appeared to be covered in a layer of dust. It was honestly a bit depressing in downtown. We had expected some hustle and bustle, given that it was a Monday, but instead found mostly deserted streets. There were open shops, but even the vendors seemed bored.

San Hacinto Plaza in El Paso

Walking around El Paso

The international bridge to Mexico

The border fence with Mexico

For lunch we popped into a random Mexican café. There was a Mexican telenovela playing on TV, the menu was in Spanish and the waiters spoke no English. Thankfully the menu had pictures and we, like children, pointed to what looked good.

Martha's Cafe in El Paso

We did have one great experience in El Paso (outside of the enjoyable hiking and biking in the Franklin Mountains). That Monday afternoon I had an important Skype conversation scheduled and I needed access to reliable and secure internet. A café with WIFI was out of the question, and after considering my options I put out a request on the CouchSurfing network in El Paso. Within minutes I got a response from a local couple, saying that we were more than welcome at their house! So, that Monday afternoon, after exploring El Paso, we drove to Manton and Jill’s house and I set up camp in their extra bedroom. While I was busy, Sky and our new friends conversed in the living room, trading travel stories. When I was done we all decided to go out to dinner and drinks, and Manton and Jill took us to one of their favorite restaurants. Num!

What an amazing resource the CouchSurfing network is! How awesome is it to be somewhere where we don’t have a single friend and within minutes to have two new friends who offer up their house and company?

Dinner with new friends!

To see more pictures of El Paso and the Franklin Mountains State Park, click here.

Happy New Friends on the Border!

M.