So Close To Home Yet So Far Away

How many of us have have taken a look to our right when we are on the free way an see the gated fence, and acroos that fence we see a river that divides two countries.We also see hiils and differents styles, some people have nice houses and others live in poverty. Also when we drive at night do you ever notice the cloud of smoke that forms because people with no way of maitaining heat try to keep warm.

On Sunday January 27 I took a trip to Juarez, Mexico.I started my trip by taking the TransBorde bus witch u take downtown it atkes acroos the bridge for two dollars, but don't forget to take yoou passport,but if you have been keeping up with our news , they are requiring alll sorts of documents now. The bus are not to big but quickley get
full with passangers who may have been shoppping and are taking it home to thier loved ones. Here is another point that it is acceptable to bring goods from the U.S to other parts of the country, but thier are restrictions on what can be brought back.

My interest in going to Juarez is to observe this small bustling town an individuals who sense of reality are put to the test by the hardship the face from a day to day basis.Also a town unaffected by change and you can see it in thge buildings and the food stands on the street. Another observation that I saw were the people on the street for the most part families, some are homeless asking for money forthier next meal and some may be asking even to feed thier families.

Some are even working on the streets in the center plaza to make ends meet.While there I met this woman that you see to your left, she was talking abou when she lived on the streets and how she got out of tat lifestyle and sells roses to people to provide for her family. I observed how she took pride in her job which most of us take for granted. Then her son appeared( he didn't want to be in the picture), he was talking about how he would like to be on on U.S. soil to find a better job so his mom would not have to work so hard. He also went to talk about how he has friends over here in el Paso and how they say it so much better. Walking down the street i also came upon some traffic officers who were women, now from what is percieved of the culture in mexico of women, and may be frowned upon is that the do men's job forinstance being officers of the law. when I approched the one that you see here, she said
that I wasn't allowed to take a posed picture of her, but what i could take was one from a distance working.She did tell me one thing about herself though that she worked and trained very hard to get were she is at.

After a while of walking and eating snacks from the surroundings tiendas we came to museum,that used to be the old aduana (check-point). You are not allowed to take pictures of the of the from part because of the window but
your are allowed to take pictures of the artifacts inside that they are presenting but make sure that the flash is off . In fron of this building i saw this indita asking for money from people passing buy. in a sense i think that we ingnore individuals such as this. People view them as burden to society. Well i talked to her and she was really easy to aproach and talk to, the sad thing is that being from a small pueblito in chiuaua,she doesn't have any family to take care of her.
So imagine that kind of reality people who live in poverty have to face. Then i asked if she would be offended if i took of picture of her, she was not at all offended and to my surprise i even cought her smiling.

After taking to her, I made my wway into the museum, the artifacts showing were fromthe revelution on leaded by General Villa. It also shows those men who followed Zapata. It also hold a mask of villa's burial mask( picture at the top right hand). What happened is that is villa was decapitated, and thus only his body was left. His head was taken, so that his brain would be studied. Scientits wanted to know that how coould a man with no schooling be so militarily tactiful.- as told by my mother who learned the history of ''The Revolucion of 1910".

Lastly the tour lady told me that there was told me that there was a plauque outside and that if I looked closely, the holes covered up by nails were actually bullet holes, that were left from the time period of the revolucion. so it was a very intresting trip for me and the plauque translates "In 1909 In This Building We Celebrate the Conference between the Presidents, Those of the Neighboring Nations of the United States and the Mexican Republic"

"In 1911 Treat's were Singed between the Federal Government and the Revolutionary Government presided by
Don Fransisco I. Madero", who in turn the builded later on was dedicated by the employees of the old checkpoint to because of the historic contribution he made for the city of Juarez. Unfortunately is was getting late and

The last bus leaving from Juarez leaves at 3p.m. heading back to the states and believe me if you are going to spend you day take goo walking shoes you will need them.........