Pros: 1) meeting super friendly and helpful people, 2) facing fears by crossing the border, 3) learning tips for Europe, 4) checking off our first country as a couple
Cons: 1) sunburn (so sunny and hot!), 2) elevation- it's much higher than we're used to (approx. 480 Austin, 3700 El Paso) so breathing is more difficult and we get worn out faster, 3) very few radio stations on the drive down
When we arrived in El Paso, we could see so many lights from afar (it was nighttime)- little did we know that was actually Mexico! We knew it was close
but to see it from the road was incredible.
Being so close to Mexico, and having a few locals confirm that it's safe to cross over, we did! I'm not going to lie- I was extremely hesitant. Mexico doesn't have the best reputation so, if I'm being honest, my mindset as we got closer was "please don't get kidnapped"! I'm really glad we went, though, as it forced me out of my comfort zone. Here's our border crossing experience:
We literally walked across the border to Juarez, Mexico. To get into Mexico, all we had to do was pay 50 cents which gave us access to walk the long bridge that separates the two countries. The minute we stepped foot into Mexico it was evident that we were no longer in America, even though we were so close. It looked, felt, smelled
completely different, and I noticed that we were the only ones wearing shorts. We got a few stares and a few people asking us to buy things. We went to Kentucky Club & Bar, home of the original margarita, and it was delicious! Crossing back over to America, the bridge was full of people trying to sell us things. When we got to border patrol, they casually asked us where we were from, what we did in Mexico, etc, we paid the 50 cents again, and we were back in the U.S.
Kelia, our host, is so hospitable! She wants to open her own hostel one day, and that just suits her perfectly. She has hosted over 100 couchsurfers! She didn't have TV or wifi in her home, because she wants to
encourage real, meaningful conversations
with her guests. Two other couchsurfers were also staying with her- they are biking from San Fransisco to Miami. One of them had a mandolin, so he and Derik (who brought his banjo) had a jam session. It was fun to hear everyone's very different stories that led to us meeting.
El Paso was our first stop and also our first time being on the other side of couchsurfing. There is an element of trust and risk in opening up your home to strangers, and in staying in a strangers home. Though we didn't know the area or our host, it felt comfortable and we experienced so much hospitality in those few days! Kelia has spent time in Europe, so she had lots of suggestions and even offered to give us names of her friends who could host us! Wmet people who gave us tips for our journey and a few even offered to buy us drinks. Total strangers, people! With great risk comes great reward, and that so beautifully sums up our first few days.
Cons: 1) sunburn (so sunny and hot!), 2) elevation- it's much higher than we're used to (approx. 480 Austin, 3700 El Paso) so breathing is more difficult and we get worn out faster, 3) very few radio stations on the drive down
When we arrived in El Paso, we could see so many lights from afar (it was nighttime)- little did we know that was actually Mexico! We knew it was close
but to see it from the road was incredible.
Being so close to Mexico, and having a few locals confirm that it's safe to cross over, we did! I'm not going to lie- I was extremely hesitant. Mexico doesn't have the best reputation so, if I'm being honest, my mindset as we got closer was "please don't get kidnapped"! I'm really glad we went, though, as it forced me out of my comfort zone. Here's our border crossing experience:
We literally walked across the border to Juarez, Mexico. To get into Mexico, all we had to do was pay 50 cents which gave us access to walk the long bridge that separates the two countries. The minute we stepped foot into Mexico it was evident that we were no longer in America, even though we were so close. It looked, felt, smelled
completely different, and I noticed that we were the only ones wearing shorts. We got a few stares and a few people asking us to buy things. We went to Kentucky Club & Bar, home of the original margarita, and it was delicious! Crossing back over to America, the bridge was full of people trying to sell us things. When we got to border patrol, they casually asked us where we were from, what we did in Mexico, etc, we paid the 50 cents again, and we were back in the U.S.
Kelia, our host, is so hospitable! She wants to open her own hostel one day, and that just suits her perfectly. She has hosted over 100 couchsurfers! She didn't have TV or wifi in her home, because she wants to
encourage real, meaningful conversations
with her guests. Two other couchsurfers were also staying with her- they are biking from San Fransisco to Miami. One of them had a mandolin, so he and Derik (who brought his banjo) had a jam session. It was fun to hear everyone's very different stories that led to us meeting.
El Paso was our first stop and also our first time being on the other side of couchsurfing. There is an element of trust and risk in opening up your home to strangers, and in staying in a strangers home. Though we didn't know the area or our host, it felt comfortable and we experienced so much hospitality in those few days! Kelia has spent time in Europe, so she had lots of suggestions and even offered to give us names of her friends who could host us! Wmet people who gave us tips for our journey and a few even offered to buy us drinks. Total strangers, people! With great risk comes great reward, and that so beautifully sums up our first few days.
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| Driving through west Texas |
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| Marfa, Texas |
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| Margaritas in Mexico |
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| Posing at the Prada Marfa art exhibit |
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| Jam session on the porch |
What was everyone wearing if not shorts? Great post!
ReplyDeletePants or long skirts. It was HOT though but maybe it's part of their culture to not wear shorts? Not sure honestly :)
DeleteMaybe they wear shorts when it is a balmy 110 degrees? I was in italy and at 50 degrees they had on coats and gloves.
ReplyDelete