Do you go to Juarez?
If you do, you likely only go to the bars and restaurants. And who can blame you? Prices in Juarez are like 1987 Surf Club happy hour. And there’s probably a bad restaurant in Juarez, but I haven’t been to it yet.
But there’s more to Juarez than bars and restaurants.
El Paso has a real problem when it comes to Juarez. Paseños think they know Juarez, even though many haven’t crossed the bridge in years.
Paseños are divided into two camps: those who go to Juarez, at least occasionally, and those who would never go to Juarez in a million years.
“It’s dangerous,” the latter camp says. But that’s just an excuse. They don’t go to Juarez because they never went to Juarez. Maybe it’s a cultural bias. Maybe it’s because they don’t speak Spanish and they’re not good at Charades.
(I can order up to ten beers in most languages, and more if I take off my shoes.)
You should go to Juarez because Juarez is a big deal. Juarez was founded in 1659. Juarez was the de facto capital of Mexico twice. Ciudad Juarez has been home to some of the biggest stars in Spanish language culture, including the comic actor Tin Tan, and Juan Gabriel, the divo of Juarez.
Up until a couple of years ago, learning about Juarez’ history and culture meant hours in the library, or online, or poking around the side streets and dark alleys in neighborhoods you weren’t familiar with (like I did). Even then, you are likely to get an incomplete or slanted version of the city.
Well, I’ve spent a lot of time in Juarez, and online and in the library, too. Juarez Walking Tours offers a three hour visit to our sister city that includes a dose of history and culture and maybe a margarita and a shot of Sotol if you’re up to it.
(I’m a lot more interesting after you’ve had a drink or two.)
Juarez Walking Tours are safe, short, and fun. And if you’re not diligent, you’ll learn something about our sister city and probably about yourself.
Check out our website, JuarezWalkingTours.com. Check the comments, then book your experience today.
We still go to the dentist in Juarez. Her office is right across the street from what used to be Juanga’s home, on Avenida Lerdo. I have gone to a mechanic, who is now on an offshoot of Insurgentes. We used to go all the time, when crossing the bridge wasn’t such a hassle. We would go more often now, except for that. I’m sorry, but for me, dealing with CBP is painful.
We have militarized the border. Crossing back into the U.S. is the problem. It’s torture. Dumb, rude kids that are untrained and unsupervised. Let’s not kid ourselves. I have to go Juarez this afternoon for business. Nobody in their right mind goes to Juarez unless they have to. The romantic notion of Juarez ain’t coming back. At least not any time soon.
I almost always walk across, and it’s painless. There’s hardly ever a wait more than ten minutes, and the Customs Agents don’t want to talk to me.
Driving to Juarez increases the odds of getting hassled by someone in uniform exponentially. I don’t do it unless I have to.
It’s Friday night 6/9/17. I’ve been sitting on the downtown bridge for two hours trying to get back into El Paso. Half of the lanes are closed at rush hour on Friday. This is reality. Sunshine, rainbows and unicorns can’t fix this.
I’ve got a real moneymaking idea. We hire people in Juarez to drive those cars up to the top of the bridge. The drivers get to hang out at the K Club, or the Mariachi, or the Esquina, until they’re on the down slope and maybe a little past. We can charge the owners $30 and pay the drivers $5.
Going to Juarez on a bicycle is the best and most efficient option. You get to see the nooks and crannies of the city on your own terms and the bridge bike lane gets you back quicker than on foot or in a car. You can even snicker at all the suckers waiting in line as you roll by (and past) them.