Edd's Travels: Ciudad Juárez, Mexico

Ciudad Juárez - the place where Mexico's drug gangs meet up to resolve their differences - was officially the world's most dangerous city, outside of declared war zones, in 2009. Things have calmed down slightly since then but it's still pretty much off-limits to travellers. Which is why I'm staying over the border in Texas, in El Paso. The two cities form one huge conurbation divided by a wide and very securely fenced border. El Paso itself is safe as houses.

I did pop over the border crossing to take a photo, and to have an ice cream. As soon as you arrive you can feel the tension in the air, and the fear. Normally I don't mind being the only white guy on the street, but this time there was more than just curiosity in the looks I was getting, and so I was back over that bridge before I'd finished my ice cream. Annoyingly, I didn't even get a Mexico stamp in my passport.

It took a while getting back through immigration at the American end of the bridge. If anyone's ever felt like they got rough treatment when arriving in the USA by plane at JFK, well, you should try arriving on foot from Mexico when you're neither American nor Mexican. I got a very long grilling from Homeland Security...here's a word-for-word extract:

Homeland Security Man: 'Have you ever been to any camps?'
Me: 'Camps?'
Homeland Security Man: 'Terrorist training camps.'
Me: 'No.'
Homeland Security Man: 'You're sure?'
Me: 'Yes.'
Homeland Security Man: 'Hmmm.'

I suppose I can forgive them for being a bit jumpy right now.

On a happier note, El Paso contains by far the best pub I've ever found outside the UK. It's called The Hoppy Monk. (Considering that part of my day job is writing HTML, I should really include hyperlinks more often.) They have 70 craft beers on draught, plus 150 bottled beers and a fine range of whiskies, and the food is great. On Monday nights it's $3.50 a beer! Bud Lite is not stocked, and indeed you only hear it mentioned in the same tone of voice you might use to say 'rectal prolapse' or 'Kerry Katona'.

Brews sampled by me at the Hoppy Monk included Dale's Pale Ale, Ayinger Brau Weisse, Deschutes Obsidian Stout, Avery Maharaja, and Stone Arrogant Bastard. (Not all in the same night, I hasten to add.) All very nice, and pretty strong too: your average English pub will usually have at least one session ale at 4% or less, but I've rarely seen any American craft beers at anything less than 5%.

Meanwhile, my motel is basic but clean and secure. There's a swimming pool, but unfortunately I've had to give it a miss because I don't want to display my trademark two-tone travel tan: bronzed from the neck up, bronzed from the knees and elbows down, blotchy white everywhere else. And nobody needs to see that; least of all you, my dear readers.