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| El Paso's South Stanton Street |
Sure glad I took a break from the bike today, because the winds kicked up as forcefully as forecast, with gusts of up to 40 mph.
Still, I got in more than 5 miles of hiking, sightseeing and running errands around El Paso's downtown.
My morning began with a walk south on Stanton St. to the Mexico border, where I bought bananas, apples and tangelos (deliciosas!) at Mata’s, a colorful and bustling market, where Spanish was the primary ( and maybe only?) language.
I had hoped to get a $6 haircut at a nearby salon but was informed by the jefe (boss) that they were only cutting women’s hair today.
I found another barber, Chema, closer to the more upscale part of town.
Chema, who hails from Juarez, agreed to trim my hair and beard for $30, and I gave it a go, even though the price seemed as high or higher than those back home (maybe turista pricing?).
Chema speaks little English and I understand Spanish a lot better than I speak it. But we were easily able to communicate, and I really enjoyed chatting with him. He has a collection of luchador (Mexican wrestling) masks on his wall, and he certainly looks like he could have been in the ring at some point. He denied being a wrestler, but not forcefully.
My big score today was a $9, all-you-can-eat luncheon buffet (including iced tea and dessert) at El Encanto de Villa. A local recommended this off-the-beaten-track Mexican restaurant to me. I tried and liked everything on the menu, and I particularly enjoyed the savory meatball soup.
The restaurant serves breakfast, or el desayuno, starting at 7:30 am. So I may drop by for some huevos rancheros on my way out of town tomorrow.
Also today I mailed home about 6 pounds of stuff I either haven’t used thus far or don’t expect to need any more, including a puffy jacket, my leg warmers and an extra pair of sandals. My Chacos sandals seem to adequately cover all my footwear needs, including for pedaling.
Just for grins, I had originally planned to stay in the Gardner Hotel's room 108 tonight, where author Cormac McCarthy did much of his writing.
But I decided to stay in my own Dillinger-like room again instead, because I have my own bathroom and 108 shares two bathrooms with the numerous other bathroom-less rooms on the hotel’s second floor.
Seemed to me like a long-term stay in 108 could feed the dark outlook on life evident in McCarthy’s No Country for Old Men and The Road.
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| Chema, with his luchador masks |
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| El Paso post office |
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| Cormac McCarthy's Room 108 |
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