CENT Day 19
Day 19 we drove to El Paso via Tombstone. Now Hot Rod had told us we’d enjoy the western town and man, did we! Here’s a shot of the main drag,
We took a stagecoach tour of the city- duh-uh me expected to really trot in the stagecoach, instead we plodded. But even trudging on reluctant horses spoke of the discomfort passengers must have endured. No springs or padding on the seats makes every body part jiggle and moan.
We had lunch at Big nose Kate’s saloon (Doc Holliday’s girlfriend - known for her snoopy ways, hence the big nose euphemism) where the DH promptly had a shot of whiskey at the bar. Then onto to Wyatt’s house (parlor and front room - no bathrooms and no kitchen, all the cooking was done at Virgil’s home opposite).
Fascinating town Tombstone and well worth the visit.
Then we journeyed through Las Cruces to El Paso - here’s the majestic approach to the former:
El Paso sits on one side of the Rio Grande and Ciudad Juarez sits on the other bank. The air above Juarez is thick and brown and veils the mountains. Houses, shacks, and shanties vie for space on the hillsides; each dwelling perched precariously on top of each other and rocks and sheer precipices. A disaster waiting to happen - one earthquake, one long thunderstorm that’s all it would take to slide most of the city into the river.
El Paso seemed a mixture of haves and have nots, didn't see much evidence of a middle class.
We ate Texas BBQ, drank beer, and headed for rest.
Tomorrow we’re off to San Antonio.
Cheers,
JC