Resting in El Paso Texas - Thurs 3/1, Fri 3/2

We decided to stay three nights in El Paso so we can tour the city.  We are in a 100 year old house which our host, West, has named "Casa Puente", or "Bridge House."  He hosts groups here and works to build bridges and find solutions to immigration problems.  He served seven years as a Catholic missionary in Venezuela serving poor people.  It's been great to stay here because he has given us a lot of information about El Paso and our route through Texas.

Thursday:  I looked online and found a fraudulent charge on our credit card so we had to deal with that.  Then we rode to the Crazy Cat Cyclery and bought two spare bike tires.

We walked downtown and toured the Museum of History.  Apparently, desert life in El Paso has always been a struggle.  During the Mexican Revolution spectators came to El Paso to sit up on the hill and watch the battle.  Once, the Rio Grande River shifted its course and caused a border dispute that lasted until 1967.

After the museum we walked around town a bit admiring the architecture of the Performing Arts Center.  Then we went out to dinner with West.  He drove us up the hill to the scenic overlook where we looked out over all of El Paso and Juarez.

Friday:  We toured the University of Texas El Paso campus and spent time in the Centennial Museum and Gardens.  The UTEP campus was built in Bhutanese style.  Then we went to the downtown library and read books the rest of the day.

El Paso facts:  Everything is built out of stone, brick, or Adobe because there is no wood in the area.  I started looking for wooden structures as we toured the city and couldn't find a single one. 
We are now in the windy season here with frequent dust storms. 
El Paso has one of the lowest crime rates in the nation even though it is bordering one of the most dangerous cities in the world.

The truth from Ruth:  It has been a delightful few days in El Paso.  I have especially enjoyed getting to know our host, who is a very kind and good person.  I am ready to continue on our journey, and have been studying our next routes.