Much Ado...

We thought it would be safer driving through the frontera if we looked like two dudes in a truck... really I just wanted to dress up (and I was jealous of Griffin's mustache).

After visiting the consulate on Monday we felt assured that the tollroads were safe.  And so we prepared for a 4am departure to ensure we made it past the first few hundred miles during the day...

From Kerrville, TX to Laredo we watched the gradual transition into mexico:  from paleterias and mexican food restaurants to trucks beyond loaded with appliances and other U.S. treasures, all southbound down I35.  In Laredo the taco stands became more frequent and the prices dropped- 2 tacos for $1.50.  There were no lines entering mexico, but on the other side hundreds of cars, trucks, and foot traffic were waiting to enter the U.S.  As we crossed the Rio Grande, we had to wonder if the water under the bridge had taken as much time as we had from it´s headwaters in Colorado.

Getting our visas (approximately $25 per person for 6 months) took only about 10 min, and without any further delay we finally found ourselves heading south through the mexican desert, dotted with blooming joshua trees and cactus.  We had to laugh, and perhaps falsely took comfort in the fact that our truck was by far one of the oldest cars on the tollroad.

After a long day of driving, we arrived in the lovely colonial city of Zacatecas.  By far one of the most beautiful cities, it has been a lovely couple of days spent admiring elegant architecture and a surprisingly impressive collection of contemporary art. 

Pictures pending... this computer is not cooperating.

Some fun facts:
* 4 homemade tamales = $1
* A lunch of all you can drink hibiscus tea, soup, a chile relleno, chicken with mole, rice, a side cucumber salad, and a jicama, cauliflower & squash salad, all followed by flan = $3.33
*  According to a fairly unreliable but interesting source, downtown Chicago and Los Angelos are actually more dangerous than Juarez.