Quieres plata o plomo?

La Iglesia de San Lorens

Today I went on a tour of Ciudad Juarez.  It was really interesting.  We saw some of the older buildings in the city, though there aren't many really old buildings here due to war and poor historical programs by the local government.
Many years ago there was a serial killer in Juarez.  He was actually an Egyptian who kidnapped and killed several young girls.  The bodies of these first victims were found near where the Consulate is located.  That area used to be fields.  They are building a monument to those victims in that location.
From the Consulate, we went on a driving tour of Ciudad Juarez.  Our tour guide pointed out buildings.  There used to be three bull fighting rings in Juarez.  One of them is now a market, one still exists, and the other was torn down to build a Wal-Mart.  Many people were very angry about that.  They tried to fight it, but were tricked into going home by telling them that the ring wouldn't be demolished for several months.  A few days later it was torn down.

Wal-mart and the Bull-fighting Monument

We saw the house of Juan Gabriel.  I guess he is a pretty famous singer, though I've never heard of him.  When he was growing up in Ciudad Juarez, his mother worked at a house of a wealthy family.  He promised his mother that he would buy that house for her.  In 1980, he was able to do just that.  Unfortunately his mother died the next year.  Since then, the house was taken by the government because he hadn't paid his taxes, but it still technically belongs to him.
We ended up the at el Museo de la Revolucion de la Frontera (Museum of the Revolution of the Border).  The museum is dedicated to the history of the Revolution here in the border.  One interesting and sad thing is that the revolutionaries would take the children and have them fight at the front.  I don't know if it was a way of protecting themselves, or just because they needed the man power, but it is really sad that the children were dragged into it because they generally did not return.

Juan Gabriel's House

There was a room that showed a location where the revolutionaries were located.  Poncho Villa and his men had this small adobe room near the borders between New Mexico, Mexico, and Texas.  When the Texas Rangers were closing in, they would step in to Mexico, when the Federales were close, they would step in to New Mexico.  I guess at that time, the Texas Rangers were unable to follow in to New Mexico.  It was a convenient location to be able to escape whoever was chasing them.
At the end of the Revolution, the Federale soldiers were given two options.  They could strip off their uniforms and join the revolutionary forces and be paid in silver, or they could die by a lead bullet.  The revolutionaries would ask, Quieres plata o plomo?  Do you want silver or lead?  I don't think anyone would choose lead in that kind of situation.

Museum of the Revolution in the Border

Near the museum is the Cathedral of Guadalupe.  We went inside, which was interesting.  The tour guide explained that at the entrance to most Catholic churches (I don't know if this is in general or just in Mexico.  This wasn't the case in any of the churches I went in to in Israel, but I don't think I've been inside a Catholic church anywhere else) there is a representation of Christ not on the cross, laying down as if he was resting.  It is supposed to represent the risen Christ since that is the most important thing, that he was able to overcome death.  People will enter and pray there, trying to get as close to that representation as possible.

Delousing of immigrants crossing the border.
They sprayed that chemical right in their
faces!

Next to the Cathedral is the oldest building in the city: the mission of Guadalupe.  The mission was built in the shape of a cross, like most generally were.  The interesting thing is that the architecture has Muslim influences.  It is the only Christian church with Muslim influences.  The influence is a certain flower that is unique to Muslim mosques that was carved in the wood beams and painted on the wall.
In Mexico, it is tradional for city hall to be next to the square of arms and the church.  The square of arms was used as a meeting ground after church.  The single men would walk clockwise after church and the single women would walk counter clockwise around the outside of the square.  If they saw someone they were interested in, they would invite the other to enter the square.  This way they weren't meeting in the church.
The old city hall is now a cultural center.  The city hall building and the mission were used as refuges for all the people in the area during war.  Those are the two oldest buildings in the city, and they have withstood a lot.  Inside the cultural center, there is a mural depicting the history of the city.  The artist had origninally planned and painted a portion depicting the Mexican-American War.  He was ordered to paint over it because the economy of the area is so closely linked with the U.S.  It hurts the city to promote a fissure between the two countries.

Revolutionaries, see the kid with the gun?  VERY common.

Next we walked to the old bull-fighting ring which is now a market.  There we saw depictions of Santa Muerte, part of a recent religious sect that has arisen, mainly tied to the cartels.  They are kind of creepy.  We were given a short time to look around and buy things if we wanted.
From there we drove through El Chamizal, the only piece of land that has ever been recovered from the U.S.  You see, the border between the U.S. and Mexico was agreed upon in a treaty as the Rio Grande (or in Spanish el Rio Bravo).  Before, when the river was grand and wild, it would change its location depending on the time of the year.  With heavy rainfall, it would shift south.  This piece of land was disputed between the U.S. and Mexico because of that.  A Canadian judge in the 60s or so determined that the land belonged to Mexico.  I guess the city of El Paso was not happy about that, so they used the land as a dump.  When Mexico got it back, they basically got El Paso's landfill.  However, they built a beautiful park on that piece of land and a University.

The Adobe house replica showing the distance
from the border.

As we drove by, the tour guide made a great point.  Whenever Ciudad Juarez ends up in the news, you never see the good things: the families out having picnics, the students going to University, the fact that one of the Universities in Ciudad Juarez has the largest library in Mexico.  All you see is the violence and crime.  But good things are happening here, too.  Life is still going on.  People are still living.  And there are several very wealthy families continuing to live here.  The news only portrays want they want to portray.
Finally we went to lunch.  I ended up getting a meal that came in a molcahuete a stone that is used to crush ingredients to make mole.  It came with cactus.  That was interesting.  I'm not sure if I liked it, but it was nice to try something new.

Uniforms are from the period, guns are not, representation of
the picture behind it, the quickly shed uniforms of the Federales.

The Cathedral of Guadalupe

The Mission of Guadalupe

Old City Hall

Upper right hand corner is where the depiction of the
Mexican-American war was covered up.

Symbol of the city: Aztec at the top (as symbol of the natives),
Upper left: crossing of the north,
Upper right: Christian death represented by the 3 nails,
Lower left: fighting between the Spanish and the natives/cattle and grapes as industry of that time,
Lower right: monument of Juarez/cotton and factories as industry/key and lock as refuge in liberty and custodian of the republic

Hard to see behind the signs, but images of Santa Muerte

Old bull-fighting ring, now market

Pavement that used to be in El Paso, to the right is where
the river used to be.

My lunch, the green hanging from the container
is the cactus.