Arrived in El Paso yesterday, the traditional lands of the Manso and Suma indigenous peoples of the Mogollon culture, and later the Mescalero Apaches—and which my Airbnb host tells me was put on the map for European descendants by the brothel madams of the late 1800s.
It was raining when I got off the plane yesterday and felt exactly like what I thought I was leaving behind in Seattle. I shoved my shorts to the back of my clothes bag lamenting how I wouldn’t need them for a while. But the sun is out today and I’m getting very toasty sitting in a park amidst some beautiful Victorian homes in the Sunset Heights neighborhood.
I have a rental car for a couple days while I put my bike back together and run some errands, so yesterday I drove the historic Rim Area Neighborhood and Scenic Drive in the foothills of the Franklin Mountains for a gorgeous view of El Paso and Ciudad Juárez across the Rio Grande.
I didn’t quite know what to expect with El Paso. I’m loving the architecture, the craggy mountains in the distance, and how friendly the people are. Like this guy Turi who was just chatting with me about my bike and wanted me to be sure I mention his name for when Sports Illustrated does an interview with me about my trip.
I’ve also had some solid food wins. A late dinner last night of amazing vegan-fish tacos, which I unfortunately ate inside instead of to-go after a misunderstanding about where and how to order. And a breakfast burrito this morning that I already know I’ll order again before I hit the road on Sunday.