Friday, March 5, 2010

Chihuahua debate

Well, I had planned to make a new trip to the Spanish world to learn Espanol starting next week, but these plans are on deathwatch. My original plan was to follow out my friend Michelle to Chihuahua, Mexico, where I would camp out with her and take three weeks of Spanish classes. Unfortunately, she announced a plan not to go back, less than a day after I had bought my non-refundable ticket, which seems to have to do with the fact that she has no money to get there, and no job once she does. And perhaps her drive to return has been dampened by the fact that she witnessed a double murder the last week she was living there previously, right across the street from her house. (I will leave out all the gory details.)

I had bought my ticket to visit telling her "I hope you understand that YOU'RE about the only reason I would feel at all tempted to visit this place. In fact, I would almost literally be anywhere else in the Spanish-speaking world." To which she replied "Aww, thanks!"

In any case, I am now faced with the fact that I have bought a non-refundable ticket to one of the most dangerous cities in Mexico to visit a place where I have no contacts. I am trying to figure out whether to go through with the trip or not. Currently I am sitting at Border's where the Fodor's guide has this to say about it all:
[Danger symbol:] Given the problems with drug-cartel related violence in Chihuahua City and Ciudad Juarez, we strongly advise that you avoid using either as a transit hub or base.
Hmm. Sounds like a great place to be for three weeks. Blood levels rising...

1 comment:

Brian Ross said...

The one time I ever came close to getting mugged was in Madrid. My Spanish is limited to the Taco Bell menu, so I was totally oblivious to what was happening until the knife came out. With that as background, let me assure you that random street violence is way more terrifying in a foreign language.

That said, I've also had great times in neighborhoods (mostly in Belfast) that the guidebooks told me to avoid. Obvious foreign tourists get a pass more often than you'd expect.