It was not that long ago, though it seems now like years.
I went down to Brownsville to cross over to Matamoros to take care of some business. There were two objectives here; one was to meet a friend and his wife for lunch at an out of the way vegetarian restaurant. In fact it was so out of the way as to be invisible. Yes, it was an underground eatery invisible to the authorities. It looked just like a residential home/apartment or something in between that you will find in Matamoros, as well as in Brownsville for that matter. But it was much more. For something around sixty pesos or less you could enjoy a very delicious vegetarian meal. There were only about 4 tables; it was all family run, very clean, and quaint as only quaint can be when no one is trying to be quaint and artsy. Their extreme normality was what made their establishment wonderfully weird…One of their largest sources of clientele were the members of their church. You could tell they wanted to go along with what God expected them to be, and what would please their fellow congregants.
I have my suspicions as to what sect they belonged to.
I’m sure the proprietors would have liked to please the Matamoros Municipal Health Inspectors as well as god and congregants and all. But that is not really practical or do-able. You do what you have to do to survive. Let the inspectors shake down someone else.
In Matamoros, at that time, there had been a few shoot-outs, not to mention assassinations, kidnappings etc. But nothing that would cross the river to the US medias attention. Suddenly there was a sizeable throw down between the Gulf and Zeta Cartels with the Mexican Army playing “man in the middle”..A few months after my visit there would be a major battle in the narco war with blockades and grenades, machine guns etc. Over a hundred dead and hundreds more wounded. The Army wasn’t saying much, and any type of accounting would be problematical as the cartel would cart off it’s deceased cohorts…for that matter, so would the army. The big battle hadn’t happened yet. But the minor level of mayhem kept a lot people off the streets and there was a palpable menacing thickness to the ambience of the city.
Psychically, I believe they call it an aura of fear.
I was only a bock or so away from the most famous museum in Matamoros, the Museo de Cata Mata. At the time of this posting I couldn’t advise anyone to go there that didn’t have to go to Matamoros, but in the future, in less perilous times, it is well worth seeing. They had some advance notice there and the ladies attending were very helpful. Although, when I asked about the security situation, they suddlenly became very quiet, and a furtive look fell over their, no longer so forthcoming, faces. The history of Matamoros is fascinating. Someday I shall return to the Forte de Casa Mata. But not in the next few weeks.
Buses everywhere, but none to catch… It always seems like there has just been and earthquake on the sidewalks of most Mexican Border Towns…The pavement is split and crumpled and piled in rolling and buckling waves down the side of the street. To make it even more exciting there are uncovered pipe fittings jutting from the cement, as well as overhead obstacles, such as air conditioners, sign mounts etc. Makes for interesting walking. Then, all of a sudden, there is the Olympic Stadium! Mexico, land of contrast…
As I exit Old Mexico, just before I enter the Customs Area, I’m welcomed by the same seal we all see on our dollar bill, The capstone with Annuit Coieptis and the pyramid base with Novo Ordo Seclorum, The All seeing Eye and the New Order for the ages, or some say “The New World Order”, courtesy of Homeland Security. Still I’m glad to be back for now…
