As I rode into Columbus, this roadrunner crossed my path. Where's Acme when you need them?

The first week in Columbus, I rode the bike around town several times, at least twice a day, and visited all the local sites. And I did find a very nice little cafe with WiFi. Named the ‘Patio Cafe’ it’s right downtown Columbus and has the best food! Wow, the soups especially were unique and delicious. Everything I had there was just excellent. The kitchen staff all spoke Spanish and no English but the waitress told them that I wanted to take them all back to Fairbanks with me. They laughed at that but didn’t want to go. Shame though, I could have opened the best restaurant in Fairbanks.

He stopped to check me out.

The open desert near the RV park.

While I was riding my bike around Columbus, I noticed another museum across the street from the one I’d already been to. This one was much bigger, newer, built by the park service. It took a couple hours to wander through the place and read all the history. Naturally, it’s focus was the attack by Poncho Villa and the US army’s response and campaign.

A touring car used to escape the attack. Has bullet holes all over. The family that used it was able to miss being killed, but here were some wounds, and headed up to Deming to alert everyone up there of the attack by the Mexican forces.

Just an old wagon.

An army transport vehicle used during the campaign.

A plane used during the campaign, 'The Jenny', and the commanding Generals touring car in the background.

An armored car, which turned out to be a precursor to the tank.

This hill overlooks both the town of Columbus, and the attack route of the Mexicans.

Where the army staged for the counter attack. The Mexican border is just three miles away.

And the town of Columbus.

After roaming around the site for 2-3 hours, I went back into downtown and visited the sites of the attack.

A week later I called and set up my first dental appointment in Palomas, Mexico at the Fierro Clinic.

The Fierro dental clinic.

The office is very modern, comfortable dental chairs…lounges really…Novocaine or whatever they use these days that actually worked (I’d had some surgery done in Mazatlan where the doctor had to inject a pain killer five times because is wasn’t working like it was suppose too, like it had been watered down), and an assistant that speaks English. After showing the doctor my broken fillings, he went right to work setting the root up for a crown. Instead of the $600-$900 I’d be quoted in the US, this would only cost me $190. After the work was finished, I walked over to the counter to pay and Dr. Fierro asked me how everything went. Shook my hand and thanked me for coming. I left the office and headed back to the border. Two hours later, after they had run out of patients, the good Dr. and the staff were having an early afternoon dinner when two armed men charged into the building wielding automatic weapons and grabbed Dr. Fierro. His kidnapping was in the Deming newspaper the next day and the staff at the RV park where I was staying let me know about it. That kind of put a damper on my dental work visit to Mexico. Who wants to be kidnapped walking to the dental clinic? I waited an extra week to see what would happen to the good Dr. and to let things cool down a little before I started to go back for the rest of the work. The staff was pretty closed mouth about the kidnapping when I’d inquire about the doctor, all they would say is that they didn’t know anything about the situation. Protecting the business I gathered. Anyway, after I left that day, I wandered down the street towards the border and stopped in what’s known as ‘The Pink Store’. This is a nice large store stuffed with Mexican handicrafts from all over Mexico. Then there is a bar and restaurant there too. In fact, when you walk in, they ask if you’d like a Margarita. Free! But just after dental work that doesn’t sound all that appealing so I skipped on that. But I did have a nice lunch.

Giant sculpture outside of the pink store.

Some of the brightly colored ceramics available. These happen to be bathroom sinks.

A look at the thousands of items available.

I can't fit this sculpture in my RV.

My favorite glass works. I almost bought a set of these.

Another of those metal sculptures outside the Pink store.

Just showing the wild colors they use for buildings down here.

An interesting building a block off the main street in Palomas.

Just as I was taking the above picture, this guy on a bike zipped past me and shouted something to some bad looking dudes to the right of the building. Sounded like nothing I wanted to be involved with so I quickly got out of there and back into The Pink Store for a few minutes. Nothing happened back there that I know of after that, no sirens, no squealing tires so I probably misjudged the action going on. I did feel it had something to do with my walking back there with a camera, but I never pointed it at the guys standing along side the street. The guy on the bike came back as I was walking back to the Pink and gave me a glance over his shoulder as he passed me. Wasn’t a friendly glance either.

So, that was my first trip into Mexico since early 2007. Exciting in many ways. Nerve racking in others. Palomas is only around 45 miles from El Paso/Juarez. Juarez is the murder capital of the Americas. Over 2,000 killed in ‘09 and now in ‘10, already more dead then at this time last year (I’m writing this in Jan. ‘10).  Many kidnappings too. Not often tourists but that isn’t unheard of either. Especially in the bigger cities.

But, despite the potential for violence along my route, I’m determined to head on down to Guadalajara in early January, then over to the coast. The people in Mexico are really nice and I’ve only felt threatened once in all the months I’ve lived there. I didn’t expect this trip to be any different.