January 11, 1947

January 11, 1947

Leaving cabin at El Paso at 8:40 Temp 32°  Bought 4 lbs of dry ice 40₵ to keep the meat for Lillian.

We parked our car for 25₵ on the Amer. side of Rio Grande and walked int Mexico on the toll bridge 2₵ each going in and 1₵ going out.  What a place!  Shops and stands all over the sidewalks and you are begged to come in and look, and buy.  They are very insistent.  Usually come down several times rather than have you go out without buying.  Much cheap labor, for instance these Mexican jackets can be bought there for 5 to 7 dollars and across the line in El Paso they are 16 and 20 each.  Lots of pretty jewelry, table clothes, rugs etc at just a fraction of what we pay here.  You are allowed to take out duty free 25 dollars worth every 30 days.  It was so cold, we just froze, walking around, but those poor Mexican Indians with just old rags, some without shoes, wrapped in most every kind of old thing.  Little fires were built here and there and how they would crowd around to get a little heat.  We finally began to go into some shops.  Found some articles in diff. places with several dollars diff. in price. Our money is worth about 5 times as much Mexican  money  —so most everything had 2 markings Mexican and U.S. prices.  So many candy carts, right out in open, phew!

I wanted to find a restroom so asked a clerk and she told me in a cafe across the street.  It was noon so Roy thot we should try eating too. Phew!  I’ll never forget it.  After seeing their meat markets with meat laying in the windows — I thot I’d order Amer. Cheese sandwiches but it was green and stunk!  Dwane and Roy had ham sandwiches — they ate theirs.  Well we found the rest room and that was horrible.  Long dark corridor, and dirty, ladies and mens side by side and such doors.  I could tell in Mexican which one said ladies.  About 3 P.M. we decided we had had enough so went towards where we saw the Amer. flag waving.  I wouldn’t care to go up those streets after dark.

Drove to Las Cruces and got a cabin $5.50  2 double beds, quite nice but no cooking facilities.

Postcard dated Jan. 11, 1947 

addressed to Miss Geneva Sanford

State College,

Brookings, S.D.  U.S.A.

Box 668

“Hello” from Mexico.  We are having quite a time, but br-r-r! it’s cold.     Mother