I have been in Laredo on August 1990.
It is a long time since then and I can't find my personal photos. So I had to borrow some photos from the web about Webb, while giving links to the above sites and to some others I found and liked.
A lot of memories came back to my mind while surfing through these pages... Although a difficult task for a foreigner to discover such material (I had hundreds of pages with no interest in my search lists), I think I did it quite well, being somewhat lucky.
I want everybody to enjoy my page, both the VT-visitors and the owners of the links, and I do my best for this purpose.
So come with me to:
Los dos LaredosFondest memory of Laredo: Laredo is in Texas, the biggest city of the Webb county. If the word Texas brings in your mind a picture of Buffalo Bill, then I warn you that it is history! Laredo is a modern quiet city that would have almost nothing if it was not the main Gateway to Mexico. Laredo is not at all a typical US city. It happens exactly the opposite. Laredo is a
"special case", and this
"peculiarity" is making it an interesting place to visit.
- I could not imagine that I would find US citizens not speaking English!
- I was not aware that it would be so simple to enter on foot in Mexico just for some hours and get back so easily!I have met people living in one side of the river and working or shopping in the other! Crossing the bridge and the borders is an everyday routine for the most of the habitants. Here are some FAQs:
- What is the river we are talking about? - The river is Rio Grande, that is the TEX-MEX border-line (I liked very much this short-cut, that can be pronounced either in English or in Spanish). Although the river name sounds Spanish, Mexicans call it Rio Bravo!
- Why Los dos Laredos?- Laredo is the American side of the city, while Nuevo Laredo is the Mexican one. You have a "two in one" pack!
- Is it so easy to cross the border?- Yes! There is a special agreement between US and Mexico, about the communication of the two Laredos. Citizens of the two countries do not need passports or visas to cross the border, but only the ID card. There is a typical control on the US Customs office at the US side of the bridge, while the Mexican Customs office at the other end is in a permanent
"siesta"! (They were; ten years after my visit, maybe they are awake!) The
International "puente" (=bridge) No1 is joining the centers of the two cities.
Although Los dos Laredos is an interplay point of two different cultures and lifestyles, each side keeps some unique characteristics. I think that in August there would be the highest temperatures in the area. 115 deg F or 45.5 deg C is a possible temperature at noon, and the two sides had a totally different picture.
Laredo, the American side, was almost deserted. Just a few cars were moving with their air-conditionings working at their highest setting, and when a car was stopping somewhere, the driver was running directly for a shelter in a shop or a house with a similar cooling equipment. All doors were closed to keep the desired temperature difference. Americans were afraid of heat!
Nuevo Laredo, the Mexican side, was totally different. People were still walking in the streets, the most part of the shops had their doors opened, not having air-conditioning, and the best way to overcome heat, was to buy a chilled fruit juice from a street vendor and then find some bench under the shadow of a tree in the huge central square and lay there for a while.
.
Laredo
email me
add as friend
Comments for StefanosS about Laredo