These were the words emblazoned on a hill overlooking El Paso as we sped through it this morning. It’s Spanish for: “the bible is the truth… READ IT!” This explains a few things about el paso to me, confirming (in cooperation with the many “desert-view” suburban “enclaves”) that el paso falls into the category of unredeemable shithole.
That is of course, unless your consider the goodness bestowed on it by its proximity to Hueco Tanks, the place with the Best Bouldering In The World, and it’s numerous dispensaries of snack foods and DVDs.
After an uneventful drive yesterday to the tanks, I spent the late afternoon getting spanked by my old foe, mushroom roof. Mushroom Roof very politely explained to me that just because I’m moving out of Texas and I might not be coming back to Hueco for a long, long time doesn’t give me permission to send V8 after not climbing much at all for 2 months. I did, however, do my customary cursing and ripping off of my fingertips anyway.
the rest of the evening was spent lazing about the campsite, then finally unpacking our “tent.” I use the term only tentatively because this “tent” had not been unpacked for at least five years, and it was apparrently packed during a monsoon, because every surface of the tent was covered with a festive black fungus that also had a very festive odor. It’s just as well that the tent was in this state, since neither of us had sleeping bags or pads that might have assisted tent sleep. So, we made other arrangements.
Today’s only point of interest was Saguaro NP which had some really big cactus. I’m sure that they were really interesting, and I looked at them and was kind of impressed, but I think my ability to really appreciate them was impeded by the fact that it was roughly 20 degrees cooler than the surface of the sun in the park, and so I kept having to rush back to the car to treat my burns or at least to get some AC. We did get a few pictures anyway.
Tomorrow we’re heading to Joshua Tree NP, another really outrageously hot place, but this one is in California, which is a state that at least has some places in it that have been known to be cool. It also happens to be the same state that has Los Angeles in it, which happens to be the city that has USC in it, which happens to be the place where TFA training is going on. What an interesting coincidence.
george — 2003-09-05 13:37:37
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=el+paso
Molly Walker — 2011-12-05 13:59:32
woaw- I am a student in El Paso. I am not originally from here, and I too have struggled to find affection for this place. But its here. I have most certainly found it. One thing that is so incredibly important about the ‘hill overlooking el paso’- is that it is in Mexico. That was Ciudad Juarez- also the most dangerous city in the world for a miriad of deeply rooted reasons. This place is important- a place in the U.S. where one is reminded of nationality and the lack thereof. these false titles of security. what is border. Mexico is greatly a catholic country, although much of its catholicism is rooted in native interpretations of it. i.E the Virgin Guadalupe. before you reference something as an unreadable shithole, spend 5 seconds figuring where you actually are.
bryan — 2013-06-25 11:39:53
Hi Molly,
Thanks for pointing out that the hill is in Mexico. It’s still a pretty obnoxious evangelical message to deface a hillside with.
