Arkansas State press. [volume] (Little Rock, Ark.) 1941-1959, 1953-07-17
Ny Flight TO
Mexico City
II. II. billiard
Part One

OF Laredo, leNasi eS
reaehed over a hard surfaced
well engineered hiway, Tourists
will find travel from sea level
over rolling foot hills, and a
ronnd cloud covered cliffs for
more than thousand feet up
TO Mexico City, The climate Is
tropical, and the tops OF noun
tains are covered with vegetation
we'll watered by tropical rains
The tops and sides OF these
mountains, ttoo steep for animals'
are used for farming by the ma
tives with their hand tools.
The antiquated modus OF the
populace, the quaint old Spanish
walled in Villas and sometime
fields, are all inspiring to visitors.
Far out into the rurals you can
see bamboo houses covered with
grass, the farmers, in their white
suits, still using oxen for plow-
ing with no modern implements,
They use OK carts and burros
fsome no larger than mans
body as a mode of transporta-
ton.
II took considerable time for
me to decide to tour the Southern
Republic altho my DR.. 20. b.
White had advised me to take
o vacation to check my rapidly
declining strength. After the de-
cision was made, I soon had my
take Off, ! departed on US
81 to Texarkana, Dallas, FIT Worth
and then US 81 to Austin, San
Antonio, and Laredo. Texas
1t was Saturday p. m. when l
reached the border city and the
streets were full of shoppers -
mostly Mexicans, drove down to
the International bridge, and look
ed over, but for no logical reason.
I drove by and parked and walked
back to take a second view. | was
yer conscience of my strange sur
rourdings but no one seemed to
notice me at all, as ! edged my
way back and forth thru the
crowd.
asked no questions, but relied
on my own judgment to adjust
things. O. X. I decided, then !
went back and got my car, after
! had made my change and was
soon or foreign soil, after a short
delay for interviewing on the
bridge A few miles out was
customs inspection station where
every che is required to pass thru
for $3.50 Now you are truly lin.
The first so miles of hiway Is
straight, but the land is arid and
sickly looking. Very large cactus
fields are seen in this area, and
an occasional truck loaded with
the stuff, on its way to h c
market.
At intervals, tourists are requir-
ed to drive thru watts partially
filled with water and chemicals,
then every one has to get out
and walk thru a mushy, moss -
covered bed also chemically treat
ed. These orders are rigidly en-
forced by a grim faced guard
VINO stands at the end with rife
in hand ready to down the first
sinner"
With the port of entry we'll in
the rear, had now begun to en-
iov the strange sights Of o d
Mexico. Down the road short
distance. caught sight Of
strangely shaped ! still don't
know what to call it, tthatched)
only it was the home Of a peas
ant farmer All the peasant wom-
en- and children ! saw were bare
footed, only the men wore shoes.
Sierra Mountains soon became
visible and farmers could be seen
working with their oxen on the
rolling hills.
This was about the halfway
point to Monterrey. and had
70 make l. by airhNall I was
on the assent, and my map show
ed that I had to pass over Nam
ulique Pass, q hundred feet, and
that was enough TO make me hur-
ny ! made il over the hill or"
early and without incident The
mountains were very colorful and
rugged. I was again on level
ground which always makes
driver feel good Shortly after I
drove out of the pass ] peered out
thru the windshield and saw
second customs inspection
Many questions few thru my
brains, but no answers. Would I
be detained, turned back, or al
lowed TO proceed See next issue
what happened