Beggars: I'll say this for Mexico, their beggars work for your money. Except for women of Indian descent, I've so far seen few beggars just standing next to the road, waiting for a handout. In El Paso, however, the gringos don't juggle or "eat" fire or walk on their hands. In all 3 or 4 cases I've seen, El Pasans who beg just stand there. The Juarezians try to entertain you.

Guns: This is the first place where I've seen the universal "no guns" symbol -- the white circle with a black gun in the center and a red line across it -- where it isn't meant as a joke. You see at least one such sign when you drive across the border. Apparently the Mexican government has a zero tolerance for gringos bringing in guns, because you go to jail for several years if you're caught with one. There is another sign in a well-known tourist restaurant, one where there are a lot more Spanish-speaking tourists than gringos.

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