|
| |
| |
|
NOGALES |
| |
Twenty miles south of Tumacácori, an hour from Tucson, sits the
largest of the Arizonan-Mexican border towns, NOGALES - in effect two
towns, one in the US and one across the border in Mexico. Known jointly
as Ambos Nogales (both Nogales), they welcome considerable numbers of
tourists, though with cheap Mexican crafts now so widely available in
the US, day-trippers these days tend to be looking for cut-price
medicines rather than rugs or hammocks.
There's nothing in particular to see on either side of the border,
though the contrast between the orderly streets of the American town and
the jumbled white-washed houses clinging to the slopes in Mexico hits
you as soon as you come in sight. Nogales, Arizona - the birthplace of
iconoclastic jazz great Charles Mingus - is a dreary little community,
while Nogales, Mexico, is basically a lively, large-scale street market.
Crossing the border is straightforward, as Mexican visas are only
required by travelers heading more than 21km south of the border. US
citizens should, however, ideally carry their passports or birth
certificates - drivers' licenses are not always sufficient - while
foreign visitors should check that their visa status entitles them to
re-enter the US; if you're on or eligible for the Visa Waiver Scheme,
you're fine. If driving, leave your car on the US side; you'll see lots
of cheap lots as you approach the border, and it'll save you the hassle
of finding parking and waiting on long car lines to return. There's no
need to change money; US dollars are freely accepted by stores and
businesses across the border.
None of the Arizona-side motels stands within a mile of the border; the
closest is the Best Western Siesta Motel , 673 N Grand Ave (tel
520/287-4671 or 1-888/215-4783; $35-50). Most visitors prefer to eat in
Mexico, where abundant cafés and diners line the busy central streets.
Classier dining is offered by the unusual La Roca , hollowed into the
rocky hillside just east of the railroad, a couple of blocks from the
border at c/Elias 91, where a full seafood meal costs under $20.
|
|
