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Sunday 6 October 2013

MEXICO

A week in mexico... such an amazing but exhausting trip! We started the trip by heading to a small town in Arizona called Bisbee, it was... interesting. I guess the best way to describe it is a hippy town, we arrived quite late at night but went to meet with the mayor. She told us about what she had been doing for the town so far, including civil partnership laws and banning single use plastic bags (becoming the only town in Arizona to do so). After meeting the mayor we went to our host families for the next two nights, I was with three up people in a motel; which was lucky for us because me and a boy called Rohan had been told of a set of tunnels underneath the town that we could visit, so as soon as we got settled into the room we went off in search of them. It was nice walk through the town, as with most of my experiences with america the temperature at night was still higher than the height of british summer, the locals are a bit like the town... interesting. Although they were very nice to talk to and all of them seemed to be very happy. Eventually though we came to the tunnels, or a small ladder leading down to them, why a shrug of our shoulders and a "why not" we climbed down. We'd all come prepared with torches and had been told they weren't dangerous so were feel confident as we were face with the entrance. As a great man once said "Go back? No good at all! Go sideways? Impossible! Go forward? Only thing to do!" So we went through, they were really cool, filled from wall to ceiling with amazing graffiti, what I loved about it was that it wasn't official or anything, people had just come to paint out of sheer enjoyment! Soon though we reached the end of the interesting part and headed back to the motel, to get ready for the next day. Next morning our host mum took us for the greatest breakfast i've had since arriving in america, hash browns, toast, fried egg.. the lot! After that we went on a day hike around Bisbee while half of the students painted on the border wall. It was nice walking round Bisbee after the day hike and I bought some pretty interesting flavoured honey.

After Bisbee we drove to mexico, it wasn't as long as the trip to Bisbee and getting through the border took about 10 minutes... so that was it, we had arrived in mexico! The difference in wealth was obvious, after about 20 minutes of driving into a much poorer area- called Agua Prieta -of Cananea (the area we were in) concrete roads turned into dirt ones, there were no longer pavements. That night we all piled into a couple of rooms of a community centre to sleep, it was a really good way to get to know everyone better! The next day my half of the students went to a drug and alcohol rehab centre and then to the border. At the drug and alcohol rehab centre we heard all about what they do there and how it affects the local community, we also met 3 children who had been taken in because there's no other place for them to go for rehab. One 14 year old boy was in for drug abuse, a 15 year old boy was in for attitude problems (he had left home for days at a time and no one knew where he went) and a 13 year old girl who was there for alcohol abuse. It was good that they were getting help but at the same time it was so sad that they had to be in there and not with others their own age... especially for the girl, who I saw smoking on the way out. The problem is that there's not enough funding for stuff like this, even though it's quite clearly needed when the centre had to take in 3 children, 1 just a year younger than me. After that we went to the border to put out water for migrants who are trying to cross and walk a small section of what migrants have to with some volunteers from the centre and an ex coyote. A coyote in this sense is someone who smuggles migrants across the border, often for a high fee. After a very bumper ride which I managed to sleep through we arrived, walking just 30 minutes to the border is barely anything compared to the journey thousands of migrants make each year. We had light, warmth, guides to show us the way and the security that a car to take us back to civilisation was just minutes away, I can't even comprehend how some migrants might feel with the constant threat of capture or death lingering. Our final activity of the day was to visit a migrant resource centre, this was a place that gave advice and help to migrants who have recently been deported, mainly by helping them to get back to their hometowns. This was very interesting as they were all volunteers, including a woman from america who had come over for a couple of months, who did all they could to help anyone who walked through the door. After that we were meant to cross the border for a couple of hours for a vigil, but with the whole government shutdown it took about an hour and a half... Because it took so long we weren't able to go to the vigil (except the americans).

The next day we swapped with the other half and went to an organic farm project, then to an emergency migrant centre. At the farm we learned about what they were doing there. Basically they had taken an unused plot of land and built on it so that local families could grow their own fruit and vegetables. It's great because it both provides healthy food for families who can't quite afford enough and it brings the community together. We helped on it for about 3 hours- digging, feeding the chickens and rabbits, cleaning out their pens and moving bricks so they can build another building. They also cooked us an amazing lunch, with a drink (i've forgotten it's name but it was delicious). We headed to the emergency migrant centre after that to talk to migrants recently deported and to have dinner with them. That was maybe the most eye opening part of the trip, I spoke to one woman who had travelled from the bottom of mexico with 3 kids under the age of 5 and her husband just in search of the ability to give her children better lives. Her 3 year old was a nightmare on that one night constantly jumping from smallish walls so I can't imagine what her trip must have been like.

We then went through the border again, this time it took a little bit less but still a long time! And we met a border patrol guard, it was very interesting to hear his perspective on the immigration issue although I sometimes didn't like his way of speaking, he often gave examples that put him in a very good light. I'm sure he's a much kinder border guard than his fellow colleagues but at times it felt like he was faking it. I also didn't like his justification that if someone on the mexico side threw a rock at him he should be allowed to fire a rubber bullet at them which would release something called chilli powder, it produces a gas with chokes them victim and hurts their eyes so they leave the area. Then we travelled to Tuscon, Arizona, and settled in our rooms for the next two nights. It was a really interesting place that we were staying, and had the greatest kitchen I had seen in my life, piled high with spices and food of all kinds. And, luckily for me it had a big selection of teas!

On essentially our last day of the trip we went to see a panel of 4 people representing different organisations focusing on the environmental impact of the wall, help out on a service project and have dinner in Tuscon. The panel was very interesting, because it was putting a totally new perspective on the wall. Although I find it funny that while talking about the environmental impact and how we can help animals more we were not only in the Game and Fishing centre of Tuscon, but also in a room surrounded by stuffed animals, obviously killed for pleasure. If that's not irony then i'm about to be hit by an ambulance! The service project was an open space in Tuscon where they had planted trees and bushes to create a space for people of all ages to come visit and a haven for wildlife. It was really good because not only were we able to help the community but also talk to local people about their views on the wall. Visiting the centre of Tuscon for dinner was really good, we had about 3 hours to shop and get something to eat. I fell in love with a shop called Hippy Gipsy, it may not have had the most politically correct name but I could have bought just about everything from it (i'm sure you can tell the sort of things it sold by the name). Then I had pizza from a New York style pizza place, a great way to finish off the trip!

On our 8 hour journey back I was able to reflect on my time in mexico and find about 100 ways of sleeping on the bus, including the floor and almost upside down. It was a great experience for me, I was able to help out communities- even if just by showing my support -learn more about the whole issues surrounding immigration to the US from all view points and it changed my view on a great deal, not just on border issues! I know it's said a lot but it really did change me, it's made me realise that although i'm not fixing a world issue, just by helping out in a community around me is making a difference more than anyone could ever know!

Sorry for the long post, well done if you're reading this, you stuck in! I wanted to try and explain even just a little of what I can remember from a trip i'll remember for the rest of my life. Also, Wheeler, if you're reading this, I got you a present.



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