Hugs and handshakes fill the plaza after Sunday Mass, where the stone towers of the cathedral stand beside the small adobe Guadalupe Mission, the spot where the city began. In December, matachines dancers lead pilgrims to the same steps. A few blocks north, friends lean on the Kentucky Club bar, debating who mixed the first margarita.
Beyond downtown, families picnic in Chamizal park along the river, and the white Samalayuca dunes rise from the desert to the south. The climate is hot desert, with blazing summers, crisp winter nights and the odd snowfall. A Local Friend walks beside you instead of ahead, sharing the plaza greetings, a favorite lunch counter and the slang that ties Juárez to El Paso.
