Nogales, No Curtain

The lack of chain motels in Nogales had been booking an independent motel via Booking.com, my favorite site for "unflagged" accommodation. I've had pretty good luck overall, providing I stick to places that have great reviews.

I wasn't as lucky in Nogales at the Siesta Inn. The Indian (from India) proprietress greeted me in Spanish then switched to English when she realized I was Anglo. So many of the independent motels are owned by people from India. I have nothing against them, but some of them seem to, well, dislike their clientelle. It comes across as an attitude. I suppose I'd have the same kind of attitude if I ran a motel, but that's one reason I'd never want to be an innkeeper.

The room was decent enough and clean---that plus security (door locks, etc.) are absolute musts. I've had good luck with that so far.

But the Wi-Fi turned out to be awful. I seemed to be able to load only one page every ten minutes and had to keep reconnecting. It was the worst Internet connection I've had in living memory. Given that there was no Starbucks or apparent Internet cafe in town, this was doubly bad and frustrating.

The television reception was lousy as well. Needless to say, no TCM, but even trying to watch NCIS reruns, the sound was fuzzy and crackly.

There was no shower curtain---an incredible oversight by housekeeping. Actually one appeared the next morning after I came back from breakfast. Housekeeping had already decided to start stripping my room even though I had not yet checked out and had a few hours left before checkout time. So much for lying on the bed and meditating before I hit the road, as I like to do.

But like I've said, I've had good luck with motels. Sometimes it doesn't work out perfectly.

And Nogales is the kind of place one would expect luck to bottom out. It really is a shabby little border town. The downtown has that musty flea market feeling like Mexican towns do.

Before I left town I walked down the border, which cuts right through downtown. The border fence goes up the hill and one can see the stark division. On the left, a barren American street with windows border up in sanitary fashion like a fortress. On the right, the shanty-like structures of the Mexican city. It's the view I'd come to see. I'm bizarrely fascinated by such contrasts.