CROSSING THE BORDER

Today started off bright and early, first flying into the San Diego Airport.  Joy, our Peace Works guide, met us and loaded us onto the bus. Then we made our way to Chicano Park located under the bridge to Coronado Island. We had a delicious taco lunch provided by Salud Catering. We were then guided by an amazing tour guide named David, sharing his passion for the Chicano population in Southern California. David talked about the history and cultural significance of all the vibrant murals. Once we finished walking around observing the art, we loaded back into the vans and headed to the border. At the border we crossed over on foot. It was noisy, hot and busy. As soon as we stepped out into the streets into Tijuana there were vendors selling Mexican food, drinks, and souvenirs. We loaded into the van and set off to the wall. Friendship Park is located right next to the border wall, and our tour guide Ricarbol showed us the history of the park. We learned that the park was originally used to unite the two nations of Mexico and the US.  Now the security of the United States border has separated the two. We also saw the murals the locals have painted on the wall itself. Regardless of the negative connotation of the border, the murals show vibrant colors and symbols like plants and animals. We had a short amount of free time, where we got to walk up and down the streets checking out the different vendors. We ended our day back at the orphanage enjoying a home cooked dinner and reflecting on what we had noticed throughout the day before we get some much-needed rest. We are ready for a big day tomorrow!