Travel Trend: Mock Illegal Border Crossing

Ever wonder what it's like to be an illegal border crosser? Mexico's Parque EcoAlberto offers tourists the chance to find out with caminata nocturna - a staged adventure that simulates illegally crossing the Rio Grande from Mexico into the United States.

The Parque EcoAlberto is a 3,000 acre eco-park owned by the Hñahñu Indians in Hidalgo, Mexico. It does not border the United States but is in central Mexico, about 700 miles south of the actual crossing.

The park opened in 2004 with funding from the Mexican government and created the caminata nocturna - nighttime hike - in July of the same year. It costs 200 pesos (about $18 USD) to become "illegal" for about four hours.

Groups are led by Hñahñu tour guides, many who have crossed the real border several times. Of the 2,200 locals only 700 reside in Mexico and 1,500 scrape through a life of labor in Nevada as construction or farm workers.

It is not a reality that evokes pride here, instead the Hñahñu recognize the loss of family, language, community and connection to place that marks the life of an illegal immigrant.

The tourist caminata takes the traveler over deserts, hills and riverbeds to give a taste of the arduous journey that illegal border crossers endure. The Hñahñu view the guided caminata nocturna as an homage to the dangerous path that real-life border crossers have carved across the desert. It is meant as a consciousness-raising experience.

Of the 3,000 tourists that have taken the caminata nocturna, most have been Mexican. In addition to an experienced guide, the groups are joined by other Hñahñus who play the role of illegal border crossers. Each takes on a character explaining their motivation for the journey. Some talk of finding work up north, others carry children and speak of their search for family member who have already made the journey to the "other side."

The nighttime hikes usually start at a landmark, like a church, where guides don ski masks, dish out plans and organize the huddled group. "Walk in file", "be brave", "remember the ancestors" and "hit the ground if you hear gunshots" are all part of the repertoire.

Then, the "illegals" are led down a gravel road in the Mexican highlands past mesquite trees, cactus plants and pastures. Although the danger is pretend, the anticipation of a run in with "Border Patrol" creates tension because somewhere along the hike, there will be a "conflict."

Vamos rápido! the guide will yell as headlights and the caminata nocturna police close in. The group will scatter into darkness. Run! Sirens will roar from four wheel drive trucks as tourists scurry down loose embankments, stumble over rocks and splash through the muddy Tula River.

The play police will search with flashlights and taunt you and your fellow "illegals" as you hide among thick bushes. If one of you dares to run, shots will fire out in the clear night, blanks but still foreboding.

You might be able to escape, but you might get caught. If the mock police catch you they'll throw you in the back of a pickup - a failed attempt.

If you are lucky, you and your group will sneak away, cross cornfields and crawl under barbed-wire fences to freedom. During quiet, without gunfire or racing pickups in pursuit, your guide might share some indigenous folklore about the land and the local people. At one point, he will tell you you've made it across the border.

Many of the visitors who partake in the caminata nocturna walk away stunned. Although the staged adventure is theoretically a game, the experience is eye-opening - a kind of interactive cultural museum that gives the visitor a chance to experience someone else's life.

About 70 Hñahñus work as guides, guards or characters in the mock illegal border crossings. The park has endless outdoor activities including river rafting, rock climbing and camping. It is known for its variety of microclimates and plethora of wildlife that includes coyotes, foxes, turtles, bighorn sheep, birds and fish. Still, the caminata nocturna is the biggest tourist attraction.

The reenactment of illegally crossing the national border between Mexico and the United States is a way to acknowledge the hardships of local emigrants. It is also a way to generate local jobs and dissuade residents from leaving for financial reasons. The hope is that people will recognize there is money to be made locally. The organizers hope it will convince people not to emigrate.

Some argue that the mock illegal border crossings could serve as a training ground for those heading to El Norte. The argument is weak as the caminata nocturna is hardly as extreme as the real crossing. The participants have included university groups, weekend thrill seekers and even parents looking to deter their teenagers from considering the real journey.

In between the action of the chase, the gunfire and the riverbed traverses, visitors are offered insight on the disappearing Hñahñu culture and spirituality as well as a naturalist perspective of the arid landscape. The caminata nocturna is an opportunity to walk in the shoes of an illegal border crosser, a unique experience on the other side of the fence.

Resources:

Parque EcoAlberto www.parqueecoalberto.com.mx

Patrick O'Gilfoil Healy "Run! Hide! The Illegal Border Crossing Experience" New York Times February 4, 2007 http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/02/04/travel/04HeadsUp.html?ref=travel

Jessie Johnston and Emily King, Inside Traveler "Borderline Loco" National Geographic Traveler July 27, 2006 http://www.nationalgeographic.com/traveler/extras/blog/blog0607_4.html

Jonathon Morgan "Unique Tourism: Mock Illegal Border Crossings" February 5, 2007 http://www.gadling.com/bloggers/jonathon-morgan

Visit Mexico www.visitmexico.com/wb2/Visitmexico/Visi_Pchca_Ecotourismo

Ian Gordon "Flight Simulator: When crossing the Mexican border - or pretending to - is a walk in the park" December 29, 2006 http://www.slate.com/id/2156301/pagenum/all/