In 1848, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, signed between the United States and Mexico, created two cities in two countries, the sister cities of Laredo and Nuevo Laredo. Today, the city has a population of over 300,000. What most people see is a typical border town, with a cross section of its citizens from the prosperous to the very poor. Children on the streets will try to sell you chewing gum; women with children sitting on the sidewalk sell small handmade items.

One of our main reasons for traveling to Laredo from San Antonio, about 150 miles, was to buy some pottery across the border for our newly renovated patio. With high expectations of finding some unique and affordable pieces, we crossed the border and started our search. But our efforts would go unrewarded. As we went through almost every shop on Guerrero Street, the main shopping area, we found nothing that we were looking for. Hot, tired and thirsty, we finally found our one purchase- a "Laredo" baseball-type cap for Harry’s collection.

At this point, we changed our mission. No longer on a shopping quest, we were now simply tourists in search of the best Nuevo Laredo had to offer.

You don’t have to walk very far to find a beautiful park. Most have a centerpiece, such as an ornate gazebo, where you could hear a local band, usually on Sundays. Walkways and flowering gardens crisscross the park and benches are everywhere. We enjoyed a cold bottle of water and a shady area to sit and do some serious "people watching".

Besides the shops along Guerrero Avenue there are several markets with everything from arts and crafts to leather goods, jewelry, shoes, zarape blankets, blown glass and the typical Mexican souvenirs. One of my favorite things to buy in Mexico are the blankets. They are beautifully colored, soft and can be washed and dried without any shrinking or fading.

The advice "don’t drink the water" is still the best advice you can heed, and also don’t eat food from the many street vendors. Stick with bottled anything- sodas, water or beer for your thirst and the nicer restaurants for food. Our favorite activity was simply enjoying the color, music, people and parks in this truly "old Mexico town".