General Tequila

This illustration is based on an actual bartender from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.

At the party/closing ceremony for the National Association of Hispanic Journalists convention in 1998, all the participants were bused from El Paso, Texas to a rodeo arena in Juarez. There was a huge food tent where we were served authentic Mexican food. A concrete pit was stocked full of ice cold beer. Free food, free beer, free tequila!

General Tequila, wearing a gun holster with a bottle of tequila in one side, a bottle of 7Up in the other, wandered around, dispensing free shots for everyone. The shot glasses were stashed where the shotgun shells would normally go.

Afterwards, there was some kind of horseback show with young women riders carrying torches and circling inside the arena very fast. Then the lights were turned off. There was a blur of lights and sounds as the riders circled, then did intersecting figure-eights! Truly a memorable experience! If I could only remember the details ...

Fortunately, my cousin, Miami Herald photographer Al Diaz, took some photos of the horseback show as well as one of me as I tried to snort a Corona.

As we melted/settled back into our air-conditioned Greyhound bus back to our hotel in El Paso, I vaguely remember starting a happy birthday sing-along for someone whom I don’t remember …