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Tejas Cafe, the only place downtown to get food at 6 in the morning. In 2006, I paid $35 for a room with no toilet at the Gardner Hotel (where John Dillinger once stayed!). My room was sordid, my bed sagged and my sheet had cigarette holes in it. Up by 5, I had to go over to Juarez to get some breakfast. I walked past darkened doorways where prostitutes rested on couches after their night's labor. Near the cathedral, I spotted 100 people eating inside a bright eatery. The sign outside said, COMIDA CHINA, so it was clear an enterprising Chinese owner had decided to serve before anybody else. Other places were starting to open, however, so near the border bridge, I had an excellent plate of tripes and refried beans.



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