Crossing the border-who helps them??
Who helps them when they cross the border of either mexico or the U.S??
shareRaimundo, the friend of Don Ramon helped them. He had a passport, so he could cross the border over the roads, but they had no passport, and did not want to return to Guatemala to get some, so they had to sneak into the pipes
shareI never understood how Enrique came to THAT restaurant and asked for Raimundo. I always thought that there was a missing scene there.
share*Warning* SPOILER
You're right, it doesn't make sense how they found Raimundo. Another mystery regarding him- how does he meet Rosa and Enrique on the other side of the tunnel in the U.S.? If it is that easy, why do they not take his path instead of the horror of the sewer tunnels? My students always ask this and I have no good answer...
I just finished watching the movie and my guess is that because Raimundo had a passport, he could easily get in the helicopter and fly to the other side of the tunnel since he was legal and border patrol would not be a problem. However, since Rosa and Enrique do not have legal documentation, they have to travel through the tunnel to avoid being stopped by immigration officials or border patrol as they would be deported back to Guatemala if they were discovered... Hope this helps you!
shareraimundo never got into a helicopter... that was border patrol
shareHe has a passport, so he goes in his van to the other side. They cannot go with him because they would be caught in the van.
shareIt's simple. Ramon, the friend he meets at the house with the water wheel gave him the address where to find him in Tijuana. Now, Raimundo knows where to meet Rosa and Enrique on the San Diego side of the tunnel because he was a "coyote" so he knows the routes and tunnels. He explains all this when he sits down with Enrique to feed him at the restaurant. He explains that it's safer through the tunnels. Using the mountains is dangerous because people get robbed, raped and even killed or simply caught by Border Patrol.
shareYes, how he hits upon the right restaurant is not explained, as far as I could tell. I thought we were basically left to guess, to piece it together. Or maybe a scene is missing.
I started writing a bit of conjecture-- the name of a restaurant mentioned comes back to Enrique's memory-- but it seems a weak guess.
EDIT: I just watched the excellent DVD commentary by the director, and Nava gives no indication as to how Enrique knows to head to that restaurant.
I assumed that in his conversation with Don Ramon he may have mentioned where he worked and that Enrique just happened upon the restaurant.
Stay off the curb or get on the bus. Either way, I'm driving. Christopher Titus
We have to make that assumption, because Enrique just strolling into a random restaurant in Tijuana and finding Raimundo is ridiculous.
Dear Ndugu, how are you? I am fine.
He may have asked around about him, and found someone who knew of the guy. He was once a coyote, so others in that business may have known where his day job was (and since they didn't have near the normal amount of money that coyotes charge for their services, they wouldn't try to dissuade them from finding him in order to "scoop" them as customers themselves).
Movies always have to omit some small details for time's sake, but usually something like this would be shown though, since their apparent hopelessness at finding their contact in chaotic Tijuana was one element that was shown of their struggle to navigate to El Norte.
"No more half-measures."