Cemeteries in Mexico are crowded with families marking the Day of the Dead holiday. One of the largest gatherings is right on the border.
In Juarez, murders in that city now top 2,000.
On Dia de los Muertos, entire families tidy up tombs and take time to celebrate the lives of those they've lost.
There are favorite songs, food, and at one woman's grave, a prized pet.
Many Mexicans view death is as a natural progression of life. But in Juarez, drug violence has disturbed the natural order of things, forcing hundreds of parents to bury their children.
Isabel Perez, a mother, says her 14-year-old died from a gunshot wound. His grave reflects his passion for fixing up cars.
Just a few feet away, another family gathers at the grave of another 14-year-old who was gunned down.
Elias Candelaria, his uncle, says God only knows when the killing will stop. With so many dead this year, traffic on the road to the city's largest cemetery was steady.
The families started arriving here early this morning and they keep coming. Just to give you a sense of how big this is -- there are 70 different vendors catering to the crowd.
The huge crowd on this day of the Day of the Dead in Juarez is testament not only to tradition, but also the drug war's toll on so many families in the border city.
