The Shores of Acheron

Forty years ago, military-backed death squads descended on Dora Rodriguez’ hometown as a civil war spiraled out of control in El Salvador. Forced to flee as a teenager and leave her family behind, Rodriguez began what she thought would be the only journey north through Mexico and into the harsh Sonoran Desert. In this episode, Dora recounts her harrowing start-stop passage across the desert, predatory smugglers that nearly cost her life, and an unlikely relationship with a man from the other side of the wall. *This episode has been edited from the original version for safety and editorial purposes. --- Produced by Clarke Tolton, Grace Heerman, Mike Martinez, and Tyler Wray. Sound Design by George Drake Jr. Music by Mike Etten Intro/Outro music by Anand Wilder For more about this story, including photos by Clarke Tolton, visit everythingisstories.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Om Podcasten

Created and produced by Mike Martinez and Tyler Wray, Everything is Stories is an ongoing survey of personal histories. Each episode is a first person narrative from someone who has lived through consequential changes to their notion of self and the world. Harry Crews said it best: “Nothing is allowed to die in a society of story telling people. It is all–the good and the bad–carted up and brought along from one generation to the next. And everything that is brought along is colored and shaped by those who bring it. These voices have told their greatest moments where peace is far and death is close. Sometimes these stories explore the philosophy of outsiders. But most importantly, these stories examine what it is to be human. We don’t record to defend or demonstrate an idea. Rather, we create a document of what was seen and felt during their transformative experiences. Take a listen. Start anywhere. You may find a new definition of reality’s highs and lows. Know of a story or storyteller? Send us your tales of genuine characters and unfamiliar places for consideration to: HQ@everythingisstories.com. No story too troubled, no atmosphere too strange, no realm too foreign.