Twelve years ago, Mateo Xavier Manuel Rodriguez Aguerra-Veracruz, an artist from northern New Mexico, wandered across the border into Mexico with dreams of exploring the world but got no further than Ciudad Jurez. Known as Penco-the orphan-he paints and contemplates the lost world of his childhood. Single-minded about his art, he has become a recluse. When Penco starts to work as a bus driver, the chaotic streets and characters of Jurez begin to reconnect him with the world. He spends time with friends from El Caf Misin, a local bar frequented by the elusive Gabriella, a fellow artist; Penco's best friend Frederico, the head chef at the only four-star restaurant in the city; Twain de Vaca, a American film studies student who irritates Penco with his admiration; and a German tightrope walker, Heinrich Damrosch. Ultimately, Penco's friends, the bus passengers, and encounters with three strangers allow him to confront the haunting images and fears from his childhood, a necessary step if he is ever to return home.