We had seen brochures, watched videos, and heard people speak about this place, Big Bend, Texas. It is beyond description. First of all, it is a wilderness, and I mean a wilderness. The scope of this place is huge, and getting lost or stuck here on a hike or out on a jeep trail is a real concern. This place can kill you. They tell you to drink water...often, always, whenever you can, particularly when you’re hiking. They ask you to limit yourself to 5 gallons per day as well, since water is so precious and scarce here. People perish here when they are not respectful of the power and magnitude of the desert and the mountains.
This is a place where SCALE is THE overwhelming thing. At once you can be awestruck by the beauty of the Chisos Mountains, rising out of the desert plain like an island in the sun, and then look down at your feet and see a tiny solitary cobalt blue flower struggling to fulfill its destiny on the hard pan desert floor. Scorpions the size of your fingernail crawl over the largest dinosaur bones on the planet jutting out in some dry creek bed that was once a swamp 70 million years ago. Rocks of every color imaginable create a never-ending mosaic on the desert floor. The Sierra Del Carmen mountains literally change color before your eyes depending upon the time of day...pink and purple at day break, brilliantly golden like the halls of heaven at sunset. This is a place of indescribable sunsets and shadows, colors and cactus. And then, there is the river…
The Rio Grande, or Rio Bravo is a ribbon of life here. It curls through the park in sweeping bends. In places it has cut canyons through the eons of rock and mountains that rival any you have seen. Wherever it choose to go, however, it offers life. That is one of the reasons there are so many different bird species living here. Some call it home while others pass through on their yearly migrations. There is more avian diversity here than anyplace we can remember being.
We crossed the river, as seems to be the custom here for nearly anyone who has seen it. There is a village just the other side of the river called Boquillas (little mouth). Originally set up for mining in the mineral rich Sierra Del Carmen range, it now exists as a place to go...a village to see. It is a time capsule of sorts in that most of the customs of the people of Mexico from a distant time still remain. Once you go through US Customs you can cross the river in a john boat paddled by a capable man of the village. The cost is $10.00 round trip. Or, you can wade across. We took the john boat. It’s good trade. Once on the other side, you can walk ½ mile up a hill to the village, or, you can take a burro ride for $10.00. Again, we chose the burro ride. It’s good trade, and, who doesn’t like burro rides? In our case, Raul accompanied us up the hill. Raul stayed with us the entire time we were in his village and gave us a very nice, relaxed tour of the village.
Boquillas is a village of 200 people. They live simply, but honestly in this little corner of the border. They are 100 miles or so from the nearest “big town” in Mexico. It is “out there”. As mentioned earlier, Boquillas was a mining town. The minerals and ore were actually transported across the river to the US via cable car through Big Bend before it was designated a National Park. The methods of mining in those days was anything but safe and Lord knows how many were injured or killed in those mountain shafts. Now the mainstay of the village is tourism. Specifically, there are two restaurants in the village and both are excellent. These are not like restaurants in the US, but the water is bottled and the food is terrific. The ambiance, well...you can only get it here in Boquillas.
We ate at both restaurants. It’s good trade, and...why not? We had goat tacos in one, seated in the cool shade off the dusty street. They were great! Diane tells me the Marguarita was equally inspiring. Across the street we sampled Poblano peppers stuffed with cheese and meat...out of this world authentic and good! In this open air, covered patio, you have a terrific view of the Rio Grande a few hundred feet below. Raymonde was singing and playing his dried out guitar for the patrons. Time, had stopped. It was a long moment, immeasurable by any human standard.
In Boquillas, everyone is in the tourist trade. Children, perhaps 4 years old, politely approach you displaying handmade bracelets for sale. Clothe lines hang in front of the houses with handmade bags, or rosaries, and any number of different items that the household crafts to sell. It’s a cacophony of color and creativity, embroidered with the humanity of the place. However, no one begs. No one hassles you. No one approaches you with anything less than a value for you to consider. There is integrity here in this little corner of the desert. It’s good trade.
In 2001, right after the World Trade Center attack, the borders shut down. No border entry was allowed into Boquillas. 200 people had their livelihood turned off. Most left town in search of jobs. Some found jobs, some didn’t. It stayed that way until 2013 when the border crossing finally opened again. There are no zealots here with plans to destroy the American dream. There are no terrorists plotting the overthrow of the Infidels. These folks aren’t even trying to cross the border into the US. They sell t shirts here that implore, “ No Wall “, referring to our President’s “plan”. A wall...here…? Where’s the need? Informally, during my month in Texas I have not met anyone yet who thinks the “Wall” is a good idea. I’m sure there are some who feel it’s needed, but I haven’t met them yet. Certainly not the 200 folks in Boquillas or the tourists who visit them. It’s simply good trade.
At this point, I feel I have written too much about Big Bend and I should simply let you see for yourself from the pictures we have taken. So, check out the images in the photo section of this website and see the scale and rare beauty for yourself…