Big Bend

We have just spent a few days in Big Bend where you enter a world of majestic stone pillars, columns, domes, buttes, hoodoos, and walls of multi-colored hues of the earth. It’s almost as if you are on a different planet, yet in reality it’s a wonderfully kept landscape of nature undisturbed by mankind. Here lies the Chihuahan Desert with shrub brush, cactus, and flowers; and the Chisos mountains lush with piñon pine, drooping juniper, and firs.

We hiked in both areas and relished the views and changing viewpoints while on each trail. On the desert trail we hiked out to the Mule Ears rock formation. Just prior to the Ears we dipped down into a spring lush with maiden hair fern cascading down the rocks into the pool. In the pool were tadpole eggs and one solitary tadpole swimming about. The rocks I discovered along the way appeared to be mini paintings of what I was seeing in front of me – bands of colors showing all the chemical reactions over the years. There were flowers springing forth trumpeting their blossoms of yellow sunflowers, blue bonnets, and magenta cups. Even some of the cactus were in bloom.

In late afternoon we were in the Chisos mountains and had spectacular views of the Chisos basin while surrounded by greenery – quite a contrast from our desert hike, and different lighting from our morning view in the same place. Earlier, we got up in the dark and drove to higher ground with our chairs and a thermos of coffee to watch the sun come up and cast its ever-changing light on the mountains. After, we headed out to a hot spring to bathe in a 105 degree pool among the towering yellow reeds of the Rio Grande. What a treat!

Our next stop was Boquillas, Mexico. At the river’s edge there was a Mexican boatman ready to row us, to the tune of five dollars, the short 100 feet across the river to Mexico. On the other side men asked if you wanted to pay to have a donkey take you into town. We chose to walk the mile dirt road to the border town where we had some tacos and a margarita – of course! The town is dotted with small homes where women sit embroidering in front of clothes lines displaying their crafts for sale. They made bags, beaded insects, and bottle and can coolers depicting the scenery, plants and animals of the area. Children ran up to us and I bought their handmade “No Wall” woven bracelets. The town truly subsists on the curiosity of foreign visitors. From 2002 to 2013 when the border was closed the people in Boquillas had to move elsewhere to make a living – thus, all the NO WALL and MAKE BOQUILLAS GREAT AGAIN paraphernalia for sale. As I said to Mike on our walk back to the river, it’s like ages ago when the women stayed at home to prepare meals and created goods to trade and the men went off hunting – yet today, the goods are souvenirs and the game are American tourists.