TimesToCome

We visited Santa Ana Wildlife Refuge last week. The refuge is along the US – Mexico border, one side of the refuge is bordered by the Rio Grand. We saw armadillo, alligators, green jays, road runners, and bobcats while wandered about the park trails. The park has walking trails only, we traversed most of them. It was very dry when we visited, not sure if it always is in the winter or it has just been a dry year or two?

The Spanish moss in the park is amazing. Several trails have large sections where the moss covers about everything. I kept expecting a wizard or fairy to appear through the moss. There were several impressive tropical plants which have existed since prehistoric times and you could imagine a dinosaur coming by to munch on one.

You can see the Rio Grand from a distance up high on its banks. Occasionally you see green trashbags and assorted wet clothing where someone had made it across the border.

We crossed into Mexico along the border. Mexico allows you to come in about 20 or so miles and visit without much ado but has a more serious border after the tourist areas. They wouldn’t let us past that with the rental car. We did visit Matamoros and Bagdad.

Matamoros is like a slightly off version of many Chinatown neighborhoods in the US. There are hundreds of little stores and little homes and tiny restaurants and people everywhere. Some of the restaurants were so tiny they only sat 4 people. There were shoppers and shop keepers everywhere, the streets were wonderfully full of people.

Bagdad is along the coast of Mexico. About a dozen armed soldiers in full gear meet you at the beach entrance. I’ve no idea why they need soldiers at the beach? There is an area full of umbrellas, chairs and families, then a section of dozens of tiny restaurants and bars put together out of what ever happened to be around. The beach had Portuguese men of war all over it. The colors on them are amazing.