We left Comitan early and got to the border town of Ciudad Cuauhtemoc around 10:30 am.

We somehow missed the passport control building which was four kilometers before the actual border so had to turn back and do the formalities there. I was surprised to get the US 300 deposit we had paid Customs for the car when entering Mexico in US$ rather than Pesos(M$) as I expected. The guard at the border did an inspection of the car and poked his nose in the back, asking what was in certain boxes …etc but let us through after a few minutes.

On the Guatemalan side, literally on the other side of the barrier, we were asked to pay M$50 to fumigate the car ! The Customs officer took a while to fill in several forms, we had to pay GTQ 160 ( US$ 20) at the bank next door. He then affixed a sticker on our windscreen, gave us the Temporary Import Permit and we were on our way.

The next town Huehuetenango is about 3 hours away but the road was bad with lots of big potholes and heavy traffic, mainly trucks and “chicken buses”( US school buses re-purposed for long distance transport with fancy paint job). The bus drivers do not care about other road users and pass at full speed around bends even if they cannot see the oncoming traffic.

We arrived in Huehuetenango, an industrial town after 4pm and had to look at 5 or 6 hotel rooms before settling for a Motel type where we could park the car in front of the room. The room was basic but OK for GQT220 (US$ 27) so not that cheap but at least with a HOT shower: true luxury !!

Our next destination was Oaxaca. We wanted to avoid Mexico City so took the direction of Puebla. We were not so far from the two volcanoes, Popocatepetl and its neighbour Iztaccihuatl, which are south of the city and we were lucky enough to have a brief glimpse before the clouds covered them.

Popocatepetl is 5,452m high and is active. We could see white fumes escaping from the crater. Its name in the indigenous Nahuatl language means: “Smoking Mountain” Iztaccihuatl, 5,220m is dormant with a small snow cap. You can climb to the top. They are the 2nd and 3rd highest mountains in Mexico.

Oaxaca is a Unesco World Heritage site and the “Centro Historico” has cobble streets lined with colourful houses and majestic buildings in colonial style, museums and attractive plazas. It is also reknown for its cuisine.

We wanted to visit the Museo de las Culturas de Oaxaca, housed in beautiful Monastery buildings attached to the Church of Santo Domingo de Guzman where the treasure discovered in one of the Tomb at the nearby Monte Alban Archeological site is displayed.. We got in line and we were stopped just before our turn to go through as the Museum closes at 3pm and as it was 2 pm, they do not allow any more visitors after that time! Disappointed as we are only passing through town so won’t be able to come back the next day as suggested by the guard at the door…

We walked through the old town and simply enjoyed the atmosphere. We decided to go and try the famous “Mole”, a traditional sauce and marinade originally used in Mexican cuisine. Both states of Puebla and Oaxaca claim the origin of the sauce with accompanying story as evidence, but other regions of Mexico also have their own variations. Chili peppers are the common ingredient with fruits, nuts, and spices like black pepper, cinnamon or cumin. The classic mole version is the variety called mole poblano, which is a dark red or brown sauce served over meat. In Oaxaca you can find several varieties such as Mole Amarillo, Mole Verde, Mole Colorado … depending on additional ingredients used and the resulting colour of the sauce.

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Casa Hogar por su Mundo

We left town later than planned and were looking for a place to camp when we came across a Mission for orphaned children. The gates were open so we went in and saw someone working in the grounds. We explained we wanted to camp. That person contacted the Pastor who came round and kindly agreed and welcomed us. He even offered a room in the building which is dedicated for visitors. He showed us where we could have a shower and told us to join them for breakfast at 7 a.m the next morning.

By then, volunteers staying in the Visitor accommodation were coming back from dinner and invited us for coffee. We spent a pleasant and fun evening playing “UNO” !

Next morning, at the invitation of Johnny, the Pastor, we decided to stay for the day and contribute by helping the other volunteers to do gardening in the extensive grounds.

We had our meals with the children and their foster families in the refectory. There are around 60 children ranging from 3 to 18 years old. The younger children attend school at the Mission but older children attend school in Oaxaca, around 40mn drive away. The aim of the Mission is to provide a loving and caring environment for children who’ve had a difficult start in life.

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Left the following morning after breakfast. What appeared to be low clouds stuck in the valley turned out to be the smoke from distilleries producing Mezcal ( see previous entry under Tequila country). We passed numerous places where you could actually see the fires and the piles of “piñas” waiting to be processed, as well as merchants by the side of the road where you could do some tasting. Fields of agave plants clung to the side of hills and sometimes even the side of the road was used!

Twenty kilometers from Tehuantepec we got caught in a massive traffic jam created by a road block set up by local disgruntled activists, further up the road. Trucks and buses had no option but to stop and wait. we initially followed another car passing the line of trucks but after 200m or so we had to turn back. A man in a tuk-tuk was re-directing the traffic to a small dirt road way back were we had started and when we got there other men were asking for money to let us through! They showed us a M$ 500 note( around $25). We refused to pay and said we did not have that kind of money. In the end they accepted M$50! The dirt road in the middle of fields was quite bad and very, very dusty. Some cars were ahead of us and we could hardly see where we were going because of the dust clouds they generated. After a short while we hit another place where a group of men were trying to push big sticks in the dirt in the middle of the road to stop cars. They asked for money… we argued that we had already paid but they insisted that this was private property and we needed to pay. We refused and as the ground was so hard their attempt to block us failed. We inched our way forward and we got through !

We eventually rejoined the paved road way passed Tehuantepec. We carried on and passed a few police road blocks but were not stopped. We arrived at our destination for the night: Tuxtla-Gutierrez, capital of the State of Chiapas. The city struck us as being more upmarket than any other places we went to in Mexico, with modern buildings, shopping malls, fancy bars and restaurants. We went straight to Hotel Al Hacienda which allows you to park in their grounds and use toilets and showers +use of wifi for M$200 ($10). We were right in the city but it was fairly quiet and surrounded by trees. It was very hot and humid though.

SAN CRISTOBAL de las CASAS

The next day we drove to Cristobal de las Casas, known for its well-preserved colonial architecture, such as the centuries-old, yellow San Cristóbal Cathedral on the Parque Central. We wandered through the town market and visited the Los Altos Museum, in the baroque former Santo Domingo de Guzmán convent, which shows regional history and textile exhibits. 

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We then drove on to Comitan to get close to the border with Guatemala and go through the following day. We stopped at a big shopping mall and bought groceries thinking we would stay and park near a Walmart supermarket for the night but in the end we felt more secure across the road at a Texaco petrol station. We asked if we could park for the night and the manager there agreed. We had the use of toilets and as the station was open 24h there was a security guard too! The only downside was the noise from the road. Trucks here are really loud and some have a particular noise when they change gears which is deafening.

From Tula, we drove to another major archeological site, 40km North East of Mexico City: TEOTIHUACAN. (see below extract from Wikipedia)

“Teotihuacan is known today as the site of many of the most architecturally significant Mesoamerican pyramids  built before the arrival of Columbus, namely Pyramid of the Sun and Pyramid of the Moon. At its zenith, perhaps in the first half of the first millennium ( up to 500 CE), Teotihuacan was the largest city in the Americas, with a population estimated at 125,000 or more, making it at least the sixth-largest city in the world during its epoch.

its influence throughout Mesoamerica is well documented. Evidence of Teotihuacano presence is found at numerous sites in Veracruz and the Maya region. The later Aztecs saw these magnificent ruins and claimed a common ancestry with the Teotihuacanos, modifying and adopting aspects of their culture.

The main monuments of the city of Teotihuacan are connected to each other by a central road of 45 meters wide and a length of 2 kilometers, called “Avenue of the Dead ” (Avenida de Los Muertos), because it is believed to have been paved with tombs. East is the imposing “Pyramid of the Sun ” (Piramide del Sol), the third-largest pyramid in the world. It has a volume of 1 million cubic meters. It is a gradual pyramid, with a base dimension of 219.4 x 231.6 meters and a height of 65 meters. At the top of the pyramid, there was a huge pedestal, where human sacrifices were made. At the north end of the city, the Boulevard of the dead ends in the “Pyramid of the Moon ” (Piramide de la Luna), surrounded laterally by platforms-ramps and lower pyramids. In the southern part is the “Temple of Quetzalcoatl”), dedicated to the God in the form of a winged serpent, which gives life and fertility. Sculpture representation of the God Quetzalcoatlland twelve Heads of winged snakes adorn the two sides of the uphill scale of the temple.”

We stayed in the grounds of a restaurant which allows camping and overlanders like us to stay for a fee and we had the use of toilets and showers( cold). We met Peter, parked next to us, travelling from Calgary and had a nice evening discussing our experiences of the road. The restaurant is 10mns walk from the Archeological Park so was ideal for us. The site is vast and we spent half day there exploring and wandering with the many other tourists!

NB:It is now forbidden to climb on the Pyramids, following the fall and death of a tourist and also for the site preservation.

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The next morning we were woken up early by a loud noise coming from a field near us: it was the sound of the gas being pumped into air balloons. They flew right above us in the direction of the pyramids!

The road to Guanajato led us through Tequila country and fields of blue agave plants. By Mexican law, Tequila can only be produced in the state of Jalisco and limited municipalities in the states of Guanajuato and a few other states.Any agave-based distilled spirit outside those regions are called “mezcal.”

The origin of the Tequila can be traced back to the Aztecs, over 1,000 years ago, with their fermented milky drink called “pulque”

We camped a couple of times near these fields and you have to be careful. The pointed leaves are very sharp and can draw blood !

We saw people harvesting the agave and men were wearing shin guards on their legs and using a long handle with a sharp blade at the end to cut the leaves.

The plants are harvested at the age of seven years, when sugar content is at its peak. The leaves are cut off, leaving a ‘head’ that looks like a huge pineapple. (called piña). Heads are then cooked for the sweet juice, which is fermented and distilled into liquor.

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There are several types of Tequila:

Blanco: bottled immediately after distillation( gives the authentic earthy flavor of the agave but can be sharp to the taste)

Reposado: Tequila aged 2 to 12 months in oak barrels

Joven: a mixture of Blanco and Reposado Tequilas

Añejo :Tequila aged between 1-3 years in oak barrels. Extra Añejo  is aged 3 years or more

On the way we stopped at an old Hacienda, attracted by its beautiful but sadly slowly going to ruins buildings. The living quarters are spread on the sides of an internal courtyard and there is also a chapel where mass is still taking place once a month. Three families are living there, one man explained to us that his grand-father originally owned the Hacienda. They have fallen on difficult times and cannot bear the cost of maintaining such a huge building. Some of the ceilings have already caved in. Such a shame!

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GUANAJUATO historic town and Unesco registered.

This town, founded by the Spanish, was once the world’s leading silver extraction-centre in the 18th century. Today the huge mine shafts have been converted into subterranean streets and tunnels for traffic. The town has fine Baroque and neoclassical buildings, and two of its churches are considered to be among the most beautiful examples of Baroque architecture in Central and South America. Guanajuato was also witness to events which changed the history of the country (ref Miguel Hidalgo and his “Grito de Dolores” on 15 September 1810 which led to the War of Independence )

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TULA de ALLENDE – Archeological site

Tula is a Mesoamerican archeological site, which was an important regional center which reached its height between 900 and 1150 as the capital of the Toltec Empire  between the fall of Teotihuacan (between 650 and 750 ) and the rise of Tenochtitlan (circa 1325). Much of Toltec history was lost when Izcoatl  (1380–1440) the fourth king of Tenochtitlan, and the founder of the Aztec Empire, ruling from 1427 to 1440) burned the history books after founding the Aztec Empire.

Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent deity was widely worshipped from what is now central Mexico down into  Central america. The god is linked to a legendary ruler of Tula, Ce Acatl Quetzacoatl, who was often simply referred to as Quetzalcoatl.

The major attraction of the site is Pyramid B also called the Pyramid of Quetzalcoatl or of the Morning Star. At the top of Pyramid B are  four massive columns each carved in the likeness of Toltec warriors which once supported the roof of the temple on top of the pyramid. Each warrior figure is of basalt, four meters high, with an atlatl (or spear thrower), incense, a butterfly shaped chest plate and a back plate in the shape of a solar disk.

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(based on article on Clarin.com)

The  Day of the Dead is one of the most important celebrations in Mexico.

Officially, the celebration of the Day of the Dead takes place on November 1 and 2 but the festivities usually last a week or so depending on the area of the country.

Although due to its proximity to Halloween in the almanac, the two celebrations are associated , they have little or nothing to do with each other.

According to the Catholic calendar, November 1 corresponds to All Saints Day, a day dedicated to the “little dead” or children, and November 2 to the Faithful Departed, that is, adults.

The Day of the Dead -also called Day of the Faithful Departed- is a day in which tribute and thanks are paid to the deceased.

In Mexico, in particular, death is seen as another step in life , which is why those who are no longer on this planet are celebrated and honored. All of them are remembered with images, music, dances and stories, and in this way, tradition says, their souls are kept alive.

Product of the mixture of indigenous and Christian traditions , on the Day of the Dead the loss of loved ones is not mourned or lamented. On the contrary,  death is “celebrated”: they are days to share a moment with all those who are not there but who are still very present in our affection.

How is the Day of the Dead celebrated? 

Every year, families place offerings and altars decorated with flowers, confetti, sugar skulls, bread of the dead, mole or some dish that their relatives to whom the offering is dedicated liked.The festivities also include decorating the tombs with flowers and often making altars on the tombstones, which in indigenous times had great meaning because it was thought that it helped lead the souls to move on a good path after death.

Tradition also indicates that, to facilitate the return of souls to earth ,marigold flower petals should be spread and candles placed tracing the path they are going to travel so that these souls do not get lost and reach their destination.

On November 3 , the following day, the tradition ends . After removing the Day of the Dead offering , the living can dispose of the sweets, food and drinks that are on the altar and distribute it among family, neighbours and friends.

We read online that they were celebrations all week in a suburb of Guadalajara called Tlaquepaque. It was just one bus ride away from us so we went there for the day.

This area is known for its shops selling crafts from the local region and other States in Mexico and is partially pedestrianised. It was midday but already busy with people browsing the goods on offer, getting their face painted, buying little offerings for the altar or the cemetery or simply enjoying a day out with family and friends.

Today there are a couple of shows in the public square: one of traditional folk dances and the other a modern version called “Grupo Mextil” before the highlight of the evening: the “Gala de Novias Catrinas”. This is a sort of fashion show where young women “Catrinas” ( sometimes couples), are dressed as brides but have their face painted as a zombie or other design linked to the Day of the Dead. It makes for a strange combination! Each bride parades on the stage and at the end of the show the public decides which one had the best outfit.

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Extract from one of the shows of folk dances.All dancers had their faces painted!

Durango is still a long way from Guachochi ( around 650 km). we noticed a strong presence of both police and military on the road. Vehicles on patrol with armed soldier standing on a platform in the back as look out and road blocks to check cars. We were stopped a few times but simply asked to show our documents.

This is because of the strong presence of drug gangs/cartels in this area, producing marijuana and opium. We are not that far from the Golden Triangle (where three states meet Chihuahua-Sinaloa and Durango).

Scenery alternating between arid land and cultivated fields, we lost the mountains for a while but never that far.

Arrived in Durango (pop. 1.8 million), capital of the state of Durango, around midday and managed to find a Motel at a reasonable price and within walking distance of the historic centre!

We went for a wander and had lunch at one of the numerous little restaurants offering cheap local food. I had Torta Mexicana: a hot bun filled with fried egg, ham, peppers and chorizo and Paul, quesadilla: a corn tortilla filled with meat and cheese cooked on a griddle.Both very yummy! and a change from our daily menu….

The historic centre has a long pedestrian street bordering the Plaza and the Cathedral. We are close to the Dia de Muertos, one of the main annual celebrations in the calendar and the plaza was festooned with colourful bounty and pictures of deceased people who were remembered on that occasion. as well as decorations around the” “Day of the Deads” theme: squeletons, zombies, coffins etc…

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Continued on our way to Guadalajara. Camped between corn fields last night and it did get quite cold in the early hours ( down to 3C).

Stopped at Teul de Gonzalez Ortega, a small village, one of the 132 “Pueblo Magico”in the country.

PUEBLO MAGICO: Only selected towns and villages meeting a set of criteria can benefit from this label, an initiative from the Secretariat of Tourism to promote towns that offer visitors special experiences because of their natural beauty, cultural richness, traditions, folklore, historical relevance, cuisine, art crafts, and great hospitality. It is intended to increase tourism to more localities, especially smaller towns in rural areas.

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GUADALAJARA

We booked an AirB&b and it worked very well for us. The small flat was on the first floor accessed from the street by metal stairs, covered in boungainvilleas and passion fruit plants. we could also park the car in the courtyard behind locked gates. The flat was 15 mns walk to the train going to the centre: perfect !

Guadalajara is the capital of Jalisco state. It is known for tequila and mariachi music, both born in Jalisco. Guadalajara’s historic center is dotted with colonial plazas and landmarks such as the neoclassical Teatro Degollado and a cathedral with twin gold spires. The Palacio del Gobierno houses famous murals by painter José Clemente Orozco.

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Tomorrow, November 2nd, is the official Dia de Muertos and we will go to a suburb of Guadalajara reputed for its festivities on that day.

COPPER CANYON

The Copper Canyon, in the Sierra Madre Range, is actually several large canyons boasting a grandeur four times larger than the Grand Canyon of the United States, although different in nature; narrower, deeper, and more verdant.

The town of Creel is the gateway to the canyon. it offers all kind of activities : quad biking, horse riding and hikes to nearby attractions. It is touristy but still rough and ready at the same time. The presence of the Raramuri (also known as Tarahumara) a native ethnic group also gives it an edge.

The Raramuri ( meaning “those who run fast” in their language are renowned for their long-distance running ability. They wear sandals with a leather upper and a tire tread for the base, with a leather strap that you use to tie around your foot.

They also excel in basketry work.

We had dinner at a small restaurant on the main street. The thing to do in the evening here, seems to be going up and down the main street on quad bikes, pickup trucks or…horseback with music blaring out to make sure you get full attention !

The next day we took the road to Urike, a small town which sits near the deepest point of the Canyon. We stopped at a couple of view points surrounded by pine and oak trees ( we are 2,370 m above sea level) before taking the dirt road that goes all the way down to the bottom of the Canyon at 500 meters above sea level . The difference in the vegetation is noticeable, We stayed at a campsite there and grapefruit, passion fruit and papaya were growing in the garden.

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Gallero Viewpoint- Urique Canyon

The owners were very welcoming, we could use their outdoor kitchen and they even invited us to use the Temazcal. The Mexican Temazcal is a steam bath (similar to a scandinavian sauna). Usually built in the shape of an igloo, the ritual dates back from Maya times and involves the use of medicinal herbs to aid purification.

We decided to take a day off and did a 4 hour hike to the next village: La Higuera

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Next morning we took the road to Batopilas. Our host advised us to get back to Creel to rejoin the main road because the dirt road to Batopilas was really bad but we did not want to retrace our steps so we went for it anyway. That road does not even show on Google map… It was bad! It took us around 5 hours ,not including stops,to do 62 km but the scenery was worth it. We only met a couple of cars the whole time so thankfully we did not have issues passing other cars along the way. We stopped about 15 km from Batopilas as it was getting dark and we did not want to risk driving at night!

The next morning we resume our journey and we eventually rejoined the paved road going to Guachochi. Next destination Durango.

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From Ojinaga at the border we took the road to Chihuahua. We have gone back one hour as Chihuahua state follows “Mountain time”. It means it will get dark even earlier… not great.

The road was not busy. It goes through the Chihuahua desert so not much around. Just before the town of Aldama we took a small side dirt road and after following it for a while we found a spot in a field, shielded from the road so we could not be seen: plenty of mosquitoes around but fine once we had set up our net tent.

Next morning, a Saturday, we made our way to Chihuahua Town and got there early before the traffic picked up. Nice square with the Cathedral and pedestrian area. Many shops selling cowboy hats and boots.

Carried on to Cuauhtemoc, very lively center with again shops selling Cowboy attire.

We are going west towards the Copper Canyon and we soon started to climb into the Sierra Madre Occidental. Not many possibilities of wild camping as fences along both sides of the road but eventually we found somewhere, just as it was getting dark. Road quite busy with trucks and as we did not want to signal our position we did not bother cooking: cold dinner tonight!

Next morning left early as quite cold! we were the first ones to arrive at the Basaseachi Falls viewpoint! The Falls are the second highest in Mexico (246meters). The sun was not quite reaching yet!

We had our breakfast admiring the view, with one companion!

Next stop, San Juanito, dusty town split in half by railway tracks. Stocked on some groceries and had my first burrito from a stand by the side of the tracks!

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Entered South East Texas at Beaumont and camped in Sam Houston National Forest on the shore of a lake, then on to Pedernales Falls (more pools than falls at this time of year)

The scenery was greener than I expected and we even drove through vineyards!

We moved on to Johnson City, hometown of President Lyndon B. Johnson (LBJ). The town is actually named after one of his relative who was one of the first settlers there. LBJ had a humble start in life. In town you can see the house where he lived as a child but the main interest is to visit the LBJ Ranch some km away, also called the Texas White House as during his presidency LBJ made numerous visits there and had his office set up so he could conduct all his duties from his beloved home. ( He built the house on the estate where his grand-parents had lived and where he himself spent his early years).

The estate is vast and was, and still is, a working ranch. A runway was built to allow the President to “commute” from Washington and land in his Airforce One-Half plane ( so nicknamed by LBJ himself!)

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SEMINOLE CANYON State Park

Arrived midday at the campsite and chilled out for a while as hot and no shade. The scenery here is bare and dry, more desert like with small bushes and trees. We are not far from Rio Grande and the railway line (Second Transcontinental Railway line) which first joined California to South West Texas in 1883, thereby uniting West and East coasts.

We did a short hike to Presa Canyon Overlook just before nightfall, impressive canyon in the desert. We saw some mountain goats on an escarpment on the other side of the canyon but too far for a clear picture !

DAVIS MOUNTAINS State Park

Someone at the previous camp had recommended this Park and as it turned out we could not get a camping spot at Big Bend National Park as this was the week end and all campsites were fully booked, so decided to go for it. Even there , we could only get one night ! State and National Parks are popular at weekends… lesson learned! We did one hike there called Skyline Drive trail. It goes through mixture of forest and desert like areas where cacti are common. The trail offers nice views. You can also drive to the finishing line if so inclined.

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BIG BEND National Park

We managed to get two nights booked at the Chisos Mountains Campgrounds and got there mid- afternoon.

Big Bend National Park is in southwest Texas and includes the entire Chisos mountain range and a large swath of the Chihuahuan Desert. It covers a vast area (1242 square miles or 3243 square kilometers.

The Chisos Mountains are the highest point in the park and we woke up in the clouds the next morning, just our luck! It rained last night, it is cold and very windy this morning and the forecast is not good for the next two days. Visibility was 10/15m , so no views but thankfully as we took the road down the mountains and towards Rio Grande Village to the east of the park, the weather condition improved.

We took a dirt road leading to hot springs accessible from a short trail but due to heavy rain the last few days, the trail was partially closed and we had to be contented with a nice view of the Rio Grande.

On the way back to camp we took another, longer dirt road (Old Ore Road) leading to the 1/2 mile trail to ERNST TINAJA. This is the mouth of a limestone canyon noted for three things: vibrant orange swirling striations in the rocks, fossils of giant oysters, and the Ernst Tinaja itself – a 13-foot natural rock pool. The word tinaja  is Spanish for “large earthen jar” and in Big Bend refers to natural water holes, usually formed by erosion. This was a great place to see and as we had the place to ourselves we enjoyed spending time there. It made up for not being able to do some of the hikes in Chisos.

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The next day, the weather was still bad in Chisos. We booked a night at Cottonwood campground near Santa Elena Canyon on the Ross Maxwell Drive, south west side of the park. The Ross Maxwell Drive is one of the most scenic route and there are a few hikes on the way too.

We first drove to the Balanced Rock trail head. This is a 3.2 mile trail with some climbing over rocks but with nice views and rock formations.

We then did the Burro Mesa Pour-off Trail, (3.6 miles) as recommended by the Ranger. The trail is in the desert initially then goes into the dry bed of a river before climbing over rocks and down into a sort of open sky chamber from which the water poured off the side of the canyon with a big drop. Do not look over the edge if you are afraid of heights!

We reached our campground late afternoon. Small but very green and a lot warmer that at Chisos! signs warn you of Javalinas ( a sort of wild pig) which apparently like to raid the camp for food!

The next day we were off for Santa Elena Canyon, only a few miles away. It is visible for over 10 miles away, as the Rio Grande changes direction abruptly after following beneath the straight Sierra Ponce cliffs for several miles and heads due west, cutting through the mountains via a deep, narrow gorge. This sharp bend in the river was formed by movement along the Terlingua fault zone that crosses the park. For many miles upstream the river is trapped beneath the high walls, eventually emerging into a wider valley at the small town of Lajitas.

We were hoping to be able to enter the canyon on the trail that goes in for 1/2 mile or so but once again, because of heavy rain, the crossing was flooded and we could only have a glimpse from afar!!

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The road to Santa Elena Canyon is a dead end so we had to turn back and take the Ross Maxwell Drive again in the opposite direction. We stopped at Mule Ears View Point and walked to the Mule Ears Spring and carried on the Smokey Creek Trail ( 8 miles). Terrain is a mix of desert, going up and down creeks and crossing areas covered in lava rocks, full of glass like quartz, shining in the sun, all this with a variety of cacti and some wild flowers. This trail affords a closer look to Mule Ears mountain so called because it resembles the top of the head of a donkey.

On the way back, I had a close encounter with a rattle snake. I was stopped in my tracks by the rattle sound before I had even seen the snake only 1 meter away or so! Luckily after raising his head in my direction, and as I pulled back, it slowly moved away into bushes. We quickly took a wide birth and moved on….

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Big Bend Ranch State Park – Texas

This is the State Park, and is only a few kilometers from the National Park. This is remote country and not much around apart from Lajitas that had a few shops. bought some food (expensive) and then carried on the road which follows the Rio Grande( border with Mexico). Had a look at a Ghost Town (Terlingua) which is gradually coming back to life thanks to tourist shops and activities in nearby Park. It was getting late and needed to find somewhere to stay. The State Park offices were shut but some staff was still around and they pointed us to a campground a few kilometers away (Grassy Banks), right next to the river(lots of flies!). Was fine and only one other camper.

We had a chat with him and he recommended two short trails we could do on the way the next day.

Closed Canyon, a short walk from the road but the Canyon itself is quite impressive , narrow with high walls and about 1 km long

Hoodoos, sort of columns of weathered rock with various shapes and sizes

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We got to PRESIDIO around midday and decided to cross into Mexico that day as we had time. You have to cross a bridge over the Rio Grande. We did not see any US border post. We asked two US guards on the bridge about the formalities to be done but they said we did not need a stamp in our passports. Carried on but hope we won’t have any issue if we decide to come back to the US as nothing to prove we left with the car!

On Mexican side, not busy. One officer did the passport control. We had to have some copies done of our docs for the Customs and paid USD 300 in deposit, (to be returned when we leave the country) for the Temporary Import document. ( At least we can show stamps in our passports and copy of the temporary Import into Mexico to US officials if needed!) .

The whole process took just under one hour and we were waved into Mexico !

BIENVENIDOS A MEXICO !

We drove by many houses where a Fall display was in evidence on the door step, from a simple array of pumpkins and gourds to elaborate scenes. Halloween scenes were also popular. Some people going all out :