Home»Big Bend National Park April 2013

Big Bend National Park covers 801,163 acres includes more than 1,200 species of plants, more than 450 species of birds, 56 species of reptiles, and 75 species of mammals. When I arrived at the park I was asked if I was going to visit the town of Boquillas on the Mexican side of the Rio. I was told that the border between Boquillas, and the US was closed shortly after 9/11. Many of the 90 or so people that were living in the village moved away since there was no more tourism due to the border closing. The border was officially reopened on 10 April and I arrived on 12 April. I dug out my passport and headed to the new border crossing station on the American side of the Rio. Once near the river you have two options of crossing. Walking across the calf deep water or taking a row boat. I opted for the boat. What better way to cross the Rio than in a rowboat. Once on the Mexican side, more traveling options exist. You can walk to Boquillas, take a horse, mule or taxi. I hired a taxi for 5 dollars round trip. Once in the village you must go to passport control and get your passport checked and stamped. This is done on entering and departing Boquillas. Even though its only a short walk to the village the taxi driver I found spoke good English..and since my Spanish is limited I was able to ask him questions about the village. For the 5 dollars the driver will stay with you all day and show you the small village or he will go to the Bark Bar and drink cokes until you are ready to head back to Rio. I spent Friday afternoon in Boquillas, on Saturday I spent the day traveling around Big Bend and Terlingua TX. On Sunday I returned to Boquillas and spent the day walking around and meeting some of the people. They were extremely happy to have the tourists back in their village. Many of the locals were making small animals made out of wire to sell to the visitors. Even though Boquillas is next to the US, most villagers are not allowed to enter since they do not have proper documentation. There is no electricity in the village. The government has provided funds for homeowners to purchase solar panels. There is a deep well in the village and even though attempts are being made to bury water lines throughout the village, the progress is slow and most people catch rain water or will use a garden hose to fill water reservoirs. Also the village is very remote as far as its location in Mexico. It takes approximatley 7 hours by bus to get to the nearest town where propane, groceries and medical support can be found. The bus arrives in Boquillas picks up passengers and returns 7 days later. There is a person in the town who can dispense medicines and a medical person might show up once every month or so. Plus a Catholic priest might show up once a month. Boquillas is also home to several of the Mexican Diablos. These are the highly trained fire fighters that come to the US to help extinguish forest fires throughout the US. Several photos of the cemetery in Terlingua are shown due to their uniqueness.