Boquillas Canyon...

Boquillas Canyon

2010-03-01
Today we drove to Boquillas Canyon, on the eastern side of the park. There are 2 RV campgrounds there. A privately operated one with full hookups, and a park one with fresh water but no electric hookups and a dump station.

The story of the day was to witness how the residents from the little Mexican town Boquillas del Carmen, across the Rio Grande, leave handy-crafts for the tourists to buy. They leave beautiful carved and painted walking sticks, little wire scorpions, wire ocotillos and roadrunners on rocks and a jar for tourists to pay for what they like and take. It is an honor system, and they wave and thank you from across the river.

The goods await a willing lawbreaker to take a chance

All this heartwarming scene, as you may start wondering now, is illegal.
The artists from Boquillas del Carmen cross the river illegally to leave their merchandise, and it is illegal for the tourist to buy it.

On the other Mexican side of the river, Boquillas residents watch from the distance, hoping for some purchases.

But do not fret or panic. You can legally get the same merchandise in the main park visitor center at Panther Junction for 3 times the price. The items there are legally transported hours down the road to Ojinaga, Mexico where they can be crossed and then taken back down to the park.

Don Victor leaves a stone with a message for prospect buyers

While hiking Boquillas Canyon, we came across Don Victor. A Mexican national who crossed the river to collect money from his collection jar. I figured that he was between 50 and 60 years old. His skin had the copper tone that you get courtesy of years under the northern Mexican sun and no AC. He spoke both English and Spanish, but I could tell that Spanish would get me more interesting answers.

Our conversation: Adolfo Isassi (AI) with Don Victor (DV) (translated to English)

AI: Does the Migra (Border Patrol) bother you much?
DV: No, they know me well. I have been selling my crafts and crossing here for years.

AI: How is life in Boquillas?
DV: Hard. We live out of what we sell on this side.
AI: That sounds pretty rough, any other source of income? Farming? Ranching?
DV: Well, there are “Los Diablos” (The Devils). They are a group of young men from Boquillas that the USA Government hires seasonally to fight forest fires (hence the name) in Colorado and other states.

AI: What services do you have in Boquillas.
DV: No electricity. The Mexican government gave us solar panels. Mine can lightt 2 light bulbs at night.
For gas (propane) we have tanks that we have to refill. The nearest town with full services is a four hour drive on a dirt road.

About this time, it was time for Don Victor to cross back to the Mexican side.
I guess he did not feel like saying “hi” to his friends from La Migra.