Crossing into Matomoros Mx.

Crossed over into Mexico again today. Walked across the bridge from Brownsville to Matamoros Mx. Matamoros is a good size city of about 370,000. That is the approximate size of Toledo. Took a bus from the boarder to the shopping plaza in the city. What a bus ride that was, glad we didn’t have our car over there. Our bus driver didn’t pay much attention to the stop signs; I guess he couldn’t read Spanish. If you think the streets and roads are bad in our area, I think I finally found some that are worse. Little narrow streets lined with trucks and cars and filled with people and potholes. You cannot find a car or truck that is not dented, and I think the drivers get extra points if they can hit a pedestrian on the move or standing still.

This is the second time we have crossed the boarder into Mexico at two different cities, and each time we were never stopped by any Mexican boarder patrol people. You just walk into the country, no questions asked! It was hard to comprehend the lack of security, just any one can walk in, and they just don’t care. Getting back into the U.S. was also a lot easier then crossing back from Canada. The boarder patrol on the U.S. side seems more friendly then the ones in Detroit.

The shopping plaza was very interesting and picturesque. I think we were the only gringos there.

Rode the bus back to the boarder crossing area and Bud and I found a nice bar to settle into and have a few margaritas while the ladies did their shopping. Notice I said a few. The ladies took quite awhile shopping. Bud even declared his margaritas at the customs check point coming back into the U.S.

This is the Whaling Wall at the South Padre Island Convention Center and was painted by the famous artist, Wylan. As colorful as this building is, it doesn’t compare to the colorful folks that we met while camping out on the island. Lets start with “Rhino” – if you closed your eyes, you would see “Shrek” – and Rhino did admit that he was an ogre.! His dog is a large white pit bull who doesn’t know she is a pit bull. “Baby” looks just the dog on little rascals – complete with the large patch on her eye! Oh, yes – Rhino does call his girlfriend “Fiona”. And she looks it! Rhino’s home is a very old 16ft camping trailer that is covered with a large blue tarp. His living room is the space cornered by the big gray shelf units full of his “stuff”. Piles of mesquite wood, his ladders and bike anchor the tarps! Then there is Bill the hermit crab. His “home” is a 12ft Scamp trailer which looks like a little bubble. Bill is by himself and spends his days in the trailer- alone. He comes out first thing in the morning and then again to go at supper time to get a “to go meal” and eats it in his bubble – alone. By the end of the week, he was joining the “sunset group:” and even talking with us some. Joel and Carol are from the U P of Michigan and are the “Greeters” of the neighborhood! Great folks who were a big help on learning the area. Joel knits and gave me a hand knitted dishrag as a going away gift. Carol taught me how to cro-knit !! It would be nice to hear from them again.

SOUTH PADRE ISLAND BEACH

It was - - - H just said "IS" a pretty beach ! And now I need to condense a weeks worth of camping into this short space!

Lots of seashells, lots of pretty sunsets and lots of VERY colorful folks that we camped next to and near! More about them next blog.

Dial up takes forever to download and there is always a lineup for the phones here at Sunshine RV Resort ! - bye for now - Pool time !

PORT ISABEL LIGHTHOUSE

And, YES - we climbed it ! Much narrower than

the Marblehead lighthouse too !! Open grated steps with only a handrail on one side and part of the assent/ desent was by ladder. But we made it.

Our unsecured wifi connection that we found on the beginning of our stay at the island was lost on Saturday so we went thru wifi withdrawel for the rest of our stay.

Our bikes now have 50 more miles on them, however, we found that riding to "town" on them was much easier than riding back home because the wind was ALWAYS in our face and much stronger on our way back to the campground.

We learned to go to MacDonald's for ice cream after sunset , when the winds settled down a bit.

We have moved back off the island to a RV resort in Harlingen Texas. H thought the wifi was free here and it's not so we are doing the "ole" dial up connection at the library in ONE of the three activities buildings . I will add more soon, but it takes a long time to blog on a dial up.

FRIDAY ON THE ISLAND

We're finding our way around the island today ! We visited the turtle rescue place and learned lots about turtle nesting and turtle rehab. They care for injured turtles and then if possible release them back into the wild. Was fun feeding this rascal. Glad the glass was there - - - - check out that beak !!

It's windy always, and even more so during the afternoons! We rode out bikes 5 miles to get to this place and then uphill, into the wind ALL the way back to the campground.

We tryed the public transportation which works great ! The price is right ( free ) and it goes right by Walmart.