Mexico the reasonably safe way and Port Isabel/South Padre

We headed South to get down near Pharr, Tx.  We wanted to say Hi to Kenny Toews' parents, but it turned out Mr. Toews was baching it for a week.  We stayed at a seniors only park for 2 nights in La Feria, where everyone welcomed us warmly except the manager, who wasn't there when we called to reserve.  The South is called the Valley for no apparent geographic reason (except the map).  It's totally flat here, with the largest cultivated fields we've ever seen.  We got together with Ben (Mr. Toews) on Monday afternoon and proceeded to be spoiled.  He offered us more sweets in a 20 minute span than you can imagine unless you're Brayden or Ethan.  Yvette went into shock and Jake went into overload mode (not really).

Here's the pool at the seniors park.We were mostly quiet.

 Here's how to hold an angry tarantula when it's just been swept off a neighbour's porch.

Ben took us to see the border fence.  This fence is meant to help stop the flow of illegal traffic of people and drugs.  It is about 3.5m on the US side and 6m. on the other side.  It runs along the US side of the Rio Grande River, and the long range plan is to extend it the whole way to the west coast.

These border guards cruise all day and night.  They have a check point about 80 miles North on each major highway.  On our way back up they asked us two questions.  Are you all Canadian citizens?, and Is there anyone in your trailer?

Then Ben took us to the border crossing at Progresso so we could see the drug lords shooting everything up for ourselves........... Actually it was so we could see the security and safety there is.

Ben treated us to supper at The Junction.  Jake had chicken noodle soup.  That's the chicken rising up out of the middle of the bowl.  This is actually Jake's second look.  His first look was one of fear!  We all ate heartily.

Ben is a realtor from Steinbach, MB (that's mennonite brotheren) He'd be my realtor for sure.  It was no easy task selling Yvette on going across the border Tuesday morning, but Ben did it without even trying.    The kids and I did the convincing.

The Rio Grande is the border of Texas and Mexico.  We stopped in the middle of the bridge, holding up traffic for a bit.  You don't even show a passport going in.  You just put your quarter in the turnstyle and walk through.  I guess about 1000 seniors cross this border on foot everyday.

Ben and us.

Protectors

Indigenous peoples.

This kind border guard has his machine gun right behind Janna.  It's pointing at the ground.

Bye to Ben and Mexico and on to Port Isabel.

Glad to meet you.

Cool sand castle

Dolphin tour.

Falcon pulled up a dragnet and showed us a bunch of sea life.

A hands-on experience.

We think we saw about 15 dolphins, mostly in twos and threes.

Shrimper heading to the Gulf.

That's the Gulf of Mexico ahead.  The Jetties on the left and right are break waters for channel traffic.  It's about 400m across the channel or you can drive around (about 160 km).

Nobody Janna's age on the tour.

Time for a little flying.

You can't see the line, but Jake is flying his P-51 Mustang.

James and Janna's are those steering kind.  Next weekend there will be a kite festival at this site.   Teams come  from Oregon and around the States to compete doing kite choreography to music.

Right behind our trailer in Port Isabel there was a channel with docks for the fishing boats.  On Saturday morning James, Tori and I got up at 5:30, ate, and went out with our lunch packed.  At 6:20 we asked Captain Jimmy if he would like 3 volunteers on his boat for the day.  He was happy to have us, so by 6:30 we were sailing out into the channels for bait shrimping.  Jimmy has been at this for 30 years.  He works 4-8 hours 7 days/week.  We were on the Don Vito.  At 40 ft. it was one ft. shorter than this one, which is its sister ship, the Captain Vito.

We helped Richard throw out everything except shrimp, and put the shrimp in the black basket for measuring.

Flounders are really hard to hold.

Robert explained how to hold a ray.

This shrimp is too big for bait, but good eating.  You can see its antennae.

Cap'n Tori

This Sea Life is mostly finished eating its shrimp.

Captain Jimmy and crew.  He's wearing the blue hat.

We were back in by 10:00, and they all welcomed Janna and I back on Sunday morning.

This bull fish is like a table ornament.  It is hard with only its fins and eyes able to move.  Its bottom surface is flat and about 5cm wide.  The birds do not eat these.

A squid and a sea cow which has just inked.

Cap'n Janna

Jimmy headed 15 good sized shrimp for us and gave us as many live crabs as we'd like. (we took two)  We said our thanks and goodbyes, but we returned to leave some baking and a note on the boat before we took off on Sunday afternoon to head back North.