As stated in my previous post, one do no see the animals, but on this stretch of road between Marathon to Del Rio we counted no less that 20 dead deer next to the road being killed at dusk and during the night with as many rabbits and raccoons. Clearly there is lots of wild life for the observant visitor.
Very interesting cuts through the sandstone hills. It almost appear as if it was build.
Langtry is yet a very small town. We were convinced that besides the 2 ladies in the visitor center we were the only people in town. This town is remembered for Judge Roy Bean’s personality and the colorful stories about him. Judge Roy Bean was known as the “Law west of the Pecos”. He was a saloon owner and because of the lawlessness in the area and its remoteness, with the closest legal authority 100 miles away the Texas Rangers appointed him as “Justice of the peace” in the area. Imagine a saloon proprietor become a justice of piece. He became a legend even in his time and was called the hanging judge but he passed only 2 death sentences. He ruled the American far west even into the last decades of the 19th century. He practiced his own brand of justice and set his own stamp on the rugged Texas land west of the Pecos. He had a statue book but he seldom read it or referred to it. His saloon/billiard hall called the “Jersey Lilly” served as court and when someone was brought in for a hearing he would stop serving his customers grab the statue and note books wipe his hands with the cloth around his waist, called some of the customers as jury and the court was in session. People were mostly fined for every cent they had and methods even included very near castration to extort money out of the poor victims. The money was for his own pocket and as usual, a bully like this, have a lot of “Go Go” supporters who surrounded him and victims had to leave town, sometimes without pants, with the warning that they will be hanged if they ever show up again. He even build and operahouse / town hall/ seat of justice but it was just his house.
The weather is all of a sudden much warmer and as we approached Carrizo Springs we saw the first oil pumps and rigs. The first oil was discovered in the far west of Texas and in this area new discoveries were made wit drill rigs on the horizon, but even in this modern day and age it is frightening to see the impact that oil fields has on such a beautiful bush veldt environment. Paths and roads being cut through the bushes and big 18 wheelers and trucks everywhere and the area looks like an industrial site created by the oil industry. It was also clear that we have left the peacefulness and remoteness of the far west in exchange for development and traffic nightmares. For the first time we saw rubbish and plastic shopping bags “Plastic Flowers” strewn along the road.
Pecos River as it cuts through the sandstone.
The Amistad dam/ lake were created for flood control, the generation of electricity and recreation. It lies on the border with Mexico and from now onwards birding becomes a major theme and attraction along the Rio Grande River and Valley as this is on the bird’s migration route. Not really our interest, but it is an important attraction for many visitors.
So we arrived at Penitas and stayed over at Fountain at Penitas RV Park. Price was cheap only $11 per night and we planned to stay 2 nights only. People that stay for 12 months only pay $800.for the year. This must be the bargain of the year. People come down here for the winter months mostly, even from Canada and being from South Africa was first for them. We enjoyed the hospitality so much that we stayed 4 nights instead. Christmas Eve they held a Chinese Bingo at the RV parks recreation hall. Everybody buys a $5 present and places it on the table and in exchange you get a unique number. As your number gets called out you can pick a present which you have to open for everyone to see and if you don’t like it you can exchange it for any present already opened. The first person obviously has nothing to choose from the others as yet and he or she has the privilege to swap for any present at the end of the game. The later your number is drawn the more choices you have. Surprisingly A gift containing cheese and some Jerky sticks was the most favorable exchange as it mover to new owners quit often. Popcorn was another favorite.
On Christmas day they organize a big Christmas dinner and all was invited to the feast of turkey and ham. What a priviledge to be invited. At 5 pm they at it again when the left overs is available for a second taking.
Penitas and this valley are close to the Mexican Border with a very strong Mexican culture. Even the church service is in conducted in English and Spanish and when you sing you hear English and Spanish on the same tune. These churches are different from the normal churches we attended with a huge focus on missionary work in the community.
This is also the area that battle with drug cartels and smuggling, even human trafficking, but despite all of that, we experienced not even the slightest sense of being unsafe or being insecure. An incredible experience and area to visit.
Hildago hosts the largest Christmas light display in Texas, called the Festival of Lights, we decided to skip the Left over dinner at 5 pm and to travel to Hildago on Christmas evening to give the child in us some breathing space.
Brownsville lies in the most southern west corner of Texas and it is also the most southern tip of the USA Just the lower Key Island in Florida is further south. Brownsville is also the 2nd most historical city in Texas. The Palo Alto prairie just outside of town is where 2000 American Forces fought 6000 Mexican soldiers in a war that doubled the size of the then USA. Mexico at the time controlled about half of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California and the threaty ceded this to the USA that was eager to expand to the west. Yes the USA expanded their territory by annexation and war from the poor at the time. The Palo Alto National Historic Site is free and the exhibits are informative but the 15 minute movie gives one an excellent overview and it is well worth a visit.
Some art found in Brownville.
Some 25 minutes drive north east is South Padre Island, which we found very interesting as it is almost like a sand bank +- 1 mile into the sea and it runs all along the Texas cost. South Padre is a developed town with holiday apartments and resorts and white sandy beaches also ranking in the top 10 of America’s beaches, but as it is Beautiful it is also expensive.
Since we traveled so far along the Rio Grande we had to see the delta as it mouths into the sea. The undeveloped beach of Boca Chico was another 20 odd miles out of Brownsville and along this road you see huge pristine wetlands and sand dunes that form the Rio Grande delta on the Gulf of Mexico coast. When we traveled New Mexico we were astounded to see the massive erosion around the Rio Grande and now I also know where all the eroded earth form New Mexico washed out. 
Brownsville is birders paradise as 100s of species found nowhere else can be seen around here.
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