Big Bend NP – Boquillas Canyon

There is a lot of prickly pear cactus. This is one of the pinkish colored once, not seen as much as the greenish ones. By the way, the prickly pear is edible, if you can get all the needles off. That’s a real job and it can leave your hands full of holes.

Although the Rio Grande River is smaller than anticipated, it hasn’t always been that way. It has been mighty at points in its history as evidenced by the canyons it has carved. This is Boquillas Canyon. It is about 1,500 feet from the river to the top of the canyon.

This is Victor’s river side house. It is on the Mexican side of the river and Victor is a Mexican living in the town of Las Bouquillas. Victor has a powerful and pleasant singing voice, which he uses to entertain hikers as they approach the canyon’s mouth on the US side, while he remains on the Mexican side. But Victor has a motive…

Victor sells colorful stones, painted rocks, walking sticks, and wire wrap scorpions. He uses his small boat to come across the river and pick-up his money and restock. He operates on the honor system, but I suspect he can cross very quickly if he sees things go awry. He claims that the trinkets are made by the local school children.

It is sad that because of the border issues, you can no longer cross the river and hike to Victor’s village. Many park visitors used to be ferried across by the Mexicans to buy trinkets and eat in their café. This undoubtedly has been an extreme hardship on the village as there is no industry within 100 miles.