A Day Across the River

One of the things that my Mom and I always do on my visit down every February is a shopping trip to Mexico. We drive to the border and park on the U.S. side and then walk over the bridge (over the Rio Grande river) into Progreso, Mexico.

Lately, though, there has been a LOT more drug violence in the border towns - people getting shot and their bodies being hung up on poles in the streets. But that didn't stop us - we are shopping warriors!

In case you cared what your borders really looks like, here is a little documentary:

Here's the U.S. side - some border patrol:

Border agents/Immigration:

Here's a shot of the Rio Grande - the natural border of Texas and Mexico.....this was taken from the U.S. side looking across at the Mexican side.

Here's a shot of the river from the bridge - U.S. is on the right, Mexico on the left.

And here's a shot of the exact center of the bridge, where the exact line of the 2 countries exists....and of course, since we're tourists, we had my Mom stand 'in the U.S.' and Daryl stand 'in Mexico' for a minute. We are dorks, for sure.
Entering Mexico on foot and by car.....they apparently don't care who enters their country - no questions, no immigration, no nothing. You just pay 25 cents and go through a turnstile.

And this is what you find when you cross that bridge and go through the turnstile - a much bigger Mexican military presence than in previous years. There were bunkers, tanks and soldiers with machine guns serving as the Welcoming Committee!

Here's a Mexican soldier hiding out in his little sandbag bunker thing.....

More sandbag hideouts.......My mom said they were watching me take pictures and didn't look happy, but oh well - anything for a photo op is what I say!

Nothin' says good shopping like a guy holding a machine gun!

Here's Mom and Daryl at the border to Mexico:

And here's a shot of the lanes to go back over the bridge into the U.S. We just walked back over the bridge and paid our 25 cents and went through the turnstile. We also had to show our passports to immigration and declare what we were bringing back.

It was a crazy day in Mexico, but we made it back to Texas alive and in one piece!