I wrote last week about my quick trip to Texas. However, I couldn't share
photos at the time since where I was staying I couldn't connect to their internet for
some unknown reason.
All these photos were taken while heading north. I LOVE the drive! It is exquisitely beautiful most of the year. Especially after the rainy season. Believe it or not, most of these photos are of the Chihuahua desert and the Sierra Madre mountains. Every time I make the drive, I think of all the people who always fly and have never seen the beauty of Mexico. Such a shame.
They are missing out on a magnificent, easy drive.
Usually I'm driving too fast to drive and take photos. However in this case, there was a
checkpoint that had a bit of a delay and so I passed the time by taking photos out of the car with
the windows down. An 18 wheeler drive to my right saw what I was doing, so he held back so
I could take photos between the car in front of him and his truck! How cool is that?
Those are the Sierra Madre mountains in the distance. Those clouds were from Hurricane Ingrid.
I was moving as fast as I could in order to avoid any major deluge.
At one point in the drive, one passes the huge yucca forests. It goes on and on
for miles. The dangling things on the end of the limbs are the flowers which are
white.
The first time I saw them, I thought they were creepy. Now I think they are majestic.
The above photo was taken through my front windshield. The
clouds were menacing looking. It almost appeared as though the
mountains were holding them back.
At this point I was nearing Monterrey. Still no rain, much to my surprise.
And then, civilization - if you want to call it that. I decided to cross at Laredo rather
then drive to the Columbia Crossing which is about 30 minutes west of Laredo. I had
not crossed at this bridge in about 10 years. I was absolutely astonished at how large it
is now. It used to be four agents standing on the street stopping people without all the bells
and whistles. Cars certainly moved faster then they do now with all the "beefed up" security.
Or, as I say, the illusion of security.
The agent asked me where I was coming from. When I told her San Miguel de Allende, she began to ask me about wedding venues and all things related to that. She told me she had finally gotten a passport so she could travel to Mexico for her first time! Never bothered to look in the car.......
But, then again, with over 250,000 people crossing the border daily, who would expect anything more? I would say that the majority of those people are working people and parents going back and forth on family business.
This was the only place where I encountered rain...........well at least on the trip up. More on the weather in the next post along with more photos.
5 comments:
The illusion of security.
True words. I refer to the border and airline security lines as performance art. They are designed to fool us into thinking the government is Doing Something. I guess they have run out of bread and circuses.
I love the yucca forests too. There's a place on the way to Veracruz from DF (I believe) that has yucca forest growing amidst a very rocky terrain, strewn with boulders. It looks other worldly. I find it fascinatingly different than what we'd be likely to see in the USA.
Saludos,
Kim G
Boston, MA
Where we just put a new stereo into our truck. Now we can listen to the iPod!
Steve, don't get me started on the silliness at the border.....it is so unnecessary.
Kim, hmmm, sounds like you're getting ready for a road trip? I've driven from Veracruz to DF but don't remember that.....this countryside is so unique with all the mountain ranges etc.
Babs, I enjoy you blog. There is a TV show currently on which I like a lot and you might also. It is called "The Bridge" and takes place on the border. I think it is well done and very interesting.
Thanks Larry for the recommendation. I'll check into it......I haven't heard of it.
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