Beth & Jean's excellent adventure

[Sparkle]

This is the approach to the border crossing at Progresso in Mexico.


Beth is paying her 25c at the turnstyle to get through the gate.


This is from a previous trip. vtChris, Beth and Tony walking across the bridge. I'm running backwards to get the photo.


A placque directly over the middle of the Rio Grande River


Once you get over the river the children and older people are waiting for a handout. I took a roll of quarters with me with this in mind. Beth says that the children like it if you toss them candies as they get to keep them. The money has to be handed over to the family.


Once you get over the bridge the first thing you see is armed soldiers. Some with machine guns. They are pointing INTO Mexico.


At the restaurant Garland is reading the menu. We sat outside and the venders kept offering us their wares, but they weren't pushy, if you said No thank you they went on their way. An American family asked us if the food ws good and we assured them it was.


Our nice waiter. Garland realises to his sorrow that he can't eat anything. He was so scared of going to the dentist that Beth had to get the Dr. to give him a Valium.


This is a general view of the Main St. Every other store is a Pharmacy, Dentist, Botox place, liquor store or Souvineer Shop.


But if you look down the side streets you see remnants of faded glory.

[retiredhappy]

Love the pictures. Thanks.

[Cedar518]

Very cool! I probably won't get to do that so i like a "real" folks report!

Keep those pics coming! it's snowing hard here and we are going to get 5-8" ... yuk. Had a hard drive home from work so I'm here just basking in your reports from warmer climes....

[Bethers]

I'm going to have to ask who gets the turnstyle money going each direction - it's 25 cents going in, 30 cents coming back I just get a kick out of that. We also don't need any identification to go in, but the US requires it coming back out.

[avalen]

wonder why it costs more to get out of mexico than to get in

[Echo]

Poor Garland!! He sounds just like me! I am only scared of two things in life. Praying Mantis's and the damn dentist. I get the shakes, I get sick to my stomach, I get a headache and I cry as soon as I hit the door. I am a total complete emotional wreck going to the dentist. I need dental work so badly and I'm petrified to go. I'd rather give birth to octuplets and have to raise them all to the age of 30 than go to the dentist.

[Mollysmom]

Excellent pictures - thanks !!!
and Echo - praying mantis's ?!?!?!

[Sparkle]

Now that is somebody that really doesn't like the dentist! Garland did fine. On the way home he kept saying, that dentist was good! Of course he had so much Valium in him he was staggering when he went in.

[rvgrammy1953]

Loved the photos, Sparkle.....you did good....not a fan of the dentist either....

Now, you just got to sneak that camera into the line dancing classes.....

[Bethers]

Oh, she snuck the camera into class today - got a pic of me - which isn't really fair, now is it?

Tonight we went to karaoke. Unfortunately, Sparkle got emotional and felt the need to leave early on. If she had stayed, things would have change, and I would have been the unfortunate one, cuz I noticed she brought her camera. I NEVER sing karaoke. Until tonight it happened ONCE in my life - in Vegas with a bunch of friends I was back-up for I Am Woman with a group of my g/f's. Well I once told one of the women here that if it was late enough in the evening and she did I Am Woman, she just MIGHT get me up there. Well, she did it and I went on my own volition - and I even SANG - which I didn't do in Vegas - there I did back up dancing Well, I got up with 3 other of the women tonight for a 2nd song It may never happen again - and there are no pics, thank God.

Just got home, walked Peaches and am hitting my bed.

[Cedar518]

I'd rather give birth to octuplets and have to raise them all to the age of 30 than go to the dentist.

Wow Echo, now that is really being afraid of the dentist! Can anything be THAT bad? Tell you what,...I'll go with you for support, anything to help you!

[dpf]

OMG Echo...you are afraid of the dentist! Raise 'em until they're 30? Yikes! Now I have a question...I thought you needed a passport to go into Mexico....or hasn't that gone into effect yet?

[Sparkle]

dpf, you need a passport to get OUT of Mexico. I have a British Passport so I also have to dig out my green card. Mexicans don't care who comes IN as long as they bring dollars.Dang, I wish now I'd stayed to get a photo of Beth up at the mike! She made it sound as though I'd had a meltdown, but being in a bar with country western music playing made me lonely for Dave. I decided it wasn't good for my mental health so I left. (after making sure Beth had a ride home} I won't try that again. When I first came back to Port Aransas a couple of years ago I wondered why I was in blue funk until I realised my mind felt that Dave should be there. Now that I've made my own memories of this place it doesn't bother me any more.

[Liz]

Great pictures....and I learned a lot. You walked into Mexico? Is there a parking lot on the US side? Is there a reason you don't take your car? I didn't know you had to pay to cross the border in either direction.

When crossing the border from Alaska to the Yukon territory last summer, we were told not to take pictures of the border crossing...guess they don't care at the Mexican border?

[Bethers]

Didn't mean to make it sound that way, Sparkle - and their was everything from old time rock and roll to crazy songs to country after you left - but while you were there - was a lot of sentimental country - so I sure understood your feelings. A couple of the ladies were sorry to see you go - and we did get up and do a couple line dances.

Liz, you can drive in - but it can take longer to drive back out and on busy days, can be harder to find parking on the street. There are lots on either side of the bridge on the US side - $2 to park. I forget what it costs to drive across - but I think it was $5 (did it once when I went this year).

Right now you can still go to MX and return without a passport - but as of Jan 1st, the US will require it - but all of us did have our passports.