Out in the Wild West

We left our motel under heavily clouded skies which kept us cool. The chance of rain was forecast to be 30% with scattered thunderstorms. We were hoping recent weather patterns would prevail and that the rain would hold off until the afternoon.

Riding out of Del Rio the landscape was initially flat and covered with low scrub. We rode across one arm of Lake Amistad, formed by the Amistad dam on Rio Grande.

These birds feast on road kill.

About 20 miles out from Del Rio we were stopped at a Border Patrol checkpoint where we had to show our passports and visas. They were, of course at the bottom of our bag, being amongst the least used items we are carrying. The Border Patrol guards were very courteous and patient as we unpacked. They inquired about our travel plans and once the formalities were out of the way, chatted with us about where we had travelled in the US so far, where we lived in Australia and so on.

As we went further the landscape changed dramatically to rolling hills and rugged canyons.

There were very few towns along the way, and miles between them. For much of the time we were alone on the road except for the occasional border control utes. Along the way we passed through many road cuts.

 These revealed the strata of the underlying rocks. In places white limestone overlaid red rock - and vice versa. In others there were thick layers of limestone with vertical cracks in the strata that gave them the appearnce of man-made stone walls.

We travelled 110 miles to Sanderson, Texas before stopping for lunch in a local diner that made a terrific BLT sandwich, but only had "non-dairy" creamer for us to whiten our coffee. Dairy products are probably less attainable here.There were more Border Security personnel in the diner, and we passed several of their patrols along the way.

Goats were farmed in a few places only. There was the occasional derelict farm house. It is possibly too isolated and too difficult to make a living. A few horses and cattle appeared only as we approached Marathon.

Our destination for tonight was Marathon, which is about 2 marathons' distance from Sanderson. At times the road was straight for miles. The soil appears to be limestone.

We have not seen dry river beds in the US before.

We arrived early in the afternoon and went chasing accommodation.

We didn't have much choice, and the only motel in town charges like a wounded buffalo. We went exploring the town, but everything was shut mid-afternoon, presumably for siesta.

Trains with about a hundred carriages pass through the town on a regular basis. We were given ear plugs for the night but the problem is not that serious.

We bought some chips and beer. That's when we learned everything costs big $ out here: $4.39 for a bag of potato chips and over $11 for a six pack of beer. An avocado, tomato and apple cost nearly $5.

As the day wore on and the air cooled off we sat outside our motel room and ate a dinner of last night's leftovers. Watching the sunset as the evening cooled down was very pleasant. The breeze whistled through the stunted pine.

Wildlife.

About 4 ins. long

This bee is alost an inch long.

Butterflies