Victor, The Singing Mexican

[Al]

This is great!

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/Khk-4ODvo6s&rel=0" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/Khk-4ODvo6s&rel=0</a>

Al

[RichardM]

Word is he'll accept tips!   

[Al]

Tips like, "Buy low, sell high?" or what?  He is across the Rio Grande!

Al

[RichardM]

What, you've never seen a jar (or maybe a coffee can) left on the bank for donations?  Last time we were there it was next to some of the usual copper scorpions, etc.

[Al]

No I have not seen the magic coffee can in the desert. 

Where is he?  I can only guess just down the river from Boquillas.

Al

[RichardM]

From the video it looks like he's down by the sand slide.  Way back in 2000 there were a couple of kids from Boquillas that were wading across the rio to sell their stuff.  I wonder where they live now...

[homerboy2u]

Maybe some are still living in Boquillas, Richard...it is not like Boquillas is surrounded by tumbleweeds, but many folks just went away to Muzquiz or maybe went to work for the El Carmen Project and are still living in Boquillas.

 What has changed is that I DO NOT recommend to goto Boquillas alone, not until things go back the way they used to be.

[STARLITDARKNESS3]

What, you've never seen a jar (or maybe a coffee can) left on the bank for donations?  Last time we were there it was next to some of the usual copper scorpions, etc.

I've seen it... along with 'items to have for donations'.  I have also seen the Department of Homeland Security agents, confiscate these 'obvious dangers to our national security'.  Because, we all know, small copper scorpions are a danger to us all.  Helping the people (terrorists) of the town of Boquillas is a sin. 

I don't know if you all agree or disagree, but when I see the jar, I drop a small donation in it. 

[homerboy2u]

Makes us sad, just to read this.......

[SHANEA]

I don't know if you all agree or disagree,

I agree that what the "collective" "we" have done to the economics of the border communities is reprehensible.  I wish there was something that I could do to reopen the border, but there is zero political interest in doing something like this.  When I stare over at Boquillas or La Linda and know that I can't go over there, I "feel" like a East German must have felt staring at West Germany over the Berlin Wall and the Brandenberg Gate.  Of course, I can go over there, I just can't legally come back that way.   

What really gets me is that we are no "safer" as a country with the informal crossings closed.  If anything, we are less safe as we have alienated a group of people that we used to call our friends, and from all reports if there were "strangers in my house" that they'd be the first to sound the alarm. 

[SHANEA]

We took a rowboat 'cross the Rio Grande
Captain Pablo was our guide
For two dollars in a weathered hand
He rowed us to the other side

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-- "Gringo Honeymoon," Robert Earl Keen

[SHANEA]

Victor the Signing Mexican from a BLOG

[jamesb]

No I have not seen the magic coffee can in the desert. 

Here is one, along with other "terrorist items". it was on top of the RGV nature trail where you look down over the RGV camp site one way and into Boquillas the other way

click the link for a slightly larger version

http://www.james-benton.com/gallery/adventures/bigbend07b/day1/IMG_1382.JPG

James

[aggiehiker]

I got to enjoy Victor's singing in Oct when I was there.  He has a small thatched hut right outside the entrance to Boquillas. He has several little stores set up along the trail from the parking lot and checks on them regularly. He sits up on the little hill and he sounds really good inside the canyon.

We saw another one of these entrepreneurs (terrorists, if you are with Homeland Security or Big Bend) coming over to check his sales on the Nature trail at RGV. He comes across several times a day in broad daylight and in plain view of everyone. His stores are set up all the time and evidently aren't bothered by the rangers.

I was one of those who enjoyed sitting on the patio in Boquillas eating tacos and drinking a cold one while looking out over the river.     It's a shame we still can't do it. Closing the border to tourists who want to go across has done nothing to stop the people coming into Texas. They still come across at will in the park as well as up and down the river. 

[Vince T]

If you didn't hear Victor on NPR last week...here's the link.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16579416


Vince