Day 6: Mexican vendors at Boquillas Canyon

We drove from Shady Butte back across Big Bend National Park to the east side and Boquillas Canyon.

On this side of the park there is an overlook where we can easily see the countryside surrounding Boquillas Del Carmen, Mexico on a distant hill. Just across the river we could see
several Mexicans working in a grove. One called to me, “Amigo, (Mexicans always call you amigo.) do you want to buy a walking stick?” It was easy to hear him despite the distance. I called back, “No.” A couple of minutes later a young Mexican man arrived at the top of the hill carrying a load of stuff to sell: four walking sticks painted with colorful drawings of cactus and
birds and the words Boquillas, Mexico, several scropions made from twisted red wire, some arrowheads and a jar for money. A badly worded sign that said scorpions cost $5 and the money was for a charity for kids.

Chris purchased one of the red wire scorpions with red eyes. We are going to hang it from the mirror in the van.

Chris then hiked up Boquillas Canyon. This canyon is more open than Sana Elena Canyon. The ground is sandy and more open. During the walk in I came across two more offerings of walking sticks, wire scorpions and purple agates of various sizes. The scorpions in one offering were vary large and cost $7. The price of agates ranged from $5 to $20. The sellers were sitting on the other side of the river were they could see their wares. One guy was sitting in front of a 10' by 10' hut made of reeds (very center of the picture). He called across to me and asked if I wanted to buy anything. Again I said no. He sang a song as I walked out of the canyon. His voice was not beautiful, but it was loud. He sang in Spanish. I did not recognize the song, but one lady I passed said in a Spanish accent that she recognized the song.

After the canyon we drove north back to Marathon and then east toward San Antonio. Just before the Pecos River we stopped at Langtry, where Justice of the Peace Roy Bean ran a saloon where he provided the “Law West of the Pecos.” Judge Bean has a reputation of being a hanging judge. Though he often threatened to hang men, he only condemned two men to die. At least one escaped. Bean was in reality a con man who bilked customers out of money during court and known braggart with a flare for self-promotion.

Roy named his saloon the Jersey Lily after Lilly Langtry a famous British-American actress of the day. He wrote her letters and often bragged that she someday she would arrive on the train for a visit. On the evening of March 15, 1904, Roy Bean got drunk and died the next day. Ten days later Lilly Langtry actually did show up at Roy Bean's bar and courthouse. Roy's regulars told her stories about him. Like the time he fined a man who had committed suicide. The guy jumped off a bridge and died. In his pocket was a pistol and $40 in gold pieces. Bean fined the man $40 for carrying a concealed weapon.

We camped down the road at Seminole Canyon State Historical Park. This large canyon is not a river canyon. It has been created from the run-off of rain flowing toward the Pecos River. The smooth bottom of the canyon is dry accept for some small pools of clear water. However, this canyon is a state park because the sheltering overhangs cut into the canyon sides are covered in rock art several thousand years old.