I've been offline about 30 hours now, some people are gonna be pissed... but that's the way it goes. A guard at an inspection station somewhere along the way gave me a hard time about not having a valid tourist visa but I explained that I was going from one border town to another and didn't think I needed one. So he told me I need a new passport (I've had people on the other side of the border tell me the same... this one is really water damaged) and let me go.
From the Matamoros bus depot I followed the signs to the Puente Internacional (International Bridge) and was across it in about an hour and a half. This border station was a first for me... it actually had restrooms and a water faucet out front, as a "welcome home" to pedestrian tourists. The cynical side of me says that's because precious few are going to cross that mile-long (I guess) bridge under the blazing sun. No such facilities exist at San Diego nor at Columbus, NM.
Anyway, I've been walking all afternoon, and am camped out at Bigo's Bar and Grill on Padre Island Way. Hitching a ride here is just as impossible as anywhere else nowadays, though the impossible does occur... I got a ride from Deming to Columbus with a guy named Ramon last Sunday, and my friend Marvin saved me about two miles' walk yesterday morning on my way to Palomas. There's supposed to be a private bus service from Brownsville to the island for $2, but I forgot the name of it, and haven't found internet access yet. So it looks like I'll be off the air for another night... nothing that a few beers can't solve... or at least take the edge off it...
last updated 2013-01-10 20:41:26. served from tektonic.jcomeau.com