LOS EBANOS, TEXAS

Home of the last hand-operated ferry on the Rio Grande

This is a must see, must do for people who have been there, done that. It's the last hand-operated ferry operating on either border.

A large Texas ebony tree anchors the 3-car barge on the U.S. side. The village is tree shaded and we'd move there in a minute, but we're not sure of what goes on when the sun goes down. Even at mid-day the place is kind of spooky. Charming, but spooky.

If you don't cross with your car, be warned: (we weren't) when you get to the other side, it's like G. Stein's Oakland; "when you get there, there's no there there".

More on Los Ebanos, Texas

"Los Ebanos"
by Lydia Solis & Benjamin Cardenas

Ciudad Diaz Ordaz, Mexico

Diaz Ordaz is a good four miles south. What is there is a Customs checkpoint with guards who are usually playing cards. We asked about a taxi and three of the four guards had seen them (not here, but they had seen taxis before). We asked how we were to get to Ciudad Diaz Ordaz and the one who had never seen a taxi showed us his thumb (at least we think it was his thumb).

We got a ride with a Mexican woman who insisted that her children relinquish their seats to us and ride in the back of the pickup. After a brief visit in town we hailed a taxi back to the river and showed it to our friends in the guardshack. One who had seen a taxi before stated that it was bigger than he remembered.

© John Troesser
2000

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