PHARR, TX TO REYNOSA AND ONTO CIUDAD VICTORIA

The caravan starts ROLLING at 7:30 AM sharp - that means departure preparation is complete and the rig is in position by that time. It is quite foggy.

Here we are about to cross the border in the fog.

Teri is driving, Wubie is dozing on his center console seat/bed, and I am the navigator for part of this segment. I operate the CB for RV 11 (us). Notice the mile-by-mile log that we follow.

Reynosa is quire poor and disheveled, with many shantytowns and a lot of mud everywhere. Drug gangs and crime is rampant here. My question is why does the Mexican govermnent permit this. Today's headline is that the federal police has taken over police duties for the town.

From the border town of Reynosa we take the Federal road 97 - a straight as an arrow road headed South through the state of Tamaulipas.

The first thing that happens is that the breakfast coffe takes effect and our bladders begin to demand action on our part.The caravan is in constant CB communication, and we announce that rig 11 is going to make a quick stop at an upcoming Pemex state gas station. The Wagon masters decide to give the opportunity to everyone and we all stop. There is barely enough room for the 22 rigs.

As you can see the fog has not lifted and it is still in the 50's.After some time the skies clear and we begin to pass fertile looking fields of enormous sizes - the famous Latin-American "latifundios", or huge agri-businesseses owned by wealthy land owners.

Here is a tiny truck loaded to the hilt with refrigerating store showcases. The load was totering and they pulled to tighten ropes.

There are numerous tiny restaurants selling Tacos and Carnitas Assadas for the local peasants and workers.

Here Teri is seated at our 5:00 PM Happy Hour listening to a very interesting presentation by the Mexican owner of the campground. Our RV is in the background. Notice the dish locked on the data satellite already. Our tandem gererators were humming quietly in the background. The VW Camper in front belongs to a German couple touring Mexico in their own German RV!

Here is Rosa. She was a teacher and a lawyer before being an RV Campground owner in Ciudad Victoria, and was teaching us in quite good English about the Mexican ways, a bit of useful Spanish, and how to frustrate the few crooked Mexicans that we may encounter. The woman in the red shirt is, Alice, the wife of the wagon master and lead navigator and CB communicator for the caravan

Tomorow we begin to drive toward the Gulf, and will stop at Soto la Marina near the water.