Cosmic Texas
In south USA, right above the Mexican border, with only the infamous Rio Grande separating both countries, there's Del Rio. A sounding name for those fond of western movies. My reference was "No Country for Old Men" by Joel and Ethan Cohen. Del Rio has received us in a random motel at night time. As always we spotted countless deers and a badger crossing our path in the arid landscape, which will never get old for me, as I love animals. The first thing we spotted in the morning was the beautiful railroad bridge, surrounded by a desolate landscape, contrasting with Lake Amistad pale blue waters. We drove around the lake, finding lovely and quiet spots to just sit and breath in all the lovely nature that moved all around us.
We had to stop at the Marfa Lights Viewing Area. Though they have reportedly been seen mostly at dusk and when the sky gets darker, we just wanted to take a look. After being in the USA for several days at this point we can understand now how so many people report sightings of weird things in the sky and different other phenomenon. In Miami we were in a street where there was heavy rain in one side and the other was perfectly sunny. We saw weird little tornados, heavenly sunbeams and even a waterspout! So, it actually looks like the perfect place for something "otherworldly" to happen.
This part of the U.S. Route 90 is filled with adorable communities. One of them is Marathon, with its very peculiar houses, it is known for its super dark night skies, which make it possible to see clearly all the marvellous stars up above. The views in this area are amazing. You have huge open and endless fields. That is something that I guess I only felt in some parts of Spain. The awareness that you can walk endlessly in any direction, having the broadest sight range ever is absolutely overwhelming.
In Marfa, we visited the Chinati Foundation, a beautiful example of how a small city was put on the map by artists and art lovers. And we also went to El Cosmico, a cool shamanic trailer park hotel. Nearby there's a shop just by the main street where you can find bewitching minerals. Some of them coming from mines nearby.
As anyone who knows a bit of art and fashion, I've always been intrigued by "Prada Marfa" installation by artists Elmgreen and Dragset, it is actually located in Valentine. Built in 2005, this structure has been vandalised two times and it is a showstopper for anyone who's been driving around. While we were taking some photographs these three cowboys stopped their pickup on the shoulder and went to contemplate the windows of this fake shop. I wonder if they were trying to find the perfect handbag for their old lady!
Though this time we were more driven by nature and we went to visit smaller places, I hope next time we'll get to check out the big Texas cities. I can assure you that crossing Texas from East to West is absolutely worth it. The landscapes are endlessly amazing!Next Stop: New Mexico <3