Boquillas del Carmen

Boquillas del Carmen is a sleepy, isolated Mexican village in the Chihuahuan desert.  Its lore lies in its tantalizing proximity to Big Bend National Park. The simplicity and irony of taking an aluminum row boat across the “not-always-so-mighty” Rio Grande, crossing international boundaries in times of political tension, to arrive in a land that lies only yards from America, but centuries away, is what draws folks to visit.  Tourists purchase trinkets from kids in the street, enjoy burritos and cervezas, explore the Sierre del Carmen, or simply gaze back at Los Estados Unidos from the other side. Boquillas’s economy is far from diverse, relying heavily on wondering Americans. After 9/11, the border crossing was closed, isolating an already remote village. Boquillas became reliant upon the good will of Big Bend locals bringing supplies and good tidings of various means on all day treks.  Fortunately, the border crossing officially reopened in 2013 re-establishing the lifeline to the village. Today, Boquillas still serves as a respite for those willing to sacrifice the travel and who’s souls are fed by creating stories with good people in a far-flung setting.