The evening flight into Brownsville, Texas went without a hitch after a brief layover in Dallas but it was midnight by the time I got my rental car and arrived at my hotel. Still, I woke up earlier than expected and hit the road to Nuevo Progreso, Mexico via US-281. It was a rural road just about a mile or so north of the Rio Grande with mostly farmland and occasional palm trees. After about 75 minutes of driving, I arrived at the Progreso International Bridge and parked on the American side for $2. Another 50 cents allowed me access to the pedestrian bridge and the “portal to another world.” I snapped a picture of the Rio Grande and border mark.
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| Rio Grande |
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| Border |
Why Mexico?
Many people come across for cheaper meds, food and dental work or to shop the large selection of arts and crafts. I was there for the sake of visiting another foreign country (#6) as well as to take in some culture and test out my Spanish skills on their turf. Nuevo Progreso is located just over an hour west of Brownsville and about 3 hours northeast of Monterrey. If you want to cross the border from the Brownsville area, Nuevo Progreso is the only town that I would recommend. Word on the street is that Matamoros and Reynosa are not very safe and you have to walk about a mile or so to get into town. In Nuevo Progreso, you are right in the heart of it as soon as you cross the bridge.
You will see lots of dentist offices, drug stores, restaurants, bars and street vendors along the way and some Spanish signage definitely reminded you that you were indeed in Mexico. Despite the early hour, the streets were more crowded than I expected and you can expect to see plenty of locals trying to sell you dental work, pharmaceuticals or other items. I never felt unsafe or threatened but it did seem to get a bit seedier as I got further away from the bridge and I did not venture out to side streets. I just responded with a polite “No, gracias” or “No lo necesito.” (I don’t need it). I did end up buying a new wallet for just $8 and a nice embroidered Mexico T-shirt for just $10.
Lunch was a small but tasty filet mignon for another bargain price along with chips and salsa plus a side of guacamole. As for the language barrier, Spanish is not necessary in a border town but I wanted to show respect. Nobody laughed at my southern accent and I was able to have a couple brief conversations in Spanish. One person actually complimented me on my skills. Still, I need to improve if I am to visit Costa Rica or Ecuador in the future. I stopped for a 2nd beer at a bar after lunch but that was all I could handle if I was to drive back within the next hour. I then stopped at a barber shop for a $5 haircut before turning back to the USA. All told, I spent about 2.5 hours in Mexico. It was a worthwhile experience but I probably would not go unless there was a nearby US attraction. Customs was a breeze. I simply presented my passport and souvenir T-shirt. The border guard simply asked where I was going next then sent me on my way. I would not rule out a quick trip to Tijuana or Nogales at a later date.
I took the Interstate back to South Padre then enjoyed a swim in the Gulf before dinner. I scored a smokin’ deal on a hotel right on the beach for just $90/night. In the future, I intend to visit the coast in the late Spring and early Fall more often to get better deals and avoid the crowd while the water is still fairly warm. Though it cleared up at the end, conditions were overcast most of time at the beach but I didn’t mind. Air temps were near 80 with water temps in the low 70s. That’s a little chilly for my taste but after 10-15 minutes to acclimate, it really wasn’t half bad. The sand was brown and hard near the water’s edge but the water had a nice green tint. The inlet is very narrow with both the Gulf and the bay visible from my hotel. On a good day, you can see some nice sunsets and sunrises.
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| My hotel |
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| Hotel view |
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| Just me and my shadow |
I’ve never been one to enjoy simply laying down in the sand while reading a book or sipping a drink. I am there for the surf and I like how it feels when a wave crashes on my head or neck. I actually went down twice but recovered quickly. Conditions were quite favorable. It was just rough enough to be an adventure but not nearly enough to be dangerous. I took an inflatable boogie board that I bought from E-bay. It wasn’t quite as good as the real thing but it did the job and I got more than a few good rides. On the best day, if you catch one perfectly, you can ride a chest high wave all the way to the shore. Man, that’s so much fun! The board fit easily in my bag and once I figured out how to use the pump, it was easy to inflate. Deflation was a bit tricky and it took quite a while to squeeze enough air out to fit it back in the bag before the flight back.
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| View of the bay |
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| Sunrise run |
Great trip overall. I still prefer the Emerald Coast on the FLA/ALA line but there is a lot to like about the Texas coast as well. It’s definitely worth it if you are up for something different and being further south, the beach season is a bit longer. I could very well be back again. Maybe a Houston/San Antonio/Corpus Christi trip?
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| Selfie |
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