Some husbands may fly their wives on a plane to Paris for a romantic dinner, some may whisk them away by car for a leisurely meal in the Laurentian’s…..well the Campologist took me in a rowboat to Mexico for Lunch!

While staying at Big Bend National Park, the campologist suggested we have a long overdue lunch date. Usually our travel m.o. includes healthy lunches made in the trailer, and occasional lunches out. I felt excited about a lunch date! “Where are we going?”… I asked… to which he replied “Mexico”!

Sounds romantic until you hear the logistics. Drive to a port of entry, walk to the river, yell across the river to the man with the rowboat to come to pick us up, take a donkey, horse, or pickup truck or walk the half mile to town.

The port of entry, a small cement building, was staffed by a lone park ranger, Juan, who instructed us on the procedure for a lunch date in Mexico. They really should put his picture in the Park newsletter, he was so easy on the eyes! We viewed the remote security terminals, we would use upon our return to the US to scan our passports, and the connected phone we would use to talk to the remote customs agent in El Passo… so intriguing.

We walked the 20-metre path to the river and hailed our driver. Our 30-metre boat ride across the Rio Grande River was short and uneventful. Adrian rowed across expertly and we were delivered safely ashore. When we landed in Mexico, we had the choice of transport to town: pickup, horse, or burrow to ride the half mile to town. Not being a particularly adventurous person with horses, and another tourist said you I would smell like a donkey all day after riding one, we opted to walk.

The Campologist whisked me away down the dusty dirt road en route to our romantic lunch.

The town of Bosquillas was unlike anything I had ever seen. It had small cement houses, in different states of ruin, the streets were filled with young smiling children presenting their wares for sale, dogs of all sizes and shapes, tourist trinkets for sale on every corner, and of course an old Mexican man strumming his guitar in the street, while his dog slept at his feet.

VIDEO – Lunch Date in Mexico

We entered the Jose Falcon restaurant and were seated on a colourful back patio, with a bright sun shining, overlooking the Bosquillas Canyon, with yet another Mexican man singing his tunes….lunch was looking up. After a delightful baked Chile Releno, nacho chips, salsa, guacamole and the requisite Dos Equis, our bellies were full and the lunch date was complete.

We wandered the town greeted by friendly locals, purchased a few trinkets, and walked
the dusty road back to the river, gazing upon wild donkeys in the bush. We felt like we were in another world.

Safely back in the US, we scanned our passports, spoke to the customs officer by phone, and we were on our way…..quickest border crossing ever.

It will be hard for the Campologist to come up with another lunch date that could beat this one.