international waters=gool

For my first week down here we have what is called 'induction week' to the Valley. We learn more about Teach For America, explore the valley, do interviews with schools, meet our fellow corps members, and just enjoy Texas before we head up to Houston on Sunday to start Institute training. 

Yesterday a group of about 20 of us drove to a national park to go kayaking down the Rio Grande. The guide that went with us goes on the river everyday and could not stop talking about how great it is.

He was especially excited because today there was a (new) truck in the river, about halfway submerged, and he was planning on getting it towed and turning it in to get money for his non profit. He explained to us that what happens is the border control will chase people- on foot and in cars- down the US side of the border but if the people go into the water again, they are safe. 

In the international body of water, you can't be touched and are free to go back to Mexico, or stay in the water i suppose, too. 

So we paddled up to the truck and we saw that all of the lug nuts had been removed and put on the hood of the car. The guide told us we can't be naive, and that most likely there was drugs in the tires, and that the car had been racing along the American side, being chased by border patrol, and to escape, drove straight into the river on purpose- its not deep.

My jaw dropped a bit, and I couldn't believe it! It made the border feel very real.

We continued kayaking past the truck, made a loop around a small island, and started to make our way back up stream. 

When we got to the truck again, there was a small boat of mexicans paddling up to the truck. We all slowed our paddling to see what was happening. Out of the boat the pulled a huge thick chain and attached it to the back of the truck. We looked back to the Mexican bank and there were 5 more men, a huge truck, and multiple darkly tinted smaller cars. 

We all nodded, said 'buenos tardes' and continued on. Within 30 seconds there was border patrol helicopters directly above us circling.

Our guide motioned for us all to get closer and he had a crazy expression on his face. He told us how most people don't get to see this so take a good look...international drug trafficking in progress.

He then said, see? its not how you imagined, huh? It's not scary...

And it really wasn't. At no point did I feel unsafe, and the river was to much fun to not be enjoying yourself. People swimming, little kids playing on the bank, dogs running around, kayakers. 

I just can't believe what was happening simultaneously.