I made a video compilation of our first day of the trip to test out the cameras and to capture our experience in the wonderful city of San Antonio. Our flights and travels to the city went smoothly. We took the day to relax and adventure before work begins this week. Of course we had to visit the Alamo in all of its glory and explore its history and artifacts. We then ventured over to the Riverwalk and took in the sights, sounds, and food of the heart of San Antonio. Couldn’t have asked for a better start to our trip. Hope you enjoy the video, and as always, thanks for checking out our blog!
We spend a good amount of time talking about our work on the unidentified migrants from Brooks County to bring awareness to this humanitarian crisis on our southern border. The presentations always end with a question and answer session as people are generally shocked at the sheer number of preventable deaths occurring in our country. But there are also times when we are the ones who are surprised and humbled by those who reach out to us regarding our mission. Yesterday I received the following email:
“Dr. Latham, I read with interest your travels to Falfurrias. I grew up in Premont and Fal, and although it was many years ago I still have family and friends there. The plight of the Mexicans and other South and Central Americans through that country is tough. When I was a kid I met many very honorable migrants. From time to time migrants may come to our door looking for food and water. Now we may have as many as 15 or 20 be at our back door at any given time. As more and more came through our property we determined that it was inhumane to lock up our buildings and sources of water. The country can be brutal as you and your team know. As things grow more difficult in their countries there is little choice for them, but to go north. Brooks and Jim Wells counties are dirt poor. So they are unable to do what you all are doing for them. Thank you for your assistance.”
As I read the email to my team we were so grateful that a stranger would seek us out with this gesture of thanks. This was exactly what we needed as we entered our second field season in Falfurrias.
Upon arrival to our downtown San Antonio hotel, we quickly checked in and needed to make a very important decision…What should we eat? After early flights out of Indy we all had gotten quite hungry –and having hungry graduate students is never good. We decided to take the advice of one of the hotel’s employees and quickly made our way to Moses Rose’s Hideout. They are known for their in-house smoked brisket, fresh burgers, and live music. When we walked up to the restaurant we were greeted by a curious fellow who led us into the restaurants foyer, which appeared to dead end. He then informed us that everyone must perform a trick in order to gain entrance into the restaurant or face a heavy cover charge. He suggested jumping on one foot, hula-hooping, or rubbing your belly while patting your head.
We all took our turns, not all that concerned about being embarrassed in front of each other – it’s definitely not the first time that has happened. He then pressed a button on the wall which opened the secret door to the hideout. As we walked through the saloon doors we were greeted by the other patrons with rounds of applause and soon realized that there was a live video feed into the restaurant of our less than stellar moves.
Brisket Tacos
However the air in the room was full of smoke from the smoking briskets and the amazing smells and thoughts of food quickly replaced our minor embarrassments. All of us knew brisket had to be the food of choice. Jessica and Cheneta went for brisket topped burgers, Justin got a brisket sandwich, and Dr. Latham, Ryan, and I went for the brisket tacos topped with pico de gallo and guacamole, they were fantastic! And so began Dr. Latham and my taco challenge! We are going to eat some sort of taco (defined as anything wrapped in a tortilla) at least once a day.
So stay tuned for future food and exploring posts as we make our way south to Falfurrias!
