Big Bend & Terlingua, TX

09/01/2011

This morning the group awoke as we entered the valley of Big Bend. After breakfast everyone set out to see “The Window” and “Oak Springs.” 

After the hike the next stop was the “ghost town” of Terlingua where an old mine shaft and some crumbling buildings attract passersby to explore and purchase souvenirs. 

After looking around we all went to set up camp down the road near a bar called La Kiva. 

At La Kiva they offer an array of food and beverage in a cool naturalistic underground cave. La Kiva is also home to a strange eclectic skeleton pieced together from an assortment of random animal bones. 

Later, one of the drivers, Will, showed me a secret passage under the bar through a hidden door. On the floor as you pass through is a bunch of theater seats and over on the wall you can exit through a small door with hinges on top. 

After closing everyone went back to the bus and looked for constellations in the clear night sky. Later a few of us were sleeping in the “cuddle puddle” as a strange growling creature approached. Lying still in hopes that someone else would get eaten first seemed a good plan because as they say, "I don't have to outrun the bear, I just have to outrun you."

As I waited with my eyes shut the growling got louder and I felt the animal walking over our tarp as it stepped over us and then as quickly as it came it was gone… Chupacabra?