It’s no secret that while we were in Seoul we regularly went to the jim-ji-bang, a public spa where there are many different large hot tubs and cool pools, as well as saunas and steam rooms. You have to go naked, so it’s not for the prudish. Many of our colleagues eschewed it, and several of our relatives mocked it. We loved it.
Well, we found what we’re calling a Texas Jim-ji-bang yesterday at Big Bend National Park. We had heard about hot springs in the park; however, we weren’t expecting much. What we found was fabulous. It was the ruins of a huge stone tub, divided into sections, full of hot water, and right beside the Rio Grande. Apparently, the water is 105 degrees Fahrenheit and is heated by geothermal vents underground.
We spent about three hours there, sitting in the warm water in our bathing suits, enjoying the sunlight and the view of Mexico about 30 feet away. We had the place more or less to ourselves, and it was just what we need after seven weeks of traveling.
We did see a man and a boy fishing on the Mexican side of the river. Apparently, there used to be a border crossing in the park and a thriving town on the Mexican side. Unfortunately, the border was closed after September 11, 2001 and the town of Boquillas has gone into decline.
Sitting in the hot water and looking at Mexico just a stone’s throw away, I thought about borders. Mexico was so close, and yet very far away. Neither we nor the Mexicans on the other side were allowed to cross over. We visited the DMZ while we were in Korea, and the same thoughts had come to mind then. It’s strange how history and events can draw seemingly arbitrary lines in the sand, and then how the results for people on opposite sides of the lines can be so different.
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