leaving Texas

Saturday October 31

Ghost/art town of Marfa

Woke up cold in Marfa and got going to Balmorhea hoping that the day would warm up. 

I needn’t have worried. It was plenty warm when I got there (high 60s, low 70s) and “cold” water in Texas is super balmy. What unnerved me slightly was the irregular rocky bottom of the pool, and the fact that it was so slippery everywhere.

Spring-fed awesomeness

While doing laps I saw a turtle taking a breath at the surface then scurrying down to the bottom and tucking himself into the algae at the bottom. He’s definitely way better at this than I am. After my swim I sat with my feet in the water and let the guppies give me a pedicure before resuming the road.

Balmorhea pedicure 

Got to Carlsbad around 3:15pm only to find that the natural entrance had closed at 2pm! NOOOO! So I went down the elevator (which did make my ears pop) and visited the Big Room. 

Felt like I was going into someone's secret lair

Everything that was lacking at Mammoth was here in spades, hearts, diamonds and clubs. It was almost too much, like a rich man’s tomb crammed full of his loot. In fact there were a bunch of smaller stalagmites that reminded me of statues, like all the stuff he had plundered in his life. 

 

Everything you wanted in a cave and then some more and more and more and more

What was awesome was the sunset bat flight. Hundreds of thousands of them, circling and flying out in huge ungainly clouds. There was a flock of cave sparrows shouting in anger at not being able to go home to their nests due to the congestion, and also a red tailed hawk, gorging on the bat buffet. A total A+ experience. No pictures allowed tho.