Laredo near Lake 🏠⚪️ st.pk TX. Jan 08, 24

Drove into Laredo today. My impressions last year was of a small, very poor bordertown. We had only visited the historic downtown area near the border crossing into Mexico. However, it is a city of 250,000 people and quite affluent.

A little bit of history:

Laredo was once the capital of the Republic of the Rio Grande. Several areas in Mexico were attempting to separate from Mexico at the time. This was  in response to the first elected president,  Santa Anna. 

When Mexico won independence from Spain they formed a republic with decentralized government much like Canada and the USA. They created a constitution and elected Santa Anna.

Santa Anna quickly created a centralized government with the states losing their elected governments replacing them with the central government's, read Santa Anna's, appointees. He also got rid of the constitution.

The Republic of the Rio Grande only lasted 11 months eventually joining with the Republic of Texas.

But that's a story for another day.

So back to todays journey.

Americans build massive roads every where. Not sure why a city of only 250,000 with not another town anywhere for 100 km needs this. Another photo to give an idea of the height. 

As we drove through the neigbourhoods  we saw homes like these.

Also saw some much bigger and fancier, and some strata like housing. Didn't see apartments, or any poverty like we've seen elsewhere with the caviot we didn't travel the whole city. Perhaps this is so because hurricanes don't come this way destroying everything in there wake!

Still can't get over the election of  there police.

This has been the hottest day since leaving home.

Not complaining 😏 

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