We drift in the slow-moving Rio Grande, leaning back on lifejacket cushions with hats tipped over our faces to block the desert sun. Our guides, Bob and Billy, offer commentaries on the local scenery and life on both sides of the border. The afternoon is filled with water fights, picture taking, a minor stretch of rapids and a lot of talk about the canyon we'll be entering. We set up camp early near the mouth of the canyon. The dark slash dominates the landscape, rising over 1500 feet in places.
Dinner is gourmet Mexican food, complete with wine.
Everyone pitches in to prepare the meal, and afterwards we join in a sing-along around the campfire. The firepit and wood were hauled in on the canoes, the goal being to leave this area as untouched as possible. Not so much as a cigarette butt is to be left behind. A soft breeze stirs the evening air and a full moon bathes our beach in twilight. We bed down under the stars, interrupted only once by a wandering burro.