Border bicyclist

Ryan Riedel is an Arizona State University graduate riding a bicycle all the way along the 1,951 miles of the United States-Mexico border. He wants to learn more about the border region and its people and "attempt to create greater awareness about issues of culture and social justice issues" and maybe write a book about his trip.

He writes in his blog about the first week he spent, riding from Houston down to Brownsville. Then, in the second week, he explores Brownsville and Matamoros, encountering a little culture shock:

... Off my bike and out of my element, I actually had work to do. The first thing I noticed was that almost all the people in Brownsville were Hispanic. A big surprise, right? It was for me. I had spent in enough time in Nogales, Arizona, and Nogales, Sonora, to be convinced that, in every border town you're going to come across at least some Caucasian people. Amidst a sea of dark eyes and dark hair, I learned that this wasn't always the case.

It should be interesting to read this Arizonan's perspective on the Rio Grande Valley.