A NEW EXPERIENCE! AND FUN!

While we were still in South Carolina last September, we were camping at the Air Force Base and ran into a camper who was heading to South Texas, to the exact same place that we were going.  A coincidence, to say the least.  He goes there every year and just loves it.  He recommended a number of things to do here, and some were a must, including going to a ropa.  I had never heard of such a thing, so I was anxious to hear more.  Was it some sort of rodeo???? 
I was told that Winter Texans have a love/hate relationship with ropas.  They seem to either love them or went once and will never go again. Here is what they are:
There are a number of very large warehouses strung along the road between McAllen Texas and the Mexican border.  In them are VERY large piles of clothing, and I mean large...,up to 8-10 feet high.  The clothes are hauled in bale-style to the warehouse and dumped on the floor.  Where they come from... I don't know.  Most of them are used, some are new and some are well...who knows.  People then come in, prepared for an adventure, and climb over, under and around the piles for treasures.  The clothes are not sorted, so clothes for men, women, and children are all fair game. 
We were told to take off all jewelry before we go so that they don't get lost in the piles....heck, I would think that you could lose a child in one of these piles!  Bring a large plastic trash bag, and start digging.  On your way out, your bag is weighed and you pay 25 cents a pound for your treasures.  Many of the items carry very desirable brand names and are in very good shape.  It is much like shopping at a thrift store, but on a much grander scale.
I had a blast and so did the gals I went with......fellow workampers here at the park.  I found some really nice clothes for Tom, including 2 pair of shorts, a pair of Eddie Bauer jeans, a golf shirt and two t-shirts.d  I found some cute things for two of my grandsons and an item or two for me. 
Here at Victoria Palms, there is going to be a Ropa Style Show later on this month with residents wearing their treasures for all to see.
As you can see in the pictures, it is hard to maneuver around the piles and some of us land on our backs.
I hope to make one more trip to Ropa before I leave......it is too much fun to miss!

Lylia becomes our first casualty!