Remember the Alamo!

While we were traveling in the San Antonio area we decided to tour the site of the Alamo and take in the famous river walk downtown. We started out with a trip to the IMAX where we watched the Mysteries of the Nile while we were waiting for show time on the story of the Alamo.

We watched the Alamo video amazed by the raw courage and shocked by the horror of the terrible slaughter portrayed by the actors. That time period in the history of our country was certainly difficult for the settlers but they lived and died with a dedication to their sense of duty and their dreams.

After the movie we went to see the actual remains of the Alamo.

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This building was interesting for the architectual details on the front. The ruins have been rebuilt for the most part as a memorial to those who died there.

Some of the original walls remained. The Alamo was not a fort originally but a fortified mission. It was not built as a fort to hold off a large force, merely to be defense against small incursions such as bandit attacks. The church and other buildings are all inside the walls. Though some of the walls were three feet thick and very high, one was merely a wooden stockade made from poles cut in the surrounding forests.

Inside the walls the grounds are beautifully landscaped. The walk along an outer wall was very picturesque.

However, these picturesque walls do not explain why the cry "Remember the Alamo" has lasted as a part of American history. There was a group of school children visiting the site that day and we were all treated to a history lesson from one of the docents. He told us about the political situation during that time in both the U.S. and Mexico.

After the fall of previous dictatorships a new form of government had been set up in Mexico. This new republic saw the need for more settlements in their northwestern areas so they invited the American settlers who were moving west to stay in the sparsely settled areas that are now north of the border. It offered them land grants, Mexican citizenship, low taxes and other incentives. This sounded good to the settlers so they accepted, but after about ten years of living and building on their new land, the Republican government was overthrown and General Santa Anna became dictator. The Centrist faction at Mexico City gained power and the distant settlers were having their lands and privileges taken away. This caused the settlers to revolt, intending to form the Republic of Texas. They took their stand against the Mexican army led by General Santa Anna at the San Antonio Mission. They were well aware that they probably would not survive the onslaught but decided they must take a stand and hoped for help from the other settlers in the surrounding areas. Sam Houston was training his troops but they were not ready yet. So even though these defenders died and they lost the Alamo, their efforts slowed down the Mexican army and weakened it so much that Sam Houston and his militia were able to defeat General Santa Anna as he continued on eastward to put down the rebellion. The rest is history.

Picture taking was not allowed inside, but we were able to see the displays showing what life was like in the days when it was in use as well as the museum and memorial displays.

The Alamo is now in the downtown area of San Antonio a few blocks from the river walk, another of the city's attractions.

The river is spring fed so the water is quite clear. The city is protected from flooding by flood gates that can be closed to divert the water on downstream. This is a colorful area with details reflecting the many cultures who call this city home.

A ride on the riverboats was in order so we bought our tickets and climbed on board. Our guide pointed out the architectural history and diversity along the way. Many historic buildings, dating from the early settlements are now hotels and stand side by side with new modern hotels built in recent years.

The beautiful river walk is being expanded to include more areas of the city and there is much construction and restoration going on. One area is mostly restaurants with al fresco dining under colorful umbrellas available at many of them.

Near the mall along the river walk a Peruvian pan flute band plays daily for the crowd enjoying a snack, a meal or just a rest on the plaza. They also offer their recordings for sale. Their music adds to the ambiance along the walk.

This is a very interesting city to visit.

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