Do Drink the Water

One negative thing about arriving in February, at a state park, known for its Caverns and bat population, is the bats aren’t here this time of the year. In the winter, they hibernate in caves, about 40 miles away, at 8,000 feet elevation. The caves here at Kartchner are their summer home. Mark and I love bats and enjoy learning more about them as we travel across the desert southwest. We were so surprised, when we noticed a book, written by professor/Dr. Mick Harvey, (late husband of our friend Lora, back home) at the interpretive/educational center at a small park in Texas. What a small interconnected world it is!

Another interesting thing, but perhaps only to a few, is Mark and my recent addiction to Topo Chico; a carbonated water bottled in Monterrey, Mexico. Our daughter and son-in-law have been drinking this Mineral water, in a glass bottle, for years. After spending a month in Texas, where it is the mainstay beverage, stocked in almost every grocery store and gas station, in even the most remote locations, it became our beverage of choice. We couldn’t believe it when we crossed into Arizona and couldn’t find the product anywhere. After doing some research, I discovered that Topo Chico (bottled since the late 1880’s) was almost only found in Mexico and Texas until the 1990’s. Coca-Cola had used the company to bottle it’s Mexican coke products since the 1920’s. They purchased the small Mexican company in 2017, to compete in the growing sparkling water market. Many people are upset that a niche company like Topo Chico has been swallowed up by a big American corporation. I understand that, but it’s kind of nice to know that Topo Chico has gone global and we can most likely pick up a case in Tucson.