ITunes 11.3.1 iPhone backup, where are iMessages, etc?

I have followed protocol for backing up iPhone in iTunes 11.3.1. I am now trying to retrieve texts (iMessages) and other items from this backup on my laptop.
This page:
iTunes: About iOS backups
says that the iTunes backup/saves *everything* on the iPhone, including iMessages: "iMessage and carrier SMS or MMS pictures and videos"
But when I go to Library > Application support > MobileSync > Backup, I see a folder with weird letters and numbers, e.g. "ac12ce21b740740a163e9538467add87b38a5a85" and within that, there are 6,291 files. All of these files have weird letters/numbers names as well, such as "0a0f38536993715a161cccfb70a0f54a07a7e52b". When I try to open one of these documents that appears to be text (dog-eared paper icon), it opens up with code. Hence, I can't look at files on my computer that the Support Page above says I have "stored on my computer".
So why is it that I can't go to the MobileSync>Backup folder and see/open these items easily on my computer?
I'm guessing that these are not files I can click and open, rather they are files that the iPhone has to see/read to be able to open them. But again this page, iTunes: About iOS backups says that they are "stored on your computer".
If that is the case: Follow-up question: if I buy a new iPhone and connect to iTunes, can I retrieve all the info from the previous backup of the *old* phone and put it on my *new* phone?
thanks

As you note, it says they are stored on your computer, but it didn't say they were stored in a format that was usable for anything but a restore. That isn't unique to Apple's iPhone backups -- many types of computer backups are stored in formats that are designed only for use in restoring.
If you want to access the iTunes backup on your computer there are 3rd party utilities such ashttp://www.wideanglesoftware.com/ibackupextractor/
The "Use iTunes" section in the lower part of Transfer content from an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to a new device has instructions on how to use the backup from the old phone to restore to a new one.

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