Final thoughts about my 11 months in México...

Usually, stereotypes and rumors are the result of misguided information or the result of fear of the unknown.  

What I have learned from traveling in other countries is that people are pretty much the same everywhere you go--they have the same basic need to survive.  The methods and modes of everyday life are the same but done in a different language and are based on different customs.

One country is not "better" or "more advanced" or "more civilized" than another, they are just different.  Judging a country by rumors or stereotypes is simply not fair.  I believe that you have to live in the country for at least 6 months to fully experience the "life" of that country.

During the past 11 months, after visiting 14 states and over 30 cities in México, I feel that I experienced "life" in Mexico.  Here are some of my thoughts that I recorded throughout the year and after I returned to the US.  They are not in order, simply a "brainstorm of thoughts".

*I have seen people surviving in conditions in México that would "not be fit for a dog" in the US.

*I have seen people and kids selling or doing whatever they could to make enough money to survive.

*I have been in and seen situations I would never have dreamed of.

*I have been uncomfortable more times this one year than in the entire 45 years of my life.

*I have stayed in very "interesting" hotels and some very nice ones.

*I have become very accustom to taking public transportation (I had never taken a city bus before riding a "Ruta" in Cuernavaca)

*I learned to go slower.

*I learned that if a party starts at 3pm, it really means the guests start showing up at 5pm.

*I learned that I can survive for 11 months without a cell phone and a car.

*I learned that the Mexican people are very genuine.  

*I learned that Mexico has the same amount of danger and bad people as the US, you just have to be aware of those areas and people and avoid them (as you do in the US).

*I learned that sometimes unfortunate ideas can get ingrained in a culture and no matter how hard people try to change them, they will stay the same for 100s of years if not forever.

*It is possible to make 'friends for life' in a very short time.

*At times, living in another country can be very, very difficult for a multitude of reasons BUT if you stick it out, can be very, very rewarding!

I could go on and on....   

Thank you to all of you for reading my blog, commenting and "experiencing" the past 11 months with me.  It was truly a pleasure writing all of these and I am sure I will enjoy reading them all in the future and be amazed (and probably shocked) at the experiences that I had!  :o)

The final slideshow is pictures that I feel reflect the 'flavor' of my year (sorry, there are quite a few):  http://picasaweb.google.com/regnor11/FinalThoughts# 

Coming soon....maybe:  Culture shock from being back in the United States

¡Fiesta!

We are having a "We're Home!" party on July 18th at 3pm.  

Our address is:  10805 SE Stephens St., Portland, Oregon, 97216

We'll have the grill on and some authentic Mexican food as well as beer, pop and, of course, tequila drinks!  Bring what you can/want or just bring yourselves!

If you have questions or need directions (sometimes the online maps are wrong), please call me on my new cell phone:  503-481-6671

Coming next:  Final thoughts on my year in México

Making tamales, Papantla and El Tajín

Some of the female colleagues of Reed's invited us over to on a Saturday to make tamales.  We started at 12:30 in the afternoon and finally got around to eating at about 6:30pm  What a process!  In the end we had made 5 different kinds of tamales (peppers and cheese, chicken and cheese, chicken and mole sauce, Oaxacan, masa cocida (cooked corn) and over 300 tamales total!  The work is tedious but with friends and, of course, beer, it was a lot more fun than work!

The next day, Sunday, we took a day trip to Tlayacapan, Morelos.  We visited the Augustinian Ex-Monestary Museum which had mummies in one of the rooms.  We also visited the tiangis and some of the stores that sell the pottery that the town is famous for.

The next weekend we traveled to Papantla, Veracruz.  Papantla is most famous for it's flying Voladores and the ruins of El Tajín.  The ritual of the Voladores dates back to Mesoamerican times (2nd - 9th century) and was originally done as a message to the god of fertility to end the drought and bring the rains back to nurture the crops.  The Voladores (5 in total), after doing a special pre-ceremonial dance, have the incredible courage to climb a 150 ft. pole in the forecourt of the church, wind their ropes (4 of the men) around the pole while balancing at the top (the fifth stands on a small platform at the top playing the flute and small drum--without a rope or safety net).  After tying the ropes around their waist, they freefall back to earth gradually unwinding the ropes until they touch the ground again. Then, they ask for donations from the crowd watching them.  We watched this about 4 times, each hour, in one day.  It is incredible!

The next day, we visited the archeological ruins of El Tajín, a pre-Columbian, World Heritage Site.  It was one of the largest cities in Mesoamerica during the classic era .  It was one of the most beautiful ruins we have visited this year!

Before we toured the ruins, we stopped to talk to one of the vendors outside the main shopping area.  We had noticed that he was in a wheelchair and after asking some questions, came to find out that he had been a Volador.  In an unfortunate accident in El Tajín, he had fallen off the very top of the pole before he was able to secure his rope around his waist.  He told us that he was very fortunate to only be paralyzed from the waist down!  

Click on this link to see the pictures:  http://picasaweb.google.com/regnor11/TamalesTlayacapanPapantalaElTajin#

Coming next:  My final thoughts of my year in México

The final blog:  After returning to the U.S...

Weekend trips in May

**Mark your calendars!  We return on July 6th and are planning a party at our house on July 18th complete with Mexican cuisine and, of course, Tequila!**

Here is a summary of some of the weekend trips we took in May:

Desierto de Los Leones, México City:  A Carmelite retreat (which became an ex-convent in 1801) that is located in the mountains to the southwest of Mexico City.  The convent was named after the Leones family who were the monks' lawyers.  It is a beautiful place to visit in the midst of the hustle and bustle of México City.

Ixtapan de la Sal, México:  We went with the Yoder-Schrock family (Gretchen is a Fulbright teacher in Mexico City who is here with her husband and two children for the year) to visit the water park. The hotel that we stayed at had so many great pools and fun things to do that we never made it to the water park!

Chalma, México:  On the way to Ixtapan, we stopped in this village to see El Señor de Chalma (Christ) who miraculously appeared in a cave to replace one of the local gods, Oxtéotl.  The Señor now resides in Chalma's 17th century church.  It was the weekend of the Pentecost and we witnessed hundreds of people who were making an annual pilgrimage to the site.  Some of them had walked 24 hours (or farther) to pay homage.

Malinalco, México:  After Chalma, we stopped in Malinalco.  We climbed up to one of Mexico's few reasonably well-preserved Aztec temples.  The view of the valley below was beautiful!  We also visited the 16th century Augustinian convent.

Xalapa, Veracruz:  We saw a beautiful display of orchids, visited the Anthropology Museum, the Contemporary Art Museum, the Botero Museum (famous Cuban artist), the Parque Paseo de los Lagos and enjoyed the beautiful Zocalo.

Coatepec, Veracruz:  A small town of 48k people very close to Xalapa.  We climbed Snake Hill, shopped for coffee and enjoyed the beautiful buildings in this colonial town.

Click here to see pictures:  http://picasaweb.google.com/regnor11/WeekendTripsInMay#

Coming next:  Making tamales, Papantla and El Tajín

And then:  My final thoughts of my year in México

The final blog:  After returning to the U.S...

Cinco de Mayo

Sorry, I am a little behind!  

Cinco de Mayo was on a Tuesday this year so the teachers had Monday and Tuesday off.  Since it was a long weekend and we were going to go to Mexico City to see my friend Amber off at the airport, we decided to visit a few cities.  We took the bus from Mexico City to Tlaxcala (pop. 85k) which is a colonial town and the capital of Mexico's smallest state, Tlaxcala.  When the Spaniards invaded the city around 1519, the Tlaxcalans fought fiercely at first but ultimately became Cortés' allies against the Aztecs.  The city is the most beautiful city that I have seen so far.  We visited the Ex-Convento Franciscano de la Asunción, the Santuario de la Virgen de Ocotlán and the Zocalo. Unfortunately, the museums were closed because of the Swine Flu.

The next day we took a trip to Haumantla (pop. 46k) which is a Pueblo Magico (magic village). "To become a Magic Pueblo, a community must have unusual historical or religious significance, a heritage that has been preserved over time and reasonable access from major cities or other tourist destinations."  Unfortunately, we didn't really find anything interesting in the town and after lunch with the Yoder-Shrock family (they were on their way from the coast to Mexico City), we returned to Tlaxcala.

Tuesday morning, we took the bus to Puebla, which we had visited in October, to view the site of the battle of Cinco de Mayo.  (An interesting note:  Cinco de Mayo is not as big of a day of celebration in Mexico as it is in the US.)  The celebration of the battle of Cinco de Mayo (against the French) is in the town of Puebla on the Cerro (hill) of Guadalupe.  Unfortunately, because of the Swine Flu, the parade and many of the 'usual' annual activities in the town were cancelled.   We were able to walk around the Cerro and then went into the town to do some shopping for Talavera (fine pottery).

You can see pictures clicking on this site:  http://picasaweb.google.com/regnor11/TlaxcalaHuamantlaPuebla#

Coming next:  Ixtapan de Sal

 

Semana Santa--Week 2

Continuation....

(By the way, life here is back to normal!  There are still posters, notices, TV commercials and talk shows about the influenza but everything is progressing as usual.)

On April 13th, we traveled to:

Puerto Arista--a small little coastal town.  Unfortunately, since the week before was a week off, many people had visited the little town and left a lot of trash behind.  We spent time relaxing on the beach and drinking beer.  We also walked to visit to the Turtle Santuary outside of the town.  We were a little surprised at the amount of abandoned buildings, houses and offices on the way out of the town.  The morning before we left, we body surfed in the ocean which had huge waves and tepid water temperature!  It was a blast!

From Puerto Arista, we took a cumvi (van) to Tonala, bought our tickets to take the bus back to Mexico City (we actually thought that it was Thursday, but it was Wednesday--we had totally lost track of time on our vacation!), ate lunch, caught a bus to Escuitla then took a taxi to Acapetahua to spend the night.

Acapetuahua--a small town (pop. 14k) close to the Reserva de la Biosfera La Encrucijada.  This large biosphere protects 1448 sq. km (900 sq. mi.) of coastal lagoons, sandbars, wetlands, seasonally flooded tropical forest and the country's tallest mangroves, some above 30m (98 ft.). This ecosystem is a vital wintering and breeding ground for migratory birds.  The area also has one of Mexico's biggest population of jaguars, spider monkeys, turtles, crocodiles, caimans, boa constrictors, fishing eagles and lots of waterfowl--many in danger of extinction.  We hired a lancha (long, thin, motor boat) and driver to take us on the waterways through the mangrove forest.  He took us to the various different sections of the forest, explained interesting facts to us and showed us a crocodile on the shore.  After about 2 hours, he dropped us off at the Barra de Zacapulco (a small settlement on a sandbar between the ocean and a lagoon) where we had a relaxing lunch.   Later, we walked on the beach to another turtle sanctuary where we were able to see skeletons of dolphins, whales and turtles.  The lancha driver came to pick us up and take us back to the dock where we caught a cumvi back to town.

That night we caught the bus to Mexico City and 18 hours later, after catching another bus, we arrived in Cuernavaca!  It was the first overnight bus trip that I had taken in my life and definitely the longest!  It was interesting, we stopped only once at about 2 am where we could actually get out and stretch BUT the bus got stopped 7 times by Federal Police roadblocks so that the police could check for drugs.  Apparently, there is a lot of drug traffic in the border towns of the state of Chiapas (where the bus originated from).

For pictures, click on the link below:

http://picasaweb.google.com/regnor11/SemanaSantaWeek2#

Coming next:  Cinco de Mayo vacation

Semana Santa, Week 1

Well, now that the Swine Flu craziness has settled down a little, I can return to regular blogging...

Semana Santa (Holy Week) takes up the whole week before Easter.  The kids don't have school during this week and in addition, the week after is canceled for Spring Break.  Reed and I took advantage of this and she planned a trip for us around the states of Tabasco and Chiapas.  

Here are the highlights:

Villahermosa, Tabasco--not really the 'beautiful town' that the name implies but we walked around the town, visited the river called the Rio Grijalva, and spent the night.  

Palenque, Chiapas--the name of the ruins and the town that is nearby.  We spent two nights in a cabaña (palapa) in the middle of the Parque Nacional Palenque which was satiated with sounds of the jungle!  In the early morning (about 2am) on both nights, a group of Howler Monkeys would make their way past our cabaña, calling out to each other in an eery, breathy howl (they are the loudest land animal with a call that can be heard for 3 miles).  One day we toured the Mayan ruins of Palenque which covers 15 sq. miles and the next day we took a cumvi (van) up to the waterfall, Misol Ha and then to the thundering cascades of Agua Azul (we swam here).

Ocosingo, Chiapas--We stayed in a hotel that is owned by a U.S. couple who were forced from their ranch by the Zapatistas.  (We learned from one of the women who worked at the ranch and now at the hotel, that the Zapatistas had great intentions for increasing the rights of the indigenous people of southern Mexico but power and politics have impeded the process.) We visited the massive ruins of Toniná which is where captives (including rulers) from Palenque were held and beheaded.

San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas--We spent 4 nights in this wonderful colonial town! We toured the Museum of Mayan Medicine, watched a reenactment of the trial and carrying of the cross by 'Jesus', went to Zinacantán to see a procession at the church by one of the indigenous groups called Tzotiles, took a boat through the Cañón de Sumidero, visited Na Bolom (a museum in a house owned by a Swiss couple who wanted to protect the people and work of an indigenous tribe called the Lacadón), got an oily massage, and shopped at the many artisan markets around the city.

Click on the link below to see the pictures!

http://picasaweb.google.com/regnor11/SemanaSantaWeek1#

Here is a link for you to hear what the Howler Monkey's sound like:

http://www.belizezoo.org/grc/zoo/sound/how5.aif?

Coming next:  Semana Santa, Week 2

Swine flu update

The last week has been very interesting!  

Here are some highlights:

•  All schools have been closed, in the entire country, until May 6th .  (May 4th and 5th were a holiday anyway)

•  All public venues have been closed (museums, archeological sites, soccer games, etc.).  Some private venues also closed.

•  On Thursday and Friday, restaurants were asked to close (some did, some didn't).  Before that, they were asked to only provide food for take-out.

•  In a restaurant in Cuernavaca, the owner told us that the government has banned the sale of alcohol in some restaurants (if people drink, they stay longer in one place and therefore could be infected.)

•  Some national flights have been cancelled.

•  People have been asked to stay at home.

Here are some of the rumors about how/why the virus started that we have heard from taxi drivers and the locals:

1)  The drug cartel started the virus to take the focus off of them.

2)  The Mexican government made it seem worse than it was to keep people from going to the demonstration against the privatization of Pemex (the government-owned oil company) which was suppose to happen on May 1st in the Zocalo.

3)  The US and Mexican governments caused the virus to steal all the money from the Mexican people.

4)  Presidential elections are coming up on July 5th and many people think that the virus has something to do with the elections.

5)  And finally, the most fascinating rumor:  Obama brought it with him when he came for a visit to Mexico 3 weeks ago!

When we walked in the door of the bus station to take a bus to Taxco 3 days ago, we were handed a face mask by a military officer.  After we bought our tickets and were waiting for the bus, a man handed us a colorful 3-fold flyer telling us that the most important thing we could do was wash our hands!  There was nothing in the flyer about wearing a face mask (which, by the way, is not very effective against the virus, however, the military has been handing out millions!  Some people say the masks are a way to ease people's minds.) 

Yesterday, we walked up steps for 1.5 miles to take my friend Amber to see the pyramid above the city of Tepotzlan.  We were told at the bottom, before we started, that the trail might be closed at the top.  We climbed anyway and took our chances.  About 500 yards from the pyramid, the trail was closed off by red tape with 'peligroso' (dangerous) written all over it. People were sitting around in groups, talking and eating, which was pretty amusing because the reason the pyramid was closed was to stop people from congregating in one place so that the virus wouldn't have a chance to spread!

For pictures, click on this link:  http://picasaweb.google.com/regnor11/SwineFlu#

Special Report: Swine Flu

I took the bus to Mexico City on Friday to meet my friend Amber at the airport.  I noticed that in the bus station in Cuernavaca, all the workers and some of the passengers had masks on but I didn't really think anything of it because on high pollution days, this is normal.  Arriving in the Mexico City airport, there were more people with masks on and it seemed a little more than was normal.  I still didn't know why.  Later, we saw on the news that it was the Swine Flu.  The next day, Reed came to meet us and we went walking around the Zocalo.  We noticed about 1/2 of the people with masks on and the military on corners passing out masks.  We made a decision to come back to Cuernavaca the next day instead of waiting until Monday.  The next day, we walked to the Metro station and Reed and I noticed how quiet the streets were.  This was at about 1pm on a Sunday.  Usually, at this time, the streets are crowded with people!  It seemed a little more than strange.  Additionally, when we were waiting for the Metro, there were only a few people on the platform and on the trains.  It seemed like a Sci-fi movie!!

Anyway, we are in Cuernavaca and doing fine!

A little information:

The country of Mexico has a population of about 112 million people.  1200 cases of swine flu have been reported with 103 deaths.

They are handing out information about the flu at all major events and places.  They are handing out free masks on the street.  Major events have been cancelled.  Schools are closed for the week.  The information about the flu is running on every major TV station.

I feel like the Mexican government is handling this VERY well.  No worries, we will be careful!

La contaminación y la basura (pollution and garbage) en México

The pollution:

The first thing I noticed when I arrived on the plane in Mexico City was the amount of pollution that was in the air.  It was like a thick, brown fog over the city.  Of course, with a city of 26 million people, you might expect some pollution.  However, after spending 8 months here and traveling around the country I have seen that the pollution is not restricted to Mexico City and seems to shroud most cities.  The three biggest reasons are:

1.  There is no system for regulating automobile emissions.  (However, in Mexico City you can only drive on certain days according to the last number on your license plate.)

2.  People burn their trash (more often in the pueblos and small towns).  There are no regulations about burning and the unfortunate thing is that they throw EVERYTHING on the fire, including plastic bottles.

3.  People burn land.  Sometimes it's the farmers who want to add nitrogen to the soil after their crop is done.  Other times it is, like one of our guides told us, "Because people want to."

The Basura:

The second thing that I noticed when I arrived in Mexico is the trash.  It's everywhere--on the sidewalks, in the streets, in the water and on the beach!  Everyone I've talked to acknowledges that it is a problem, the government has said that it is a problem, but no one seems to do anything about it.  

I have heard two main reasons for the problem:

1.  It is cultural (socially accepted).  I have seen people throw trash out of bus/cumvi windows, drop trash on the sidewalk and just leave trash behind. 

2.  It is a lack of education.  

Three very interesting things to me about the trash problem:

1.  Garbage pick-up is three times a week.

2.  No one has huge trash cans in which to put out their trash.  They put it in plastic bags in a designated place (usually on the corner by a light pole or out on the sidewalk) which is easy fodder for the homeless dogs.

3.  You rarely see trash cans provided by the cities in public places.

4.  On the highways there are signs warning that if someone is caught throwing trash they will be fined 3 months pay.  However, before, after, under and around the sign, there is usually a huge pile of trash!

I am sure if there is a change, it will be a long and difficult one.  

The slideshow at top, right, will give you an idea of what it looks like.  Believe me, none of these pictures are exaggerated, it's the way it is.  By the way, notice the amount of Coca-Cola plastic bottles that are in the pictures.  I have done a little research on this and found that most of the sodas, juices and water sold here are made by Coke.  AND, you would think from the amount that people drink (not to mention that we have seen mothers give it to their 3-month old babies) and by the advertisement that it is a cure-all for what ails you!  Seriously!

For pictures, click on this link:  http://picasaweb.google.com/regnor11/PollutionAndGarbage#

Coming next:  Our two-week romp around southern México.

Morelia and Pátzcuaro

We took advantage of Reed's 4-day weekend in March and headed for Morelia (pop. 593k), in the state of Michoacan.  Morelia was declared a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1991 because of it's many well-preserved colonial buildings.  It was one of the first Spanish cities in Nueva España (after the Spanish invaded México) and was named Valladolid after the Spanish city of the same name.  After México gained it's independence from Spain, it was renamed Morelia in honor of local hero José Maria Morelos y Pavón, a key figure in Mexico's independence movement.  It still looks very Spanish and has a city ordinance that requires all new construction in the city center be done in the colonial style.

While there, we visited the georgeous Catedral, the Zócalo, several churches, the Museo del Estado (state museum), the Museo Regional Michoacano (regional museum), the Palacio Clavijero/Mercado de Dulces (candy market) and the Casa de Las Artesanías (local artists).  We were able to see a concert on Friday night at the birth home of Morelos.  The group was Purépecha (direct descendants of the Tarascans (14th century) who were western Mexico's

most advanced pre-Hispanic civilization) and played beautiful traditional music and were dressed in traditional clothing.

While walking through the Zócalo at night we were able to see a drum group with dancers, Flamenco dancing, and the "Danza de Los Viejitos" (young people dressed like old people who dance a crazy kind of tap dance.  It is a dance to honor older people and is quite funny to watch). 

On Sunday, we took a bus to Pátzcuaro (pop. 49k), which is another colonial town in the heart of Purépecha country.  We walked to Lago de Pátzcuaro (Pátzcuaro Lake) which took us about 45 minutes along a pretty 2-lane road.  The lake is about 9 miles long and looks very polluted. There is an island in the middle that is inhabited and very popular because it has a huge statue of Morelos on the top of a hill in the middle of the island.  

After walking back to Pátzcuaro, we visited the 2 plazas in the town, the Basílica de Nuestra Señora de la Salud (Our Lady of Health), the Museo de Artes Populares, the Casa de los Once Patios (the house of the 11 courtyards) and the Marcado de Artesanías.

For pictures, click on this link:

http://picasaweb.google.com/regnor11/MoreliaAndPatzcuaro#

Coming next:  La basura (the garbage)

Angangueo and the Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary

On February 13th, we took a bus to Zitácuaro and then caught another bus to Angangueo (pop. 5000, elev. 9779 ft) where we spent the night before heading up to the Santuario Mariposa Monarca (Monarch Butterfly Santuary).  Reed had read about this and suggested we go see it.  

"Every autumn, from late October to early November, millions of monarch butterflies arrive in these forested Mexican highlands for their winter hibernation, having flown from the Great Lakes region of the US and Canada, some 4500 km (2796 mi.).  At night and in the early morning the butterflies cluster together, covering whole oyenal (fir) trees and weighing down the branches.  As the day warms up, they begin to flutter around like gold and orange snowflakes, descending to the humid forest floor for the hottest part of the day.  In the warm spring temperatures of March the butterflies reach their sexual maturity and mate - abdomen to abdomen, with the males flying around carrying the females underneath.  The exhausted males die shortly afterward, and the pregnant females fly north to Texas, Florida and other sites in the southeastern US." (Lonely Planet Guide, 2006)  

As we were walking down the street in Angangueo on Sunday morning, a man driving a Bronco slowed down and asked us if we wanted to go to the Sanctuary.  Reed talked to him for a bit, negotiated a reasonable price and we hopped in.  After dropping his friend off, he drove us through town and up a steep paved road to a rough, dirt road.  We continued up this road for a bit before we came upon some men standing in the road.  Our driver told us that he had to pay a "toll" to these men so that he could drive us up to the Sanctuary.  The men didn't look official or anything but seemed like residents in that area that had found a way to make a few pesos.  

We continued up the dirt, pothole-laden road while our driver told us about the history of the town and the sanctuary during the 45 minute trip.  Up near the sanctuary, we passed by many houses that had no electricity or running water because they were far outside the city and close to the mountains.  When we arrived at the sanctuary, our driver said that he would wait for us, so we paid the entrance fee and started up the trail to the Mariposas.  It was about 4km (2.5 mi) up a trail through the forest which reminded me of the hikes we used to take in the forest near Bend, Oregon when I was a kid.  When we arrived at the site of the butterflies, there were a few flying around but a majority were on the fir tree branches, which made them look like trees with leaves.  After walking around a bit, we sat in a secluded place away from the crowds of people to have lunch.  As it got warmer, hundreds of the butterflies started flying around us! We could hear the swooshing of their wings and even the thump when they bumped into each other!  It was an incredible and fantastic experience that I will remember for my lifetime!

After returning to Angangueo, we had lunch at a restaurant and headed back to Cuernavaca with visions of dancing butterflies  in our heads....  :o)

For pictures, click on this link:

http://picasaweb.google.com/regnor11/AngangueoAndTheMonarchButterflySanctuary#

Coming next:  Morelia and Pátzcuaro

Tapachula and Guatamala

When I arrived in México, I was granted 180 days until my passport expired.  Reed and I talked to several people about whether or not I really needed to renew my passport.  Some said that I wouldn't have any problem if I didn't renew it and some said that I need to renew it or I might face penalties (monetary) when I crossed the border back to the US.  The size of the penalty depended on the custom agents at the US border, how nice they were and how kind they felt like being on that particular day.  We decided that being safe and getting it renewed might be the best thing to do.

A colleague of Reed's, Derrick, is teaching in Tapachula, Chiapas right on the border of Guatemala.  We decided that it would be a great opportunity to visit Derrick and then cross the border to renew my passport.  We took a plane to Tapachula (pop. 198,000, elev. 326 ft.) in early February.  Being in the south of México, Tapachula is very hot and humid all year round.   We arrived on Friday and took a taxi to the border of Guatemala.  We crossed (walking) into Guatemala, looked in some of the shops, and then ate lunch.  Derrick didn't feel it was the safest area so we didn't spend too much time there.  

On the way back, we stopped at the custom's office to get a stamp from Guatemala to prove that I had actually been out of México.  The customs agent said that I had to pay $400 pesos in order to get a stamp.  Derrick and Reed were kind enough to try to negotiate the price down because we had heard that we shouldn't have to pay anything.  Well it didn't work, so I paid the $400 pesos and got my stamp.  After we crossed back into México we had to stop at the customs office to get another stamp from México.  Of course, the customs agent said that we shouldn't have had to pay in Guatemala!  Oh well, sometimes you just have to play the game...

In addition, he gave me an official paper that I am suppose to present to the customs agent when I return to the US.  At that time, I am suppose to pay an additional $297 pesos!  As they say in México, "vale la pena" (it's worth it)!

With business being done, we were able to enjoy the rest of our trip.  The next day, we went to the beach and spent the day lounging under a palapa, eating, and drinking beer.  On Sunday, we took a taxi up to Unión Juárez which is a small pueblo below the dormant volcano, Tacaná.  The ride was a little crazy, the road was very curvy and on many occasions the taxi driver's wheels were screeching around the corners!  You have to trust these guys!  We ate breakfast, walked around the town, shopped and enjoyed the beautiful view.  Later we took a van, packed with about 20 people, back to Tapachula and later left on a 6pm flight.

For pictures, click on this link:

http://picasaweb.google.com/regnor11/TapachulaAndGuatemala#

Coming next:  Angangueo and the Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary

Toluca and Metepec

We decided to take a trip to Toluca (pop. 505,000) to see what it was like.  It wasn't the prettiest city we have visited but we took in some sites.  The Cosmo Vitral Jardin Botánico (Cosmic Stained-Glass Botanical Garden) was amazing!  The building was built in 1909 as a market and now has more than 3500 sq. ft. of lovely gardens.  The light comes from 48 stained glass panels that were created by Tolucan artist, Leopoldo Flores.

Unfortunately, El Centro of Toluca was a mess because they were doing lots of construction, however, it looks like it will be beautiful when they are done.  We were able to walk through the construction in El Centro and also visit some of the churches. 

We just happened to be in Toluca for Día de Candelaria (Feast of the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple), which is a follow-up to the festivities of Día de Reyes (Three King's Day) on January 6th.  Traditionally in México on January 6th, children receive gifts in commemoration of the 3 kings bringing the gifts to the child Jesus.  In addition, most families own an image of the Christ child, a niño Dios, which receives gifts as well.  A special bread, Rosca de Reyes (a crown-shaped sweet bread decorated with jewel-like candied fruits) is served on this day.  Tiny figures of babies are hidden inside the bread and whoever gets a piece containing a baby is obliged to host a party (complete with tamales) on or before Día de Candelaria (Feb. 2nd).  Also, this person is responsible for dressing the niño Dios and presenting him at the church on Día de Candelaria .  It was interesting walking around the town seeing people carrying baby Jesus' everywhere we went.  We happened to walk to a park where there were many booths selling clothes for the babies and even booths with people redoing the paint and patching the dolls.

Later, we went to a bar to watch the Supertazón (Super Bowl).  Believe it or not, it's a pretty big deal here.  I was just happy to be able to watch it and drink beer at the same time!

The next day, we took a bus to Metepec (a suburb of Toluca) which is known for elaborate and symbolic pottery such as árboes de la vida (trees of life).  We climbed up to the Ex-convento de San Juan which is on a hill overlooking the city.  From there we continued up the Cerro de Maguey (Maguey Hill) to the Capilla del Tepeyac, a small church at the top of the hill. Afterwards, we toured some of the potters' workshops, made some purchases and ate some lunch.

For pictures, click on this link:

http://picasaweb.google.com/regnor11/TolucaMetepec#

Coming next:  Tapachula and Guatemala

In between Oaxaca and moving...

(Sorry about the delay in blogs, we have been having problems with internet in our new house!)

In between Oaxaca and moving, here are some things I (we) did:

1)  Reed and I spent New Year’s Eve in Mexico City.  We went to the Zócalo thinking that there would be a big celebration but it was eerily quiet.  The big celebration was at El Angel, a glorieta on the Paseo de la Reforma (one of the huge streets that go through Mexico City).  After walking around the El Ángel area, we decided that it wasn’t worth the effort to fight the crowds and hang out so we ended up going back the apartment that Reed’s friends lent us while they were gone.  We ended up falling asleep before midnight—what fuddy-duddies!  :o)

 2)  The next day Reed left for Washington DC to visit her dad for 7 days and I was all by myself in Cuernavaca!  Obviously, I survived.

 3)  When Reed returned, her brother Heron from Seattle, was with her.  We all went to Amecameca which is a little town at the base of the two largest volcanoes, Popocatépetl (Popo) and Iztaccíhuatl (Itza).  Unfortunately, we couldn’t climb them so we climbed a hill opposite to get a good look.  Well, as bad luck would have it, the wind seemed to be blowing from Mexico City so they were barely visible through the pollution. 

4)  We visited Xochicalco, which is an Unesco World Heritage site and one of Central Mexico's most important archaeological sites located 15km southwest of Cuernavaca.  Xochicalco is Náhuatl for 'place of the house of flowers' and was a commercial, cultural or religious center representing several cultures--Toltec, Olmec, Zapotec, Mixtec and Aztec.  The astronomer-priests met here at the beginning and end of each 52-year-cycle of the pre-Hispanic calendar. 

 5)  Reed had to work the next week so I was Heron’s guide which was good for me because it meant that I had to use my Spanish a lot!   Heron and I roamed around Mexico City, Taxco (I bought some silver, again), Tepotzlán (I climbed up to the pyramid, again), and toured downtown Cuernavaca.  We had the misfortune of going into the torture/death penalty museum in Mexico City. I think we were both sick to our stomachs when we came out--I was absolutely appalled at the types of methods humans think/thought of to cause pain and death to other humans!  AND, most of the humans called themselves 'religious'!

6)  The three of us went to Acapulco for a weekend. We visited a fort, park, zoo, saw a beautiful sunset, watched the cliff drivers and then relaxed on a white sandy beach for the rest of the time! 

7)   Fulbright invited Reed (Heron and I got to tag along) to the Benjamin Franklin Library in Mexico City to watch the Inauguration.  It was great watching it with other people from the US as well as people from other countries.  Everyone was interested!  Reed and two other Fulbrighters that were there were asked to do many interviews by newspaper and television stations!

 8)  We spent the night in Mexico City and went to the ruins by the Zócalo the next day before Heron took off for the US.

For pictures, click on this link:http://picasaweb.google.com/regnor11/InBetweenOaxacaAndMoving#

Coming next:  Toluca, Metepec, Tapachula and Guatemala  

We've moved!

Reed's exchange partner, Monica, resigned at the end of November and will be returning to México at the end of the month.  We have known that this might happen since the second week of September when Monica emailed Reed and said that she was not happy teaching/living in the US. It has been quite a roller coaster of emotion since then because we weren't sure if we would have to return to the US or not.  As you can imagine, Reed was devastated because this is a lifelong dream of hers and she wanted to see it through.

Well, as luck/fate/karma would have it, we are able to stay!  

Some things had to fall into place. First, the Fulbright

 Commission, using some of Monica's complimentary salary 

that she wouldn't need for the rest of the year along with

extra money from the coffers, had enough money to pay Reed's district for a sub for her for the rest of the year.  Second, Reed's

district and Principal said that they would allow her to stay in México.  Finally, substitutes that could teach upper-level Spanish were found and are currently being interviewed. 

We started looking for an apartment or house last week.  One of Reed's colleagues/friends found out that another colleague had a bungalow for rent.  We went to see it, liked it and moved in on

Tuesday!  It is about 4 blocks from Monica's house, in a gated community with guards at the front gate (a little weird, but okay) and has beautiful grounds.

Although this has been a little crazy and I wouldn't have minded returning to the US, I am glad I get to stay.  Besides, I still have A LOT of Spanish to learn!  :o)

Pictures at right:  the front of the house (yes, it is literally 20 ft. from the pool), the inside of the house (small, but has a good "feel"), the view from the front door.

By the way, we have a futon in the living room if you are ready to travel!  We love guests!  :o)

Coming next:  New Year's, Acapulco, the Inauguration.     

The people of México

The average daily wage in México is currently 53 pesos (about $4 US).  This explains why an entire family will do/sell whatever they can to make money.  I have seen children as young as 4 and men/women as old as 80 in the streets, Zócalos or plazas selling goods or begging for money. 

Banks do not give loans to buy houses so in order for someone to leave their family and be on their own, they need cold hard cash to rent or buy a home.  This is the reason why generations of families live in one dwelling.  Many times it is the house or houses that were purchased decades before.  In order to pay for basic needs like public transportation, electricity, gas, water, dry goods and groceries--everyone works.  All of these are cheaper than the US but luxuries like cable TV, house phones and cell phones cost about the same as in the US.

I have compiled photos in the slideshow of people doing different things in some of the cities I have visited to give you a taste of what life is like for the Mexican people.  Some of it is heartbreaking to see day after day...

For pictures, click on this link:

http://picasaweb.google.com/regnor11/ThePeopleOfMexico#

Coming next:  We are moving!

Oaxaca Part 2: The first 3 days

Once in Oaxaca, we took full advantage of the many Artisan's Markets that were around the city and stopped at any that we passed by.  The hand-made crafts are beautiful and durable!  Rugs, jars, chocolate, mole, tamales, mezcal and coffee are just some of the things that you can buy and taste there.  We stayed at the Hostal Don Mario which was about 10 blocks from the Zocalo with many churches and beautiful buildings (not to mention artisan's markets) in between.  

On December 23rd, we walked to the Zocalo to see the Noche de los Rábinos (Night of the Radishes).  Each year artists from around the area carve radishes (some as big as a large zucchini) and set up displays of historic or biblical themes to be judged.  The artists set up their displays in the afternoon of the 23rd, spray the displays constantly with water to keep them fresh, and take them down that evening after the prizes are handed out.  There were so many people coming to see the displays that they had a raised walkway with fences and policemen surrounding the displays.  The line of people waiting to be allowed up on the raised walkway, was longer than a block.  Fortunately, we were able to walk around the outside of the raised walkway to see the displays and take pictures. 

On the 24th, we took the bus to Monte Albán, an ancient Zapotec capital (pyramid ruins), just a few kilometers from Oaxaca.  This site was first occupied in 500BC by Zapotecs.  "Hieroglyphs and dates in a dot-and-bar system carved during this era may well mean that the elite of Monte Albán were the first people to use writing and a written calendar in México."  What I have learned about the pyramids in México is that the huge sites where the pyramids were built were not inhabited, they were only religious sites.  In the case of Monte Albán, the people lived on the land below the pyramid.  

On the night of the 24th, we were able to see a Posada at the door of a church.  The Mexican tradition of the Posada begins on the 16th and ends on the night of the 24th.  This tradition symbolizes the trials which Mary and Joseph endured before finding a place to stay where Jesus could be born.  Adults and children dress up like Mary, Joseph, angels and pilgrims and walk house to house (or church) singing a traditional song asking to be allowed in.  At the first 3 or 4 places, they are refused entry with a song.  At the last (and previously planned) place, the pilgrims are allowed in and after praying in front of a nativity scene, enjoy food, drink and a chance to break a piñata which is usually in a shape representing the star of Bethlehem.

After watching the Posada for a bit, we continued into town to see what was happening in the Zocalo.  There were a lot of people there, some just coming from mass at the Cathedral, others hanging out, still others walking around looking at the trees of poinsettias and displays of Nacimientos (nativity scenes). From there we walked to the Casa Oaxaca Restaurant where we had an elegant, leisurely, Christmas Eve dinner complete with several serenades by three men in Mariachi outfits playing guitars.  It was magical!

For pictures, click on this link:

http://picasaweb.google.com/regnor11/OaxacaPart2TheFirst3Days#

Coming next:  The people of Oaxaca

Oaxaca Part 1: México City

Reed and I left for México City on the morning of the 20th.  Since we had some time before we had to meet our friends at the airport, we took the train to the Dolores Olmedo Museum. Dolores Olmedo was a self-made businesswoman (she started a construction company in the 40s) who was a huge fan of the arts and was determined to preserve Mexican art by assembling artifacts, modern folk art and paintings, spanning about 400 years of Mexican History.  All of this is displayed in a restored 16th century hacienda with beautiful plush lawns and gardens which seemed like an oasis in this very large, crowded city.  We spent a few hours visiting the many buildings on the complex and having lunch at the small restaurant overlooking the beautiful grounds.

The next day, with our friends from Olympia, Washington, we visited the Diego Rivera Mural Museum which has a huge mural that Diego painted on the side of the Hotel Prado in 1947. When the hotel was demolished after the 1985 earthquake, the mural was saved and transferred to the Museum.  The huge mural is called 'Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in Alameda Park' and chronicles the history of the park from the time of Hernando Cortez (1519) onward.  The mural portrays numerous historical figures from México.  Upstairs in the museum was a display of items from the Spanish Inquisition.  Reading about the Inquisition was fascinating but very gut-wrenching because it was so similar to what Hitler did to the Jews.

From the Diego Rivera Museum we walked to the Museum of Popular Art.  In this location were 244 piñatas on display hanging from 5 stories of balconies in the courtyard.  Artists from Mexico City as well as other parts of the country, enter piñatas in this competition in hopes of winning the 15,000 peso 1st prize.  The talent was amazing!

Later that night, we headed to the National Institute of Fine Arts to see the Ballet Folklorico de Mexico by Mexico's national dance company which is sponsored by the Mexican Government. "Started in 1952 by dancer, choreographer, and teacher Amalia Hernandez, it has become recognized as one of the world's preeminent 'ethnic' ballet companies.   The colorful dances spotlight Mexico's regions, history, and culture."  All I can say is, "WOW"!  The costumes were stunning, the dancing/choreography was top-notch and the music was absolutely beautiful!  It was definitely one of my top 5 experiences in Mexico so far!

For pictures, click on this link:

http://picasaweb.google.com/regnor11/OaxacaPart1MexicoCity#

Coming next:  Oaxaca Part 2:  Oaxaca, the first 3 days