Home Sweet Casa

I never thought I would be so happy to be in a tunnel... until last night, when we arrived in Guanajuato and we were driving through the first tunnel into the downtown that signified that YES we had arrived home. What a trip! Sooo, let me back up to the beginning.

Thursday Night:

Amanda P. (who has infinite amounts of energy) and I went salsa dancing because we didn't have classes the next day. It probably was NOT a good idea because the very next morning we had to leave with aching feet for Mexico City (aka. the D.F. or Districto Federal. But most people just say "Mexico" to signify the city... which is a bit confusing if you think you are already IN Mexico).

Friday:

8:00 AM - 13 students including me, 1 chaperone and 1 driver stuffed themselves into a tiny white van. The trip started out with the driver trying to back up, but instead kept repeatedly ramming into another car which he couldn't see was there. We drove for 5 hours and it was impossible to find a comfortable position to sit in. Finally we arrived in Mexico City. We plunked our things down in a very cool and modern yet economical hostel, and went to eat at a great buffet. Things seemed fine, but gurglings of my stomach and aching feet signified that something might be amiss.

3:00 - 7:00 PM - After eating lunch, we went on a whirlwind tour, given by our tiny yet charismatic guide Pepe. We went to the Palacio Nacional (a government building), Templo Mayor (I don't even remember what that was), the Cathedral, and Zocalo (which I think is the huge plaza). Then we went to see a very cool art exhibition called Snow and Ashes. Finally we arrived back to the hostel. By then my feet hurt like hell, I felt strangely ill, and I was in a foul mood.

8:00 - 11:00 PM - Things didn't end after the tours. I had to meet up with Christian, a friend of a friend who lives in the D.F. I brought Amanda P. along, and we went out to eat and then walked around the city more. We went to see the Chinatown (more like 1 street) of the DF, along with some other sights. Finally we got home and I collapsed into bed yet couldn't sleep because I had a fever all night.



Saturday:

9:00 AM - 6:00 PM - We had tours the entire day! First we visited the Plaza de las Tres Culturas which represents the 3 cultures of Mexico. It includes an Aztec pyramid, a Spanish church, and a modern Mexican building. Then, we went to the Basilica de Guadalupe. This was a huge cluster of churches, including the church in which is housed the cloth that holds the original image of the Virgin of Guadalupe. The story goes that a Nahuatl (Aztec) speaking Virgin appeared to an Aztec peasant and asked him to build a church for her. When the peasant went to the priest to tell him to build the church, the priest didn't believe him. So the Virgin told the peasant to gather flowers in his cloak and release them before the priest. When the peasant did so, an image of the Virgin appeared on the cloak. Milagro! (Miracle).

My favorite part of the day was when we visited a place where the people did artisanal crafts. They showed us how the indigenous tribes (and Aztecs) made paper and thread out of a type of cactus called Maguey. They showed us the cactuses that taquila and mezcal come from. We tried three different types of alcohol from different plants. Later they showed us different types of semiprecious stones, and how they carve them. Then of course, we got to shop at their store. I bought an obsidian frog for my host mom. She collects frogs, and I thought that it was so much more meaningful to buy something from a place where I had seen how they made it.

The rest of the afternoon was spent in Teotihuacan. It is the site of an ancient city, about 2,000 years old - older than the Aztecs. Even though I felt quite sick, I somehow managed to climb up all of the pyramids. The view was beautiful.



Finally, we returned to the hostel. I was extremely tired and still feeling sick. But again, Christian (who was super nice) was hopeful to see Amanda and I again. So, he took us to a night market in a Spanish neighborhood called Cuyocan. Amanda and I shopped (bought some awesome jewlery!) and we ate at a really fancy restaurant. They had this wine with grapes and apples inside of it... it was amazing.

Sunday:

Finally the day came to go home. But first, we had a few more things to do. First we went to see the house of Frieda Kahlo. It was amazing to see all her art, letters, photos, and the home that she lived in with Diego. I also felt a little bad for her - Diego was an ugly guy, plus he didn't treat her too well. I guess being a famous painter counts for something though. :-)

Lastly, we went to Xochimilco - the remainder of the lake that the Aztecs built their grand city on. They made amazing man-made islands. It's fasinating. We had lunch on a lovely boat while ridiculously good looking Mariachis serenaded us. It was reallly fun and a great end to a trip.



Monday:

Well, most of this blog was wrote in the time that I would have been at school. I left in the middle of my classes today because my stomach still felt terrible. Luckily I have already been to the doctor - he says it's probably an intestinal infection. He gave me some antibiotics to take. The strange thing is that my host brother and host dad are also both suffering from some type of stomach illness too. It feels so great to be back in my own house, in my own bed, as much as I can call it my own. My host mommy took me to the doctors office and sat with me, and also has been preparing special meals for me, such as chicken rice soup, chopped fruit, and tea made out of "Dog Herb" (yerba de perro) which is supposed to be good for the stomach.

So, although I felt quite like dying throughout the entire trip to Mexico City, I am happy to have endured everything and to have been able to experience all the greatness of Mexico City. But man, I am glad to be home.