Chayanne, Sunsets and More

I learned three very important things this week:

1. There are JAGUARS and PUMAS in the state I’m moving to!
2. The non-Spanish-speaking world needs to know about the artist Chayanne, perhaps the very best thing my host family has introduced me to!
3. The Plaza de los Fundadores is an excellent place to see a beautiful Querétaro sunset!

Sunset on a windy evening. 

To be fair, I learned many more important things this week but these were three definite highlights.  This was a busy week with lots of information about climate change, habitats and biodiversity in Mexico.  I had no idea how rich Mexico was in terms of biodiversity: Mexico is the fourth richest nation in the world for species richness and almost all of the climates of the planet, and all the terrestrial ecosystems, are represented here. Next week I get to visit some national parks, and I’m even more excited to be here and get to see this beautiful country.  I’ve also been talking to a lot of current and former volunteers and getting a better sense of what life will be like after pre-service training, along with great tips on the best places in Mexico to visit.

Back in the states, I decided I didn’t have room for a lot of practical things like extra shampoo, conditioner, etc. so yesterday I made a 4-mile trek to restock for a more permanent existence here.  Despite heavy sunblock and a strategy to always stick to the shade during my 3 mile RT commute, I’m slowly turning a light shade of pink so now I’m wearing my hat from my friend Connie pretty much all the time for maximum sun protection. I definitely need some lightweight, flowy long sleeve tops for additional protection because this sun is awesome but also pretty much constant.

Sights walking around town this weekend. 

Once the sun started to set yesterday, my friend Becky and I took a trek to a new part of town to see the Plaza de los Fundadores, the templo y convento de La Santa Cruz, and the aqueduct at night. Along the way we saw many interesting sights including multiple young ladies celebrating their quinceañeras in amazing dresses (and with amazing entourages), lots of piñatas and balloons for sell, several lovely churches and statues, and some kids playing on the street with their pet hamster.

Super windy at Los Arcos!

Querétaro's aqueduct. 

Los Arcos at night. 

El templo de La Santa Cruz at night.

Now to the really important stuff: let’s talk music in Mexico!  I know, I know, you want to learn about my beloved Chayanne right away, so here’s a great link to a video that showcases his many, many skills.   My family also introduced me to additional noteworthy artists this week, including Natalia Lafourcade and Ximena Sariñana – and you can watch them perform together for additional awesomness! 

My host family and I continue to have many happy meals at the kitchen table with lots of laughter and delicious food.  Sometimes we laugh because I say something really wrong (like I had a crepe with cheese and soap, instead of cheese and ham) and sometimes it’s because we’re communicating enough to joke with each other.  My host dad told me I had a good sense of humor and that it was a good thing to have, and of course, now we can joke a lot about my beloved Chayanne :)