This past week was super fun, cold and foggy as I shadowed a Peace Corps volunteer, Deby, in Zacatlán
for a full week. Deby is here teaching sustainable agriculture
at the local university and taught me all kinds of interesting things about
agriculture, local plants, how things work in the “real” world here, and how to
say some fun new words. Plus, I got to
ride in the local colectivos (i.e. small vans that function like buses) several
times and the locals on board were really interested in who we were, where we
were from and why we were in their town. And on two different days, very nice
women in the street helped me make sure I was waiting at the right spot to flag
down my bus to get to the university.
Apple art.
The big clock in the central square.
Zacatlán is another Pueblo Mágico known for its apples and some beautiful art. Along the walkway by the Barranca, there’s a huge
mural that local artists are still adding to.
I love that all the public art, beautiful churches, and grand squares in Mexico. My camera also really loved Zacatlán and took
off on its own adventure somewhere in town. I’m hoping that some kind soul will
find it, see the pictures of the gringos and maybe return it to the blonde
woman from the US in town before she ends her service.
Images from the mural along the Barranca.
I was in the state of Puebla for Cinco de Mayo which meant that I got
to see the community parade and learn why the students were shouting both “Viva
Mexico!” and “Viva France!”. Since the
University was closed for the holiday, I went hiking in the local mountains
with Deby, Ta - an English teacher there as part of an Embassy program, and a local
agro-tourism guide. It was wet and
chilly but we were rewarded with “los baños” fed by natural hot springs and
fresh trout for lunch. The water in the
pools wasn’t hot so much as it was warm, but we still jumped at the chance to
be immersed in water and partake in a new experience.
Cinco de Mayo parade.
Cinco de Mayo hike in the fog.
Los baños.
Source of water for los baños.
A local pig.
Debbie and our guide talking apple trees.
I also gave my first presentation in Spanish and although there were a
lot of last minute changes (i.e. classes were cancelled and I had to find a new
group to present to the day before), it was actually not nerve-wrecking and I
learned that if I practice what I want to say in Spanish ahead of time, people
think I know a lot more Spanish than is true. On the
way home – a mere 8-hour drive – we stopped to buy plants and pottery and picked
up my fellow Natural Resource Management volunteers who were shadowing other
volunteers. We also started
brainstorming very important ideas for our end of training talent show with
Jaime and 4 ladies. My Spanish teacher
Rocio and I share a love of Chayanne so it feels
right to find a way to include him in this event.
After a week of full fog, I awoke Friday to clear skies and sun! As
soon as my presentation was done, we all ran to see the Barranca and were ecstatic
to finally see the mountains. I returned
to a very warm Querétaro and to my host family who had this vase of flowers
waiting for me in my room :)
This was the view Monday - Thursday.
And finally a clear view on Friday!
Local flowers.
Flowers from my family :)
No comments:
Post a Comment