a little bit of everything

Remember me???  I feel like I start out the majority of my blog posts apologizing for the delay in getting a new post out.  My absenteeism between blogs this time made me reflect on why it has been such a long time since I sat down to write a blog...I don't have an excellent excuse, other than to tell you time is a strange thing when you are a Peace Corps Volunteer. Time seems to pass by in weeks rather than days down here

So now I will recap a few things that have happened since I last posted...

First, we have a new batch of volunteers in México which means my group is no longer the new group in town!  These guys arrived in March and were sworn in last week meaning their 2 year gig starts now. As part of their training the Environment volunteers came to Guzmán in April to learn about ecotecnias, tour the Parque Nacional Nevado de Colima, and learn about other environmenty things that may be handy to know during their service.    

 New volunteers at the Nevado de Colima

New guys learning how to make a solar dehydrator

It was great to have the Peace Corps trainees come out to Ciudad Guzmán, which is not a normal destination on the training calendar given how far away we are from Peace Corps' headquarters in Querétaro. This week provided an opportunity for not only the volunteers in Guzmán to meet the new group, but many of the volunteers whose sites are also in western Mexico came to participate in the second-ever Peace Corps México storytelling event. Cassie, my fellow Guzmán volunteer, came up with this storytelling idea last summer in order to provide volunteers an opportunity to prepare and perform ~8 minute stories.  There are so many moving, hilarious, and unexpected events that happen throughout your service that make for storytelling gold. This storytelling platform provides volunteers with the chance to choose a story, prepare a draft, rehearse it, and then perform it front of fellow volunteers. It's a fun way to share with each other some of the things you get up to as a volunteer.  With the new group of volunteers coming to Guzmán, Cassie decided this was a good opportunity for us veteran volunteers to share some of our stories with the new kids. So we all gathered at my apartment (a little tight with ~30 people inside, but it worked), made pizzas, and told our stories.  Everyone had a great time while we welcomed the new group into the fold. We look forward to hearing the adventures those guys get up to at a future storytelling event!

*the stories were recorded and will be made into a podcast-type broadcast which I will share when available

Storytelling night, all packed into my apartment

In other news I've also been back to work at the schools around here.  The past few weeks I have been visiting 2 schools teaching them about about reduce, reuse, and recycle (among other topics). Here we are making a recycling receptacle out of old water bottles.

Just hot gluing some water bottles together

Me with one of the 6th grade classes

And the last notable event I will get you caught up with is my brother Tom's visit to México.  He came down a week or so ago for a visit.  We spent a few days in Guzmán where he marveled at the amount of candy available for purchase here (it is rather impressive), tried some pitaya sold on the street (a cactus fruit), made a quick trip with me to one of the schools I work with, visited my office, took a hike in the local park, learned the art of just smiling and nodding your head when someone talks to you in a language you don't understand, tried probably one of the worst IPA beers he has ever had (from the only micro brewery around...he stuck to Pacificos after that), and upon seeing that they sell Duncan Hines' yellow box cakes here proceeded to buy one and make our family's traditional yellow box cake for me as an early birthday celebration for me...it was just like I was home!

Hiking in Guzmán, the city is behind us

Birthday Cake in Guzmán 

For the second part of our trip we went to Guanajuato, Guanajuato; a city & state northeast of Guzmán.  I had not been before and my brother's visit gave me an excuse to go visit.  It is a city with a deep history and culture, home to the first battle of the Mexican revolution.  It first became famous in the 15-1600s when the Spanish discovered its silver and gold mines.  The Spanish came over they took advantage of these mines, enslaving the Méxicans to work under harsh conditions to provide for their silver and gold needs. 

Mine shaft tour. This mine was active
in the 1500s. We could descend ~40 meters.

Guanajuato is also known for its large collection of naturally occurring mummies which you can see at a museum located on the grounds of the cemetery in which these bodies were exhumed. Click here for more info on that: Guanajuato Mummies.  

The city is built into the mountain side and consists of steep and narrow streets, tunnels and callejones (alleys). It is very easy to get lost here as you enter an alley and have no idea where you will pop out after following the twists and turns.  It's like wandering around a giant corn maze all day...which makes walking around much more of an adventure, in a good way!  

 

Narrow alley (callejón) in Guanajuato

One of the many alleyways in Guanajuato

We were also able to go on a bike ride that had us start at one of the highest points in Guanajuato, ~3,000 meters to the city center which is ~2,000 meters tallying a distance of about 25 kilometers.  It was neat to see the changing landscape as we descended, passing by abandoned mines, dams, and rural villages situated in the countryside.  Biking is always a great way to cover a lot of ground and get the lay of the land in an unfamiliar place.

Biking through the mountains

We both really enjoyed this city as it is unlike any city either of us had visited before.  If you ever get a chance to visit México I would definitely recommend Guanajuato as a destination.  So much to see and do here!

We ended our trip with a night's stay in Guadalajara.  We enjoyed an evening strolling around the city's historic center and spent a morning walking through the artisan shops in Tlaquepaque that I had previously visited when my parents/aunt/brother Mike came to visit in January.

Tom sitting outside Mom's favorite art
gallery in Tlaquepaque

 We both had a great time on this trip (well I'm speaking for Tom a little bit there, but I'm pretty sure he had good time!) We definitely kept ourselves busy, never having much idle time as we packed in as much as we could in the 5 days Tom was here.  I am glad that he was able to visit and get to experience a little bit of my life south of the border.   I'm always happy to show anyone around México who wants to visit!

I think that gets you caught up on my happenings in México.  Until next time...

Tom and I overlooking the city of Guanajuato

I think that gets you caught up on my happenings in México.  Until next time...