Coming to a Close (Andy)

Well at this time one week from tomorrow I will be somwhere in the U.S. of A., maybe in Atlanta airport or some other place, who knows...it's very sad to think that this experience is coming to an end. Coming here, I only knew around four people out of about twenty, but now I feel like i've been hanging out with this group forever. The best part is that the majority of the people I've become friends with are people that, otherwise, I would have probably never met at Centre because of different social groups and greek (or non-greek) organizations and these types of things that sequester people within the campus. This is really has been one of the best things about the trip is becoming good friends with a wide array of folks. Since my last blog quite a bit has happened...we were able to go to the nature reserve at Celestun where I saw a couple of crocodiles and an uncountable number of flamingos which was neat. Also, a couple of hours ago today thirteen of us just got back home to Merida after Thanksgiving break, which we spent on Isla Mujeres, a small little island off the coast of Cancun. It was pretty touristy, but it was still a great time, all of us living in a house for four nights, cooking for ourselves and going to the beach (although food usually consisted of spaghetti, ramen noodles, baked beans, canned corn, etc. - food that was easy to cook). Tomorrow, final exams start which is a downer, but I suppose that since we ARE attending school down here, it's only just that we have tests...on one hand I'm looking forward to pushing through this week towards the going-away party on friday, and the final hooray on saturday and flying home on monday, but mirroring this is the fact that Merida has grown so much on me that I know that upon returning to Lexington, KY, it will only take a few days before I wish I was back in the heat of the Yucatan...Also, full-time english speaking will be a shocker. On Thanksgiving break, I was very confused when all of the locals on the island and the restaurant workers would only speak in english...they were talking in english and I was talking in spanish...very weird, but I'm sure that spanish phrases will slip out of my mouth back in the U.S. throughout winter break before I get truly comfortable again with full-time english. It's been a wild ride, but it's been amazing...incredible. Nos Vemos, Andres

The End Is Near: Lee Myers-White

So my experience is coming to a close and I can't decide whether or not I am ready for it to be over. At the moment I am ready for this last week to be over but that also might be because it is finals week. So I could be sitting in Frankfort Kentucky in a week or so wondering why I ever though I would want to return. We just returned from our Thanksgiving break on the island of Isla De Mujeres which was wonderful. It had the nicest beach we have seen on our whole trip and much of our day was spent there. It was a little strange just making myself spaghetti for Thanksgiving dinner. Also there was a downside to the island, it was very touristy, even more so than our previous trip to Cozumel. All of the activities on the island were completely directed at tourists, mostly American tourists, and more english was found than spanish both is writing and speaking. I was also very excited that I was able to watch my first Florida State football game, which was against Florida. We lost bad but I was still glad to watch. The end nearing has also brought about much conversation of what are going to be the first things we are going to do when we get back. Food has been the main topic of discussion, mine is going to be Thai Smile in Frankfort and for those who haven't been, do. Overall this has all been an experience which I am very glad to have done and don't regret at all.

Getting Ready to Leave...Sarah Swauger

It’s so hard to believe we only have 2 weeks left! It feels as though we have lived here for ages, but I can still remember stepping off the plane in Cancun like it was yesterday. What am I going to miss most…well, probably not the mosquitoes, the constant honks or the smell of burger king and the movie theatres. But I definitely will miss the playa, Gloria’s cooking and the latin music that I have recently become obsessed with. We’ve done so many amazing things, but some of my favorite memories are those that have happened in my home stay. At the beginning of the trip, I was nervous and intimidated to live with a family who speaks a completely different language from me. I wasn’t sure how I was going to fit into their daily routine and what we were going to talk about. But now, as I prepare to leave this family forever, I realize how great they have been. The grandchildren are adorable and as the weeks have passed, they have become less shy and more enthusiastic to play with us. Sarita is 5 and is at the house nearly every day. It’s amazing how I have learned so much from someone who is so young. She tells us jokes, jumps around on our beds and has dance parties with us. Any time she’s around we can’t help but smile and she never fails to keep us entertained. One Friday morning, she begged Gloria to let her come in and sleep with us and she succeeded in waking up Blair at 7:30 a.m. The other grandchildren, Kiki and Alexa, are also at the house often and love contributing to the madness. Alexa likes to pretend she’s a lobo and runs around trying to scare us while Kiki jumps from bed to bed, trying to avoid the girls. Once Kiki thought it would be a good idea to use the pool as his own personal bathroom from the top deck, which Gloria was not too happy about. When the niños aren’t around, the house is a bit calmer and we get the chance to have conversations with Gloria. She has really become like a second mom to us, asking us how our classes are going and offering us advice about what trips we should take. For Thanksgiving, she could see that we were in need of a little assistance in cooking, so she helped us set everything up and didn’t mind that I turned her kitchen into a war zone with all the flour and sugar I managed to spill. Thanksgiving dinner turned out to be amazing; since we all won’t be able to go home, it was nice to spend it with our “Mexico family.” All in all, it will be nice to return to normal life in the states but I will never forget the memories and people I have met here.

Namaste ~ Morgan

History's most relaxing travel experience, this is not. Despite the bright-eyed, smile for the camera appearance you see in the photographs, our lives here can get stressful. Last week I was drenched from head to toe in dirty street water by a passing bus as I was wandering around the streets of Merida in the rain. The Laundromat has lost half my wardrobe (which actually just means….more room in the suitcase for souvenirs!). I've lost count of how many times I've been whistled at, hissed at, or followed down the street by creepy Mexican men. (Isn't it enough that I've stopped combing my hair, ceased wearing makeup and pull out the ugliest clothes from my closet in efforts to deter them? I'm telling you...these guys can smell a foreign woman coming from miles away, even one who looks slightly like a refugee emerging from a war zone). And while we love all the tacos, empanadas and enchiladas, the truth is that sometimes you just really need a bacon cheeseburger. We're nearing the end of the term, and at the beginning of this week, I was in need of a serious dose of relaxation. Right on cue, along came Claudia Guerrero, Iyengar yoga extraordinaire. In reality, it was me who went to her. Phyllis has been taking classes with Claudia at Semilla Yoga for months, so I tagged along Tuesday night. Light on the hippy-dippy stuff and heavy on the physical aspects of yoga, Claudia teaches the art of letting go. With the moon shining through the screened window and the scent of night jasmine blossoms wafting in and mixing with the faint, crisp smell of chlorine from the tiled pool that borders the practice space, we saluted the sleeping sun. Claudia employed a series of props and constant personal attention to work her pupils into poses that give the brain a rest and push the mind completely into the moment. After closing with meditation in the dim, candlelit room, I finished the class focused, loose, and ready to take on the world.

Un noche extrano por Christine

Last monday night Sam and I were heading to the Fair in Xmatkuil with our Mexican friends. Sam and were in Ivan's car, we were jolly, blaring the music, windows down, dancing in our seats, bobbing our heads, ready for the fair. All of a sudden, BOOM!! BOOM!! Thank god I had my seat belt on. The guy in the car in front of us runs out screaming at Ivan. Through the windshield we see the car in front of us, a baby crying in its mother's arms.. aka, no baby seat. We're sitting the car with our seat belts still on, I didn't want to take it off. I never wear a seat belt too.. Never. Sam made a joke about Ivan being a bad driver.. IRONY.. and put her seat belt on, so I did too. After a good 10 minutes of trying to figure out what was going on in front of us we get out of the car to see the damage. The baby was okay, she stopped crying and was still in her mother's arms. However, something we didn't see.. another girl, probably 10 or 11, was laying on the floor next to the car.. she didn't fly out or anything but it was obvious that she was in the car and they laid her down next to the car. She wasn't bleeding or anything, she wasn't crying, she just looked like she was in shock. The cops made them move the cars out of traffic to take care of business. The girl was carried out in a strecher. But she was going to be okay. There were 3 cars in this crash. Ivan's car got a scratch, I repeat, a minor scratch on the hood. You couldn't even tell it was in an accident. The car in the middle was sandwitched and the car in front of that one got a new ass job. Just then a cow runs down the street followed by a mob of panicked Mexicans and a guy on a bike with a lasso. Oh Mexico. Poor Ic\van, the cops made him sit in the back of the cop car to make sure he doesn't "escape." We wait. An hour later the mob is walking back with the cow in their captivity. The cow is stubborn, poor animal, it is obvious it doesn't want to go back. Ever 5 steps and it stubbornly sits down. This results in the crowd going, "Ohhhhhhh!" This then follows by them pushing, pulling, lifting, pinching, and all those dreadful things to the cow to get it moving again. After a good 5 minutes it takes another 5 steps and sits back down. The fair where the cow came from is a good 2 KM away, it's going to be a long night for all of us. When the cow finally gets up the crowd goes "Yahhh!" But soon enough we hear, "Ohhhh!" At one point I look to my left and I see a mob of people crowded over a stubborn cow, in front of me is poor Ivan sunk in the backseat of a cop car, to my right is a random dog barking on a ledge at everyone. I can only say, "Oh Mexico precioso, I'm definately going to miss you."

With Three Weeks Left, What I'll Miss Most About Mexico

With only three weeks left in Merida, I have started to notice certain things that I will really miss about Mexico. Here is a list of things that I will dearly miss a few months from now while I am waiting in line for Cowan brunch after a night of frat parties... 5 pesos tacos Listening to Daddy Yankee and Pitbull for three hours straight Light up dance stages Local taco stands All inclusive discos for 7 or 8 bucks Liter and a half water for 80 cents Mexican guacamole Watching La Loba at four in the morning Wandering around Merida at three in the morning Cuban cigars Modelo Negro November weather in Merida 70's style VW bugs Progresso 9 year old dj's The Thuse The AC bus Hamacas 2 for 1 sushi and beer on Thursday BBQ House Pasha..... 31 pesos refreshments on Thursday with Keach Speed bumps The really big Mexican Oxxo The fact that I never got to see the Mexican that took my sandals, both pairs Cenotes The gallon jugs of hair gel Sur 13 tags All my roommates Late night walks with Keach Mexican Babies Cozumel My friend, Miguel Mendez Ruins Those long hours of Law and Order Watching Taylor open a 40 Thank you all for this fantastic experience, I wouldn't change a thing. Stay fresh, stay bold. Love you all. Kit

San Cristobel de Casas: Kara Beer

Alas our long awaited trip is over and we are back to the routine-filled days in Merida; however, we were each able to take home with us some pretty good memories and I find myself replaying through many of them throughout my day. One of my favorite parts of the trip was San Cristobel de Casas. Everything about this city was so enticing to me and I only wish we had more time to spend exploring. We stayed in a wonderful hotel, Na Bolom, which is a old hacienda that has been converted into a hotel. Na Bolom is also non-profit organization which strives to help the local Maya as well as create environmental awareness about the degradation of the rain forest. The weather in San Cristobel was rainy and cold; however, our rooms had big fireplaces and cozy beds, which always made for a perfect end to a perfect day. Na Bolom also had an excellent kitchen and served some of the most delicious food I have ever tasted. Among their declicacies was the chocolate caliente. (The Chiapian and Oaxacan people definately know how to make some delicious hot chocolate!)One of my favorite memories from San Cristobel was when we traveled to a small Maya village a little ways outside of the city, San Juan Chamula. This was such an incredible experience because we were able to witness the daily lives of the indigenous Tzotzil Maya. These Maya are very different from those in Yucatan and it was very interesting to see another group of Maya in a different setting. The men stood out due to their dress which typically included a thick, wool tunic (white or black), which was used for warmth due to the colder highland climate; the women wore the traditional huipil. While in this town we visited the church of San Juan Chamula, which was unlike any other thing I have ever seen. There were no pews in the church and the floor was carpeted in a bed of pine needles. There were small altars which lined the walls and many had mirrors, which were used in order to deflect the devil. People were scattered about the church, kneeling, often times with sacrifical items.Heavy drapes create a canopy, as they sweep across the expansive churhc ceiling and down the walls. The air is thick with incense, giving off a very strong aroma; they are using copan resin incense which the Maya have used for hundreds of years. Coca-Cola bottles lined the walls and were set on several of the altars as an offering, along with other bottles with unknown liquids. It was very obvious that the religion in Chamula was a blending of traditional Catholicism with pre-conquest Maya rituals. The relgious sycretism was so fascinating to me and I was in complete awe standing in that church. While inside the church we were lucky to witness a procession of musicians, as part of a ceremony for Day of the Dead. The procession was made up of wool tunic-wearing Maya men, all donning western-style cowboy hats, who were playing various instruments, inlcuding an accordian, guitar, flute, and drum. They were very solemn and I was told that these men were considered to be the "authorities" of Chamula, represented by their tunic and hat. (San Juan Chamula was granted autonomity and thus no outside military or police are allowed within the village, but instead Chamula has its own special "police force". This small town made up of indigenous Tzotzil is one of the most incredible places I have ever visited and I know I will never forget my experience there.

Abre los ojos--Sam

Hey. Do you want to know something? Those stereotypes you have, well they’re kinda useless. So I suggest you put them away, in a box, under your bed or in a closet where they can collect dust. Better yet, just burn them. What am I rambling on about? Well, stereotypes limit you. They blind you. They often induce fear of other people, places, or the like. Mexico? Yeah right, you say. Only in a sweet resort on the beach, you say. Why? Oh because you’ve bought into a load of crap. I mean, seriously? A resort? That’s what you call “traveling to Mexico”? Well, you’re wrong. That’s not Mexico. Yea, I don’t really care where this place is on your map. It’s not Mexico. So while you’re sipping on your cold margaritas in your comfortable beachfront cabana with all your amenities and room service, I’m going to go over here to catch a bus back to my homestay. It’s a bumpy ride and I’m sitting next to a man with gel in his hair, but you know what? It’s all good because I’m more in Mexico than you are. Swine flu? C’mon. Swine flu in Mexico is soooo winter/spring 2009. Get over it. Drug trafficking? Puhlease. Go a few blocks the wrong way in any big city in the United States and you’re bound to see sketchier things than you would by visiting, actually going to Mexico. Just like anywhere else in the world, use your street smarts and common sense. Don’t have any? Go buy some. They sell everything in Walmart these days. Anyway, look. Look. Do you see how beautiful Mexico is? It’s not your typical Speedy Gonzalez in a burrito. It’s pretty ribbons in pretty girls hair standing around in their pretty dresses in the Zocalo in Oaxaca city. It’s the stacks of sugar skulls and loafs of Dead Bread. It’s the many, varying, sometimes surprising smells in the market. The smell of spices, raw meat, cloth, chocolate, leather, wood. The smell of people working, eating, observing, laughing, talking. The unfamiliar landscape of short bushes and shrubs, cacti, hills, mountains, trickling rivers trying to find their way. Go a couple hours in one direction and there are big trees, more green, chill winds and rain. You see a lot when you sit in the bus for hours upon hours, looking out the window. You see a lot when you mix and mingle in town. You don’t see much just sitting in your hotel or napping which, I’m afraid to admit, I myself have done. And what did I miss while I slept? Probably more little kids asking for “un peso, un peso”; a band striking up some song in the middle of the day in the Zocalo; more cups of hot chocolate and free chocolate samples. These are only some things I can imagine I miss by not putting myself out there. God knows I could have missed a chance to see someone or something really interesting, or even not so interesting. But at least it would have been a chance to see. To see. This verb not only refers to the good ole’ eyeballs. It can refer to the mind, to perception. What can you learn to see? Well, if you delve into the world of Hispanic literature, you’ll learn to see lo fantastico cohabiting the same space and time as lo cotidiano; the past, present, and future blurring their lines of demarcation to form space with no time; life sitting side by side with death. And everything is so much more magical this way. I see it. I see it. And it’s a beautiful view. Come have a real look.

Thoughts-Sam

Warm pearls of sweat wet my upper lip and forehead. A swipe with the back of the hand and they’re gone. Two minutes later, they reappear. Yes, Mexico is hot. That’s a no-brainer. But being so hot, I cannot understand why in the world the people here aren’t just naked most of the time. I mean, okay, there are some people I would NOT want to see naked. Actually, more than some. A lot. But holy flying monkeys, why are you people always in jeans?! Sometimes sweater –type things. I’m sitting here in as little clothing as I can get away with and I’m still dripping with sweat. Isn’t it uncomfortable for you to have thick denim stick to your lusciously tan legs? Ahem. Lusciously tan, yes. Something I’ve been trying to work on but am not achieving. Don’t get me wrong, I’m no albino. I just want to look like you. I’ve got some of your features (long dark hair, dark eyes, not-white skin), but still no cigar. Hmm. I guess I have to stick with being a gringa, as cringe-worthy as that can be sometimes. As a gringuita, I stand out more. Also, I’m taller than you, so I stand out even more. Also, I’m dressed in shorts, simple tank tops, flippin’ Chacos while you’re wearing tight jeans, pretty shirts, and…hey I like your heels too. Too bad we’re not the same shoe size…. with your hair up all perfect and your eyes rimmed in black. How do you manage to not to sweat it all off? Sigh. You make me feel inadequate when I go to clubs. Sure I still get some male attention. But that’s only because I’m a gringa amongst other cute dancing gringas. And male attention is NOT what I’m seeking anyway. All of us get too much of that just walking down the street in our everyday clothes and frizzy hair. OH MAAAAI GAAAWD. WHERE DA PATY AT? Not anywhere around you, you creepy 40-something year old man in that sweaty t-shirt. Hey, why don’t you wipe that sweat off your face and keep your eyes to yourself? I’m just trying to do my business. I don’t need you to distract me as I strut down the streets of Merida and…..Oh, uuuuh. What’s going on? Did this bus seriously just stopped working in the middle of this busy street?......

Late Night Strolls With MY P.I.C.

I must admit that Keach and I have a terrible habit of thinking that we can walk anywhere. For whatever reason we think that nothing can be that far away so we might as well walk. There are plenty of times when we could have forked over the six pesos and cut our trip by an hour, but for some reason we never do. For instance, several weeks back we were at Keach's house in the Centro and made plans to go to the BBQ house for wings and beer. His mom told us it was by Fridays and I was like "Oh I know where that is, it's not far at all".... Turns out that what I thought was Fridays is actually a Chiles. So we asked for directions and headed towards Prolongation for what turned out to be an absolute hike. It was six miles away, about seven and half from Keach's house. We got there finally a hour and a half later completely drenched in sweat and they barely let us in because we looked so ragged. It was well worth the walk, we ate our weight in wings and beer. We walked the whole way back, we had to work all the wings off. We always walk home from the clubs as well. I dunno why, we always just make a promise at the beginning of the night to end the night with a early morning stroll. It probably it is not the smartest thing to do, we have had a lot of close calls. We got into a wrestling match outside a restaurant and the waiter started yelling at us that he is going to call the cops. I kinda trespassed on some private party but to my defense, it looked like Walmart. Keach had to talk to the cops for about twenty minutes after that one. People always yell out of their car windows at us and one night Keach and I decided to follow them. We tried to follow them for thirty minutes, never found them. Most recently, this car followed us for a mile asking to give us a ride. We kept on saying no but the male driver was pretty intent on giving us a ride. Keach and I decided if he tried any funny business, we could handle him so we got in. He had two female companions who didnt seem as as interested in us as he did. He wanted to know which house exactly I lived in but I insisted we were close enough. Keach braved the rest of the ride by himself to his house. The guy really had to pee so Keach let him in and showed him the bathroom. Probably not the smartest idea to take that ride, but after a night of intense dancing, the legs needed a little break.

Feeling Fresh- A first in Mexico

Hello All! Between the 25th of October and the 4th of November, I estimate that I spent way too much time traveling on a bus. It could have been worse. It was a Mercedes, equipped with air conditioning, television, a bathroom, and ever so slightly reclining seats- not to mention a driver named Pepe who is an artist behind the wheel. Still, traversing the Mexican highland mountain ranges at a sizzling 35 miles per hour for about 20 hours was no joy. When I was first told that I needed to wake up at five in the morning to get on the bus and travel all day, I thought I would be able to sleep. Wrong. Mexican highways aren’t exactly “suave”. Trying to sleep on a bus as it pitches back and forth around corners, up and down over highway speed humps (which there are many of- some places every few minutes) makes one even more tired. So I guess the upside is that I got to see a good majority of the more than 2,000 miles of landscape we passed. After an all night drive, the first site we saw was Palenque, which is located in…… Palenque, Chiapas. This ancient ruin is absolutely breathtaking. I declare it to be my favorite ruin- and I have visited plenty. Numerous hieroglyphs remain intact, carved into the exteriors of the buildings here. It amazes me that the limestone they are set in has not completely dissolved in the 1500 years they have existed. That night, we slept in primitive thatched huts in a Maya reserve. My hut was down by the river, and it was very relaxing to hear the water rushing as I fell asleep. The next day, we took these wild motorized canoes to Tikal (another ruin!), traveling down a river (I forget the name) that separates Mexico from Guatemala. We ever docked for a moment on the Guatemala side of the river to catch a glimpse of some monkeys (I even got a picture). So I guess I can say now that I have visited multiple foreign countries- pretty cool for a guy who has never even been to California. That brings me to another point: In conversation with Mexicans, I am invariably asked about California. They are absolutely flabbergasted when I tell them I have never been, and sometimes repeat the question. We did some other stuff after Tikal, and then we went to San Cristobal de las Casas, in the mountains (about 7000 feet above sea level!) of Chiapas. This city is the Mexico I would really like to see more of. We spent several nights there, sleeping in a converted convent. Every room had a fireplace (except mine, of course) which was really awesome. I spent a lot of time building (and in one case, attempting) fires. San Cristobal is a town of about 400,000, but until about 10 years ago it was home to only about 70,000 people. It is absolutely gorgeous. Foremost, it is cold. Well, 65 degrees isn’t cold- but compared to Merida…… Secondly, there are hills- big ones. And everyone was just so nice and friendly! I got caught under a street awning with a Mexican gentleman for about 15 minutes during a rainstorm one day, and we had an excellent conversation, and he even told me where I could find some Chinese food. From San Cristobal, we drove to visit several Maya communities, where I did some shopping for my family. This is the earliest I have ever taken care of Christmas gifts. In one of the Maya communities, we visited a church built in the 16th century during some sort of ceremony. The halls were filled with pine needles, and it smelt amazing. And then a group of men (some being religious community leaders, I am told) came in with incense, flutes, accordions, and guitars, playing the most soothing melody I have ever heard. We were fortunate enough to be in Oaxaca for the Day (Days (plural) better describes it) of the Dead. Oaxaca City is an awesome city as well, and the whole place was charged with energy for the day of the dead. We went to a pretty wild club for Halloween, and the next night we went to a celebration in a neighboring town. Even if I spent a whole day telling you what I saw, you still wouldn’t understand it. There were cross-dressing ghouls cracking 15 foot bull whips; people covered in little bells, hopping frantically. Pope John Paul II making lewd gestures, and George W. being belted. I bought a small water bottle of Mezcal there for 10 pesos. I had a few drinks of it before I ditched the foul stuff. Not enough to buzz even. But at 5 in the morning, I woke up sick as a dog. Lesson learned. The night of November second, we went to a cemetery to partake in ritual mourning. Mexican Day of the Dead mourning is quite a bit different from ours…. Its more, well, celebratory. I was offered shots of mescal by multiple drunk mourners (I suspect that they really liked the Mohawk I was sporting ( sorry mom and dad, I couldn’t find a good Halloween costume)). It was definitely not as rough as what I had the previous night. Going up into the hills of Mexico was a great experience. The heat and odd familiarity of Merida was really beginning to wear me thin. I feel recharged, and now we just have one more month until we get home. I think I want some barbeque ribs, mashed potatoes with gravy, real milk with an expiration date that doesn’t come in a cardboard box, and some hot and sour soup. Thinking of home, Michael Keach

10 days on a bus- Sarah Swauger

I can finally say I feel like Mérida is my home after being away from it for 10 days. The trip we took to Oaxaca and Chiapas was absolutely amazing, but there is nothing that can replace Gloria´s (our host mom) cooking and not feeling like a tourist. I feel so lucky to be here because traveling to Oaxaca for the Day of the Dead and Chiapas is something that I might have never done in my life and those places are truly unique and amazing. The trip began by staying in an ecolodge the first night, which I really enjoyed because it felt like camping. We swam in the river which turned out to be quite an adventure, since the current was a bit stronger than we expected. I´m glad we only stayed one night there because I was in need of a warm shower and a bug-free bed. In Chiapas, my favorite experience was going to the church in San Cristobal de las Casas. It´s hard to put into words how I felt being in there because it was such a unique kind of church. There was a mixture of traditional practices mixed with local traditions, such as the burning of incense and pine needles spread out all over the floor. Our hotel in Chiapas was easily my favorite place we’ve stayed. It was nice to be cold for a change and having a fireplace made me feel like I was back in Kentucky. Next we set off for Oaxaca to celebrate the Day of the Dead. The entire city seemed to be celebration all day, every day, the entire time we were there. I quickly became obsessed with all of the skeletal/skull figures that were present everywhere. My favorite event was going to the procession of the day of the dead in Etla. We painted our faces so we actually felt like a part of the celebrations, instead of just bystanders on the outside. The costumes were incredible and we even had people trying to take our picture which was pretty entertaining. The next night we went to the cemetery which was a bit more serious. It was such a different and interesting event to witness, but I felt a little intrusive because it seemed like a very personal celebration. Still, it was really neat to actually see the traditions we have been learning about like the ofrenda on the graves. It’s so hard to believe we only have a month left here! The time has gone so quickly but I’m sure there are many more adventures to come.

Un Viaje Muy Interesante (Andy)

Well we've been here for two months now and there's only one month left...To some degree I feel like I've only been here for a couple weeks, but to a larger extent I feel like I've been here for about six months (in a good way). We just returned to Merida from our twelve day excursion to Chiapas, Oaxaca, and Tabasco, and I felt myself being relieved to be back in Merida, as if it was my real home; and it has become just that. I know that I will miss Merida tremendously when we leave in December, and that's a good thing, I think. When I first applied to come to Merida for a semester, my most prominent fear was that of being out of the U.S. for too long, that is the trip would last too long, but now I appreciate the length of the trip. Unlike a 2 1/2 week Centreterm trip that is very touristy and basically a short excursion, the full semester has allowed me to come to a different country and actually settle down. I see the sites like a tourist, but I see them at my own leisure and I really feel like a true resident of Yucatan. The lengthy trip around southern Mexico these last two weeks was quite possibly one of the best trips I've ever been on, and definitely was the most enlightening. Palenque in Chiapas has definitely been my favorite ruins site that I've seen thus far. The temple of the inscriptions was awesome, as was the entire site.

The first night outside of Merida, we stayed in a little ecolodge type place in the jungle. No doors on the entrance to the hut/shack/cabin and hammocks on the front porch. The only place to eat was outside and there were paths all through the jungle from our rooms. At night it was really cool to be able to hear the wild life right outside the room, although it was a little nerveracking considering there were no doors, but it was still nice.

Another really cool ruins site we saw was Yaxchilan, which was in the jungle. To get to the site we had to take a thirty minute boat ride down the Usumacinta River. We could see southern Chiapas on one side of the boat and Guatemala on the other side. On the boat ride we saw wild howler and spider monkeys in the trees that hung over the river. We also saw two crocodiles in the river, one swimming and the other was quite large and was perched on a rock jutting out of the water with his jaws wide open...it was pretty scary looking.

San Cristobal de las Casas was definitely the coolest city we've been to. It was high up in the mountains and provided a good change of pace with regards to the temperature. It was refreshing to be able to wear a jacket instead of sweating through t-shirts everyday. Also, Na-Bolom, the hotel we stayed in, was amazing. It was the coziest bed I've been in since my own in Kentucky, and there was a fireplace in the room which was fun. Also, while in San Cristobal, we got to visit two little towns outside of the city which were both amazing. We got to walk through the markets and into their beautiful little church. One of the coolest things were the police uniforms...the men wore cowboy hats and these giant sheep-wool pullovers, or at least what looked like sheep-wool, and a holster on their belt...it was really neat.

Well that's all for now, I think...I still have one blog left so hopefully something neat will happen before then. Until next time, ¡vaya bien!

Hasta pronto,

Andres

The Sickness Has Passed- Lee Myers-White

Well it happened, I finally got sick. I am actually very surprised I lasted as long as I did, and I am also surprised and happy that it never turned into a stomach problem, which I think would have been much worse and more difficult to deal with since we were on our trip when it occurred. Over all it was uncomfortable and disappointing because I did miss a few things, but it was probably the best way to be sick. Apparently, according to Bertha, our house mom, the rainy season started while we were gone, which is kind of disappointing since I was looking forward to continuing to enjoy the beach every Friday. There is a tropical storm coming though, so maybe it will clear up after that passes since we only have a few more weekends left. Another thing which has come to my attention is that I have bought very few items on my stay, nothing besides my hammock for myself and very little for other people. The most promising time I had to get good stuff was when we were in Oaxaca for day of the day, but that was when I got sick. I do not know where or what I should get since I have tried to stop myself from buying just a bunch of small little trinkets and instead try to find things I actually may want later in life, the only problem that has stopped me from making some of these purchases is that many of the items are large and sometimes easily breakable so they would be very difficult to transport back home. Hopefully by the end of the trip something will have called my name. Also coming up in the next few weeks is Thanksgiving. This has been a sort of disappointing thought for me since the break will most likely be absent of anything resembling our celebrations for the holiday, which I really do enjoy. On the brighter side we are looking into going somewhere for the break and as of now we are looking at staying in a house on an island for a few days with no cars, which hopefully could be relaxing. It is also looking to be very cheap which is a plus and maybe we could find some way to pull off a Mexican Thanksgiving dinner.

Celebrations in Cemeteries! Lydia McCollum

I would have to say that taking part in the celebration in the Tlalixtac cemetery on the night of November 2 for the Dia de los Muertos was one of the most unique experiences of my life. It definitely made an impression of me and I do believe that my thoughts of cemeteries and death have in a way been changed.

In the United States we have always been taught to fear death and especially cemeteries. These are places that you go to places to bury the death and then you return every now and then to place flowers on the graves of the deceased. It is a known fact that when in a cemetery you are quite and reverent. Children must stay right by their parents’ side, if they are even allowed to enter the cemetery. Most people in general are very scared and there is a belief that one must be respectful in a cemetery at all times and celebrating there is frowned upon.

On the night of November 2 we all saw something completely different. The cemetery in Tlalixtac was filled with people. Everyone was partying and having a great time. People were singing, laughing, and eating. Children were running around dressed up in masks asking for their dules and throwing fire crackers, many were even playing games of tag throughout the cemetery. It was such a joyous occasion in which they were celebrating the life of their deceased ancestors and celebrating the coming back of their ancestors’ souls to enjoy the ofrendas which have been left on the graves. The graves were adorned with everything including flowers, food, candles, and alcohol all for the souls of the dead to enjoy.

Rachel, Kara, Katie, and I decided to sit on a bench for a while to rest and observe all that was going on. That’s when we saw Erin who came over to talk to us. When she first walked up a firecracker that a little boy had thrown hit her in the foot. She screamed a little and all the kids around started to giggle.Erin then asked the little boy if she could try one of his firecrackers and he let her. When she threw it, it landed very close to the children’s parents and that was when our friendship began. For about an hour and a half we had so much fun talking to these three children. They were so funny and really smart. The little girl was named Daniela and she was 11 years old, she had a little brother who was about 5, and an older brother who was 12. After talking for only a few minutes Daniela walked up to me and gave me a banana as a gift. We continued to talk to them and they were very interested in what we were doing in Mexico and kept asking us when we were going to return. She was dressed in a beautiful white dress that she told us was her first communion dress. Her mom and dad were selling chinitas – chips and they gave three bags to eat. When it was time to go we said our goodbyes and they wanted each of us light a firecracker before leaving. This experience was so meaningful to us. For those few hours we felt like we were actually a part of their culture, taking part in their rituals for Dia de los Muertos. We did not feel like outsiders. People around us were offering us food and shots in hopes that we would enjoy their holiday celebration as much as they were and that is exactly what happened. Celebrating in the cemetery is an experience that I will never forget!