http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Barry-Blount/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Barry Blount en-us Sun, 27 Dec 2009 03:42:43 +0000 Sun, 27 Dec 2009 03:42:43 +0000 Hey EverybodyI don't know if anyone will even think to check this blog anymore I know it's been a very long time since I last updated. I have safely arrived back in Xalapa after a wonderful break full of travel. I am excited to had unpacked my hiking pack which was crammed full of clothes for a little less than a whole month. It's very nice to be settled in with a schedule again to fill my days. http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Veracruz/Xalapa/blog-374399.html Hello Family and FriendsAll has been progressing well down here in Xalapa. With two weeks left of formal classes I am beginning to receive the first real set of work I've been exposed to since beginning classes in September. So I have just been trying to remember what time management is like and get some things done in a timely fashion. We have to do a lot of reading for our written expression cl http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Veracruz/Xalapa/blog-350990.html Hello EveryoneI know I have been very outoftouch the past week or so. There have been many developments on my end including a change of residence from the home stay program to a beautiful new house with three other Canadian students from my school. Though I was not looking forward to living with three english speakers an opportunity arose to move out of the house where I had been living since http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Veracruz/Xalapa/blog-343723.html Hey AllA few friends here happened to hang out with a basketball team from Monterrey that was in the city for two days for a game against the Xalapa Halcones the local semipro team. The players invited us to come to the game and left us six free tickets at willcall which was really neat. Here are some courtside photos from a fun evening at the university basketball arena. http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Veracruz/Xalapa/blog-339139.html My host mother had to spend the day at a junta a teacher's convention more or less in Xico. This small town famous for it's waterfalls and lack of things to do is located about 20 minutes from Xalapa. It's an incredibly beautiful town though. I tagged along for a little three hour walking tour while the teachers convened. http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Veracruz/Xalapa/blog-337186.html Hey AllAt the moment I'm sitting in the school library looking out across the rooftops of orange spanish tile with a beautiful backdrop of blue skies and white clouds. This particular day has been very relaxing just doing a little bit of studying for exams which are next week and listening to music on the computer at school. My birthday came and gone with little excitement but was pleasant none http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Veracruz/Xalapa/blog-335558.html Hello AllThe week has started again and I'm back to lots of reading and writing for classes. But not before some relaxed weekend fun with the family.On Sunday the family went to a very local open air market called mercados on the outskirts of the city where they like to buy fresh produce. The people of the town close six very large blocks and all the local farmers craftsmenwomen and cooks s http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Veracruz/Xalapa/blog-331899.html Hey AllI'm sitting in Jaurez Park just a short walk from my house using some free internet from our friends next door in the government building. How nice of them to extend their lightningfast and free wireless connection to us in the park.Not much has been going on just going through my daily routines with classes hanging out with my my friend at the Univ. of Veracruz a couple times a week. http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Veracruz/Xalapa/blog-330810.html Last weekend I hopped the bus to the city of Pelote and my ultimate destination of Cofre de Pelote National Park. Though much of the information I had received about the park was incorrect it was a beautiful hike and a nice day outside the bustle of Xalapa. The pictures are from the hike up I regret that I could not take many pictures of many of the very interesting farmers and herders as I did http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Veracruz/blog-329135.html On a short day trip to Veracruz we stopped along the way to check out where Hernan Cortez lived during his immobile times in Veracruz when he wasn't conquering other places. Here are some of the pictures of the ruins of his and other homes in the small village. http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Veracruz/Xalapa/blog-325066.html Hello Friends and FamilyI know that I have been out of touch for a couple weeks now. My apologies. School is now in full swing and my work has kept me quite busy. There is lots of reading and comprehension that rob the hours of the day from me. Everything has been going quite well down here in Xalapa. The weather is a little crazy much like Victoria with the frequent showers throughout the day http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Veracruz/Xalapa/blog-328250.html Xalapa is famous for it's beautiful parks and numerous lakes throughout the city among many other things. The family and I took a trip to Bicentenario Park with the dog Sammy. http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Veracruz/Xalapa/blog-321729.html Here's some pictures of my new house in Xalapa. The numbers are not in order but correctly orientated as if you walked through house as seen. More on the way. http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Veracruz/Xalapa/blog-319723.html First Week of School Ftbol and PanI wake this morning around 9am pack my bag and walk to my school. The doors are open but the compound is quiet and still with only a few of the staff members noticed by their black collared EEE polo shirts pacing the walkways. Today is Friday and the first day of my extended weekend something I will enjoy every week here at La Escuela para Estudiantes Extra http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Veracruz/Xalapa/blog-320539.html Hello EveryoneI have arrived and settled in at my new home in Xalapa Mexico I arrived Wednesday night around 8pm after a five hour plane ride to Mexico City and another five hours aboard a bus to Xalapa. The plane ride passed in a sleepy daze but the bus ride was beautiful cutting through the expansive country side of Mexico. Nearing Veracruz the terrain became quite mountainous and a thick m http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Veracruz/Xalapa/blog-317657.html Acclimation and a Mexican SundayI have spent the past couple days walking around ldquoel centrordquo or center city with my host mom Yolie. My days have been less than eventful most of them consisting of long waits while she runs errands in stores and talks to people on her phone but Irsquom seeing lots of the city by spending time with her. From what Irsquove experienced with my host fa http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Veracruz/Xalapa/blog-318614.html Five hours to Xalapa. http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Veracruz/Xalapa/blog-318026.html Hello EveryoneI have arrived and settled in at my new home in Xalapa Mexico I arrived Wednesday night around 8pm after a fivehour plane ride to Mexico City and another five hours aboard a bus to Xalapa. The plane ride passed in a sleepy daze but the bus ride was beautiful cutting through the expansive countryside of eastern Mexico. Incredible fields of green vegetation stretched as far as the http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Veracruz/Xalapa/blog-317979.html