Tuesday, July 20, 2010 We went to Santiago Tianguistenco Market (try saying that just ONE time fast), which is a huge regional market that "pops up" only on Tuesdays. Like all the other markets, this is where the common folk buy what they need. It's very similar to the markets in other towns, except that it's much, much larger, covering blocks of the town, making the roads near the center impassable by car. They sell fruits, vegetables, meats, shoes, pots, pans, clothes, purses, fly swatters, CDs, rubber gloves (in red), and about anything else you can imagine. It's sensory overload. Unfortunately, it was pouring down rain most of the time, so it wasn't that enjoyable. Even though they have tarps covering most of the stalls and walkways, the plastic sheets are a patchwork, so there's no ... read more

Friday, July 16, 2010 Taxco is a popular town for buying silver jewelry. It's a beautiful, Spanish colonial town that has stone streets and bright white buildings near the town plaza. Every colonial town has a plaza with a church and a "city hall." Near the center of town, it's touristy with lots of shops and restaurants. I wasn't much interested in buying things (if you've seen one basket, you've seen them all; but to each his own), so I ventured to the huge Jesus statue at the top of the mountain. Our guide said it would be a 2-hour walk. I thought I'd see how far I could get in an hour. On my way up the mountain, up countless windy and hilly streets and stairs, I saw how the majority of the people live ... read more

Sunday, July 11, 2010 Malinalco is extraordinary. In this one place you can see ancient ruins, a colonial-era (early 1500’s) church/convent, and a quaint town. The ancient ruins are a 15-minute climb up a mountain. The view is spectacular, and we were lucky because it was a beautiful day (70’s and sunny). It poured in the afternoon, but I don’t think the folks from Maryland want to hear about that. Our guide gave us a tour of the ancient ruins and the church, describing in VERY great detail the history and theories behind the places we visited. The ancient Meshika were a warfaring people that went around telling towns you’re either with us or against us, so either pay us a tribute or we go to war. According to what experts know they didn’t fight during ... read more

In the morning, we all attend Spanish classes at the Spanish Language Institute. It's about 10 minutes by car from our house, so walking's not much of an option, especially since you never know when it might rain. And when it rains here, the streets and sidewalks can fill with water. I've been moved to different level classes three times so far and it's only been a week. I feel like Goldilocks. This class is too hard, that one is too easy. Eventually, I hope, I'll find one that's "just right." Getting about: Thankfully we're only a ten minute walk to the central plaza where most of the action is. Lots of street vendors, street entertainment, restaurants, shops, banks, etc. But to go anywhere else we take a taxi. Everyone takes taxis here. Taxis are as ... read more

During our visit, we live with a family in Cuernavaca. It’s referred to as a homestay. They not only provide a place to sleep but also breakfast and lunch. Luckily, it was also arranged that they would take us to school in the morning and pick us up for the return home. Victor (the father), Abi (the mother), Veronica and Cecilla (their daughters) are warm and welcoming. The parents speak no English, but fortunately Veronica teaches English at the university. I think the Fulbright program must discourage our families from speaking English to us because she doesn’t use English very often. Fortunately, Brian, my housemate, is fairly fluent. That helps a lot. By the way I want to say how great it’s been to have him around. He’s a Spanish teacher from the Eastern Shore, which ... read more