'Gate number...... ok, where are we?' 'You're in Stansted love!' came the cheerful reply from a nearby traveller looking far too perky for 4am as my sister and I gathered ourselves from the airport floor. Having spent half the year in Mexico and already having a job in Spain lined up for the new term I wasn't really thinking about travelling over the summer holidays. Fortunately my sister had other ideas and took charge of arranging a trip to Prague for a few days. Sitting in my room in Mexico I had aquiesced and left her to make all the descions. Thus I found myself leaving home, so early in the morning it hardly seemed worth having gone to bed, less than two weeks after arriving home from Mexico! On arrival we were met by the ... read more

Today I planned to visit a few museums and when I tired of that resort to my back up plan of 'wander aimlessly round the teeny streets and take photos of random churches and people's front doors and things'. I began the day with a visit to the Museo Casa Diego Rivera. Following my map I located the red fronted house and gained entry, although unfortunately my camera did not. The downstairs is set up as a museum showing how the house should have looked when the Riveras lived there. Diego Rivera was born in 47 Positos Street and lived within the house until the age of six when the family moved to Mexico City. The upper floors of the museum house various works of Diego Rivera. I walked through the house until at the very ... read more

We started our day sightseeing at the Rafael Coronel Museum. We walked the already familiar route from the hostel and along the central road until we reached the ruins. We found the tiny ticket office and I bizarrely had to give up my handbag and camera bag before gaining entry to the monastary complex. The Rafael Coronel Museum occupies the ruins of the Convento de San Francisco, built in 1567, which was the first Franciscan convent in the province of Zacatecas. The construction was authorized by Pedro de Ayala, Bishop of Nueva Galicia (Guadalajara). The Templo, or church part of the convent, burned down 80 years after the convent was built but was quickly rebuilt in 1648. The Franciscan Convento was closed in 1856, along with many other religious facilities around the country. The complex was ... read more

The end of term has come and gone and the last day disappeared in the usual whirl of films and popcorn, games and goodbyes. Most of the students made an effort to come in for the last day and stayed for the entire lesson (a.k.a. party) I had fun with each class and students and teachers alike were wandering in and out of each other's classes saying goodbyes and joining in with various activities. Today was technically the last day of term, minus the students. Students were able to come and pick up their report cards from the school if they had not already done so, and us teachers cleared out our classrooms and returned our teaching books and CDs. I was soon free to leave and said my semi-goodbyes to the school and principal although ... read more

Another Saturday and another opportunity to travel. School has been busy and the weekends seem more appealing as an opportunity to laze about and relax rather than hop on another bus. Still, now I have visited Mexico City and Morelia there seems to be less urgency to travel and I am looking forward to just enjoying the end of the term and spending some time at home before leaving. I did however set off for Mazamitla today as the zip wiring was still on my Mexican to do list. I walked to the bus station and inquired about the next bus. The man working there was eager to tell me that he speaks a little English and on learning I was from England exclaimed how far it is and asked if I had family in Mexico. ... read more