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Published: December 9th 2010
Loading kids on the bus
Just outside of San Miguel de AllendeWe have been quieter since our escapades during the Day of the Dead festivities. Linda very much enjoyed a street salad in Mixquic, however, it took a few days for her to return to normal enjoyment of food. She somehow managed to work through her school days, and rest afterward. On Saturday, we went to view the annual art fair held at the school. Local and international artists paid for booths to display their wares and there were art displays by the students as well. Children activities, food booth and tables covered most of campus. Sunday saw us off to Balderas Market located just 5 metro stops away. This is a huge permanent market that functions daily, marketing traditional Mexican crafts, clothes, pottery, art, ceramics, masks, lights, glass, wooden artifacts etc from all over Mexico. We bought the last of the light fixtures we needed and Juan,(our seamstre) finished sewing our curtains, so our apartment is now completely furnished!!! After the market we headed over to our friend Tracy's for shrimp scampi and the elaborate fixings. This was comidia, the mid day meal, usually around 2:30PM, and we left sometime after 8PM. We've met so many great people here so far.
Different cactuses
There are over 200 kinds of cactuses Monday the 8th, Linda was up and packed for a week of camp with 80ish grade 5 kids. She is one of 4 school supervisors. 2 coach buses were filled with happy children. The parents let their babies go with great anticipation. Off to Sierra Gorda, 3 and a half hours north of Mexico City. We arrived at 10:30AM to a secure hotel with grounds (a former hacienda and flowered grounds with a separate unattached kitchen). All luggage was searched for electronics and medication as we settled the kids into the 2 story dorms that could accommodate 50 children per level. The camp councilors would stay with the kids for the remainder of the week. Teachers slept in the hotel. Team building activities went on for a few hours, teachers watched, then we had comida in the unattached kitchen. The 2 cooks and 3 helpers served up fine meals in minutes. We boarded the bus and went to Tequisquiapan, a town near the hacienda. We toured the town and learned some of the finer points of the place and then shopped till dark. We boarded the bus and headed back to the hacienda where we had cena (late supper). More
At the Cactus reserve
This area is just outside San Miguel Allende and it's huge water resevoir team building activities, the teachers watched from the sidelines. Students were whisked away about 9PM and we were free to go to bed. Tuesday up at 6:30AM, no heat in the room and the fields around the place are covered in white - frost! Shower, shoes on and off to breakfast. The sun comes over the trees and it warms. Off comes the first jacket, then the sweater, then the scarf and mitts. I sit in the sun and read while we load the bus and head off to San Miguel Allende to see the cactus reserve. A movie is shown and we soon arrive to a gorgeous day at the bioshpere. Off with the other jacket and shoes, and we just walk in a T-shirts. There are over 200 kinds of cactus in this massive area with paths and there are even covered buildings to protect some of the plants; beautiful! We go down to the man made lake which supplies San Miguel Allende with sports areas, bird sanuctary, and a water supply. Here the kids performed various experiments related to nature. The teachers watch and encourage kids to be involved. I'm down to shorts and a tank top...it's
a ponytail cactus
a unique type of plant HOT! Most head for the shade. Up we head to the other side of the preserve for comida with a view of the town and the rugged surroundings. Back on the bus, another movie and we end up back at the hacienda. More team building games. The teachers watch, work on their computer,nap or read a book and have coffee served to us in the shade. Cena is served and then the kids go one way and the rest of us head for our rooms. It's kinda cold so we snuggle into bed and read or watch TV. We sleep in till 7:30AM, breakfast, on the bus and 2 and a half hours later we're high in the mountains where we climb for an hour and mine for opals. Every rock that is picked up is smattered with opal shards too small to mine. The largest opal taken from this mine is in the Smithsonian Institute in New York. The kids have never used a hammer and one is injured. We have 2 medics with us 24 hours a day. One is male and one female. Did I mention that there is one councilor for every 8 kids and they're
experiments
the leaders and the kids do experiments on the resevoir bank more hyper than me. The kids really enjoy their leaders. We have comida under the shelter of a cave (refried beans in soft tacos and water). Then we head back down the mountain. It is a road but it's very rough to walk. We examine bugs, animal droppings and more as the kids have never seen anything like these things. Of course the kids purchase rocks, trinkets and candy from the designated shop. Back on the bus, nap and a movie. More team building activities at the hacienda and finally cena...fried chicken and other great stuff. Yummy! Teachers head off to their rooms while the kids and leaders play games in the upper part of the hacienda. Thursday we wake up about 6:30AM but it's warm. Shower, breakfast and on the bus. Off to San Joaquin at the very top of the mountains. I sat in the bus driver's jump seat so I could take pictures; hairpin turns, climbing up and up, then down a little, more hairpin turns, yikes! a truck, passing with no shoulder on the road, straight down drop if we didn't make those turns, yep! it was a white knuckle trip. We reach a very colorful
hiking up a mountain
off to opal mine, it was an hour hike ...up town and climbed some more in the bus till we reach the ruins of a massive community called Ranus. It was the center of trade 2000 thousand years ago. People came to trade with the other side of the mountains. This was the trade center where both sides met. It, like all other pyramid ruins, were abandoned without explanation. The views are beyond spectacular! We got back on the bus and a short distance outside of the town we park and have comida of a bagged lunch. A field adjoining the parking lot provided a play area for part of our crew while the rest of us went down into a gruta (cave). The dripping of water from the above surface provided fantastic shapes and creepy images in the cave. The temperature dropped 30 degrees. Back on the bus, nap and a movie and we're back at the hacienda. Cena is had. The kids together for a dance in the upper hacienda. The teachers fill out a survey while drinking beer. (This is expected and acceptable behavior.) We had no idea when the kids went to bed but we did see them the next morning, so things must have gone
mining opals
the kids and I hammer and split rocks to find opals inside almost every rock well as usual. We had to pack up before breakfast, the dirvers loaded the bus and we headed out to Bernal, the 3rd largest rock in the world, yep, another mountain to climb. Today the kids complained more that usual....tooooo late a night for them. The view was unbelievable. A little more shopping. On the bus and back to Mexico City. We arrived at 4:45PM. Parents collected their children from the bus, drivers or nannies could not collect the children, but could help carry luggage. One of the drivers drove me home, a gift. I had a great week. If I planned a week of adventure, this is exactly what I would have planned and done. I'm back rested and ready for the long weekend.
Meanwhile, Maurice took the opportunity to visit Puerto Vallarta and cleaned up the condo there. He arrived back shortly after I did on Friday, with a nice tan! We then spent the long week-end here at home in Mexico City, a trip to the market for computer parts, watched the football game with Maurice's brother-in-law Rick on Skype on Sunday. Then, on Monday, we enjoyed breakfast with friends, and visited the zocala again, there
heading into the actual mine
we were told scary stories and about the largest opal found, it was the size of an apple is so much to see there. Back home to BBQ for supper and disaster struck! While lighting the BBQ and trying to get the coals burning faster, the lighter fluid started on fire, and splashed onto Maurice's face. Lucky there is a water tap right there on the terrace, it is where we do laundry. After sticking his head under the tap, he came down and asked how badly he was burnt. His hair was all singed, and pieces of burnt skin were hanging off his face. Into the shower to clean as much as possible, then Rosa, our dear friend and landlady, drove us to ABC hospital. They took one look at his face, determined there were 2nd dergree burns, and called in the plastic surgeon. We waited about a half hour, and when he showed up, he cleaned Maurice's face himself, applied salve, and gave us a prescription for Neosporin. To prevent infection, stay home, stay out of the sun and out of the dust and pollution and there won't be any scarring! The accident happened at 5:30, and we were out of the hospital by 8. The medical care is fast and effecient. Luckily, his face has
heading down the mountain
what a terrific view and it was easier going downhill healed very nicely without any scarring. So we then spent a quiet week preparing for our Saskatchewan company, Luc and Colette.
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Isabelle
non-member comment
Glad you are OK, Maurice!
Wow, that was a close call, Maurice! What an interesting school year you are having, Linda. Thanks for sharing.... Take care!