Day 28 - Veracruz and Boca del Rio

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VeracruzThis morning we went to the fortress of San Juan de Ulúa in the port of Veracruz. It was an old Spanish command post situated on the port entrance. When it was used, it served as a home to presidents, military headquarters and prison. Much of the fortress was constructed with coral rock and has bridges that connect different areas. It reminded me of a fortress from 'The Pirates of the Caribbean'. From there we went to a public middle school where we met with teachers and students. It was a great time to tour the school, see it facilities, and learn about a segment of the school system. The best part was that we went to lunch in a city called Boca del Rio, with the teachers and students, and really had chance to talk with them and learn more about Veracruz culture and its people. The students were really funny and asked a lot a questions, mainly about popular culture in the United States. After lunch, and a quick siesta, some of us headed back out into the center of Veracruz for dinner and dessert. Tomorrow we leave for Oaxaca.

Esta mañana fuimos a la fortaleza de San Juan de Ulúa en el puerto de Veracruz. Antes era un centro militar de los Españoles en la entrada del puerto. Fue usado como casa de presidentes, sede militar, y carcel. Mucho de la fortaleza fue construida de piedra de coral y tiene puentes que conecta a diferentes areas. Me recordó de la pelicula 'Piratas del Caribes'. De allí fuimos a una escuela publica secundaria para reunirnos con maestros y estudiantes de la escuela. Fuimos en una visita de la escuela para ver las facilidades y aprender un poco sobre un segmento de la sistema de enseñanza. La mejor parte fue cuando fuimos a almorzar en la ciudad de Boca del Rio, con todos los maestros y alumnos. Allí tuvimos la oportunidad de seguir hablando con ellos y aprender más sobre la cultura y gente de Veracruz. Los estudiantes fueron muy divertido y hicieron muchas preguntas, sobre todo de la cultura popular de los Estados Unidos. Despues de almuerzo y un siesta, algunos de nosotros salimos al centro de Veracruz para cenar y comer postres. Mañana viajamos a Oaxaca.

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Comments

[Karin]

penpals
You may have already thought of this, but maybe it would be fun if you found a class or a school that would like to be like a sister school or something with San Juan, if you think that would be appropriate, and the kids could communicate with a particular class and learn more about Mexican culture, etc...and vice versa. Have you visited any elementary schools yet? Have fun in Oaxaca. Love those city names!

[Srta. Camacho]

I have heard that Veracruz is a great place to visit. It is good to hear that you had an opportunity to meet with some students and teachers. It sounds like you had a good time getting to know them and being able to share cultural knowledge with each other. Have fun in Oaxaca, can't wait to read what comes next.

[Sr Reina]

Hi Karin, I have definitely thought about doing pen-pals for our school. The only problem so far has been that the school we visited is a middle school, and the other schools are out of session. But hopefully in the next cities I'll have a better chance of getting contacts. Also, I asked Ms. Pule about pen-pal information while she is in Argentina. Take care, Renato