spring break dos mil diez.

For the past 5 days, I have been kickin' it in Puerto Escondido. The people are super sweet, the sun is always out, and the waves are perfect. It has been wonderfully relaxing. Even though I will leave this beachtown with 47 mosquito bites and a tomato-red sunburn, I have enjoyed my stay for a couple of reasons:

1) Fish! Last night I enjoyed a tasty fillet Mexican-style. It included chile, tomato, and onion (for the Mexican flag colors).
2) Our hostel. It looks likes it's straight out of the movie "Hook" with Robin Williams! It includes a bowling pin shaped pool, a bar that blasts beachy tunes every night, a ping pong table, and countless tucked away rooms with mismatched furniture.
3) #274 on my bucket list: I rode on the back of a motorcycle! The owner of the hostel, Steve, is an old English bloke who plays soccer by the beach every night. A couple of us took the city bus in that direction with him. On the way back, to save me from paying the 5 pesos, he offered me a ride. Thus him, his black lab, and I enjoyed the 10 minute drive back on his sputtering motorcycle. Woo!

single digit zone.

So it's official. I only have 9 days left in Mexico. And even less in Puebla with my host family and friends. Eek! My third and final class finished on Thursday. I don't know how, but I escaped with 2.5 weeks of spring break!

Last weekend I travelled with Robin, Erika, and Andres to Taxco. It is tucked away in a small mountain range. Thus, you can probably guess how the bus ride getting there was. Luckily the gorgeous view in the last 5 minutes of the ride erased the nauseating hours preceding. The quaint and picturesque town reminded me of somewhere in Spain or Greece with all of the narrow winding roads, colorful vespas, and white Volkswagen bugs that doubled as taxis.

We had heard that Taxco was not to be missed, particularly for it's Saturday market. It is home of silver mines. Thus, the market is loaded with kiosk after kiosk selling silver. While most of it was too shiny for my fancy, I was able to find a turquoise ring that I now wear everyday! While here, we also enjoyed delicious meals, rooftop nights at our hostel, and a stunning view of the city when visiting a "photo opp" area surrounded by none other than pine trees!

casa del sol.

Twice a week, I make my way down a dusty road to Casa del Sol. It is a center that provides a home for kids who have a difficult home situation or no home situation at all. They range from as young as a couple months up to 5th grade age. On Mondays and Wednesdays, Ellie and I volunteer in the baby room. Vanesa, Rosalba, Viane, Hilda, Jesus, Angel, Moi, and Jeremias all have my heart. We typically arrive just as they are waking up from their afternoon nap. Then we help feed them lunch, brush their teeth, clean their diapers, gel down their hair (the gel look is popular even at this age), and lead them to the playroom. Then begins the fun!

This past Wednesday was my final day volunteering. My camera tagged along and helped me capture some priceless moments of a few of the munchkins....

cheese and trees.

Last weekend, a group of us traveled to Oaxaca. It is home of three important things. First is quesillo, that tasty and stringy cheese that I am obsessed with. Second is mezcal, an alcoholic drink that is made from an agave plant and that is stronger than tequila. Third is El Arbol del Tule, the biggest tree in the world with the stoutest trunk in the world. We got to experience a little bit of it all. I was a fan. I was also a fan that the weather was in the '80s the entire time. Cha-ching!

In addition, we visited Monte Alban (featured in the photo). It is an archaeological site that sits atop a mountain that has the most gorgeous view of the city. Monte Alban is actually the intersection of the three valleys that make up Oaxaca. While having a great view, the site itself was also appealing to the eye. The ancient stone carvings were still visible to this day!

march? already?

Time is flying by so quickly! I can't believe it. To make sure that everything I want to accomplish gets done, I made a bucket list for the rest of my time in Puebla. A week ago, one of the items was crossed off.

What was it? Eating elote.

Elote is a very popular Mexican snack. It is sold at every market and is practically on every street corner. I've always watched with skeptical eyes at the locals who feast on it. Robin and I got talked into trying it while at the Sunday market. We agreed to it, but not before receiving the promise that we would only have to eat one. So we ate it. Corn + mayo + parmesan cheese (mas o menos) + chili powder + lime juice = a cup of elote. While not as bad as I expected, it still wasn't something I'd buy again. That being said, I'm glad we tried it in the long run :)

a playlist from puebla.

So like I promised, here are some of the ridiculously popular songs here. On any given night, you are guaranteed to hear at least half of these while out and about.

1. "I Gotta Feeling" - Black Eyed Peas
2. "Hotel Room Service" - Pitbull
3. "Colga" - Carlos Baute y Marta Sanchez
4. "Low" - Flo-rida feat. T-Pain
5. "Sexy Bitch" - David Guetta feat. Akon
6. "Esclavo de tus Besos" - David Bisbal
7. "Sex on the Beach" - Spankers (and yes, it talks about precisely what you think it does)

For numero 8, I will leave a link since it is too good to not listen to....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGdnYJXRStg

caffeine, confetti, and carnaval.

This weekend's adventure took me to Veracruz. It is a coast city that rests on the Gulf of Mexico. While the weather wasn't exactly beach weather, we did not mind. For there are two other things that Veracruz is known for that we got to experience...

1. Carnaval!
Comparable to Mardi Gras, Carnaval is a weeklong party that leads up to the first day of Lent. It wouldn't be complete without masks, confetti, and alcohol. Carnaval is most known for the celebration in Rio, but all latino countries celebrate. We were informed that Veracruz is THE place to go in Mexico. So that's where we went. On Friday night we attended a coronation of the Carnaval Queen. Once announced, confetti and fireworks were released like crazy! On Saturday was the big "desfile" (parade). We had a fun time watching dancers and ridiculously glittery costumes stroll on past the beach backdrop.
Side note: there was also an event called "Extranos del Noche." It was here that we had a great time watching transvestites strut around the streets complete with heels the size of pencils, the most unrealistic butt-enhancers I've ever seen, and volumized hair that puts "bump-its" to shame.

2. Lechero!
Mmmmm... this is for all my coffee-loving followers. Lechero is a drink that is specific to Veracruz. While I'm usually a tea drinker myself, Seattle has changed my tastebuds so that I am able to enjoy a cup of coffee every now and then. I figured this was an experience to not pass up. When you order a lechero, your "mesero" (waiter) will bring out a glass cup with a shot of espresso at the bottom. Then another mesero comes around with a huge silver kettle of steaming milk. Because a lechero is supposed to have foam, these meseros are taught to pour the milk from unbelievably high distances. Thus, they end up pouring the milk while the kettle is above your head! Add some sugar (ok, quite a bit for me) and you have yourself a hot tasty drink.