UPDATES OF MIS AVENTURAS

Hola mis amigos!! I haven't updated in a while!! It's just that so many activities have been going on these past few days and I don't get constant internet at my homestay, so it makes it hard to update! Anyhow, here is a sneak peak of what's been happening the last couple of days...

Thursday-Monte Alban!! It was amazing, gorgeous, and just overall a GREAT experience!! We were able to see the ruins built by the Zapotecs! I never thought I would be able to see or visit a place like this, but man, I did, and it was SPECTACULAR! Sra. Esther is awesome too. She has more energy than us 20 something year olds for sure. I had to rest multiple times because the altitude made it hard to breathe sometimes.

And I bought a mask made out of precious stones for 100 pesos which is about $10USD. However, I quickly realized that I had gotten ripped off because they were selling BIGGER and BETTER masks than mine for only 100pesos. =( Boo. Lesson learned: DON'T FALL IN LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT..because there will be better ones on the way ;)

Friday- We went to visit various little pueblos known for a type of art. The first pueblo we went to was San Bartolo which was famous for barros negros which are black pottery. It's amazing how beautiful each piece of art is and how each piece is handmade. I love how intricate and detailed each design is.

The matte black pottery pieces are used for water while the shiny black pottery pieces are usually used for display. It's also interesting because the pottery is buffed with a quartz crystal, there's no polish or anything. Also astounding to me is the fact that EACH handmade piece take roughly ONE MONTH to finish. For the price we bought it for, it was definitely very cheap! I bought my mom a vase since she loves these types of things.

Next, we went to visit another small town named San Tomas? I forget the name. Perhaps I should have written it down like my more diligent program buddies! hehe. But, this town is known for wooden painted animals called alibrijes. Each person supposedly has an animal depending on which day they are born on. I absolutely LOVE my animal because it's un PERRITO .. or a dog, and those of you who know me know that my absolute FAVORITE animal is the dog. That's why it KILLS me to see so many stray dogs here. Makes me tear up sometimes :(

they used all natural ingredients to make different colors for painting the wooden animals!

an example of a smaller finished product! some take WEEKS to paint! Some are painted with acrylic paint, while others with natural colors. Each design is unique. Gorgeous no? Kinda pricey though...

ie. this wooden bear was for sale for 85,000pesos...or around $8500 USD. lol.

Afterwards, we went to a town famous for its weaving. They still use traditional weaving methods which was really cool to see. I bought a scarf for my grandma and a belt for my boyfriend. =) Didn't buy anything for myself though...which was hard. But, I AM DISCIPLINED yes!

At night, we had to dress up for the Guelaguetza which was a cultural show displaying the dances and outfits of the different regions of Oaxaca. There are 8 regions each with their own dance, outfit, and culture. I love how culturally rich this place is. It was also a buffet. But, my stupid stomach was stuffed only after one plate so I couldn't enjoy much of the food. Boo..=(

we had to dress up.

And who said mexican food was all tacos, quesadillas, or burritos! Here we have MOLE. tons of it. Oaxacan mole is unique because it uses real chocolate. On my plate, I have black mole, red mole, and yellow mole. Surprisingly, the black mole was gross. Usually, it's very tasty though.

They danced about the conquer of Mexico. All I can say is WOW, those headpieces look HEAVY!

my favorite outfit was theirs.

Later that night, all of us went to Elefante, which is a pretty HIP club/bar. Alcohol makes me brave enough to dance...so dance I did. I danced the night away and ended up going back around 1:40am. Thanks to these cool people for taking me home since NO one lives in my direction.

AND...spent the whole day yesterday being lazy and ... more lazy! SO LAZY in fact that I did not feel like going out. OH, I did manage to wash my clothes! YAY! By hand too. SO, now they are hanging in my room...my room looks awkward with all these hanging articles of clothing.

NOW, I am STUCK with a HUGE stack of reading and class starts TOMORROW! Clinics start on Wednesday! YIKES!

UPDATE SOON!