Rain Rain Go Away Please Come Back Another Day

D.F. was awesome. The day we met up with Coleman and Alex we walked around quite a bit and saw the center of the city. The next day we took a 3 hour tour bus and that showed all different parts and places to see and go. Definately worth it-except getting hit by the branches, but it was nice to go outside of where we were staying. That night we went out to dinner with Coleman for one last night, we stayed up late playing cards, having him play his guitar and doing what Alex calls 'warm fuzzies'. After he left us girl went to sleep again thinking we would wake up at 11 or so, but we ended up waking up at 4. By the time we got showered and stuff it was time for breakfast haha. We went to a ghetto movie theatre and watched Sex and the City 2 and went back home to go to sleep. The whole city is built on a lake and in the old churches you can see where the group has, and continues, to sink. Tuesday we went to Puebla, its a large city a couple hours out from DF and very historical. It reminded me of a more modern and larger version of Guanajuato. I liked it. And some of the churches were pretty cool. There are tons of angels everywhere in that city and cerramics are super prominant. That night we met and played cards with to guys from England who had just gotten to Mexico that week and were traveling all summer. Wens Alex and I said goodbye to Casey until Monday and went on a tour to the pyramids called Teotihuacan. We went to a church first that had the modern version right next to it. We learned that the design had been a mockery in response to the government that had killed hundreds of students in the square during the 70s or 80s, the designer was forced to do it also. Then we went to a place on the way to the pyramids to eat lunch and get sucked into buying things-most the people that went with us were new to Mexico and were buying a lot of it. I found a worm in my salad and lost my appetite. At least it was fresh. Then we went to the ruins. The Pyramids were HUGE. there was one for the moon and one for the sun gods. Each were placed so that when looking at one from the other you cant see the mountains behind it-all perfectly placed. Our guide also told us the legends and other facts. These were Aztec ruins. He even took us to one of the smaller stuctures and talked about the worshiping of a certain bird. When you clap facing it the echo sounds like a bird-no Joke. It was pretty crazy. We then headed back to Guanajuato where I am staying with Caseys roommates. Its been pretty slow and not exciting. I did watch the opening game with Mexico and South Africa in the world cup Friday and the USA England game yesterday. Today we went to Embajadores and bought lots of souveniors! Almost done! but not quite. I was supposed to go play volleyball but its started raining and hailing. Its rainy season now and has rained everyday that I have been back. I cant do much outside. You dont want to be in it because then youre soaked and cold-theres no heat in the house, although its not NEARly as cold as before when it was raining-it gets humid now. I cant do laundry or lay out...I hope that it goes away soon! and casey comes back tomorrow! Im excited because its so weird without everyone here. We will see how it goes...

Summer time officially!

It has been a complete whirlwind. And Im behind in writing, which means I will definately leave out some things. Becca has made a full recovery and we spent a lot of time together the last week or two. It was better, but also made it harder. Alex's family came to visit. Its always interesting to see people with their families, it adds a different element to them, but they enjoyed us a lot and we enjoyed them as well. We went to leon and did some expert shopping, I still havent found my leather jacket yet but the search is not over. I also do not know how I will get all my things home...The last week was rediculous. The new ISA group came in and that was actually kind of rough. It was like we were/are getting pushed out and they are replacing us-not only that but the feeling of protectiveness of the city and our places here really brought to the surface. We have hung out with a few of them and they are pretty cool, so that helps a little. I have spent a lot more time with my family and it just seemed easier, but that made it harder to move out. The last night Becca was here we had dinner and just joked around (they mostly joked around about my future life with another exchange student here that likes me, not fair but how it played out) I am glad that I stayed with my family the whole six months. Stayed up with Becca the whole night that she was packing and took her to the airport, I went to my art class that night, but couldnt finish all my work because I was leaving Monday. My professor said it was okay with it, but when he found out I was traveling to Oaxaca he was way more excited for me and even said he would finish my work for me. 3 classes over. Seminar friday I found out I got an A in also, 4 classes over-3 As. So Saturday Casey and I went to Starbucks to write our 10 page paper for the final class. Missed a goodbye send off for a friend and spent the last night out with all the people we wouldnt see when we returned from traveling. It was a bittersweet time. Sunday Coleman, Bouber, Peter, Kelsey, Casey and I all went to a favorite place to eat one last time together-except we all went to her roof for one last roof session that night later, with some added people.

The rest of the night I stayed at Caseys to write my paper all night long. We finished 30 minutes 30 minutes before it was due and hurried to meet our teacher. Two all nighters in 5 days. The teacher was actually nice about it and told us to meet him when we come back because he wants to take time grading so he wont knock off credit for grammar. Nice of him since this is the only thing we had turned in all term-no homework or tests. Then I hurried home and packed all of my belongings in less than two hours, I was impressed with myself. I moved it all to her house with a little help from a friend and we hurried to the bus station. We had a terrible goodbye to Aly because the cars behind we honking and got in the car. Once in the car we could FINALLY relax. But then it was sad, thinking about all the people we wont see when we are back or wont see again in Guanajuato.

Since then, we got to Oaxaca city on tuesday morning and slept a little more, then got up and walked around the city and came back to the hostel to chill a little, we were pretty wiped out. Yesterday we got up and went to Monte Alban, which is ruins-I even learned about it in class-and then came back and ate lunch-it was a long afternoon, I got some pretty hideous tan/burn lines I cant get to go away. We napped and went to a Baseball game. Got seats right behind home plate for free and ate traditional street food after and then stayed up in the hostel for awhile-its a bunk room but no one else is here, which is nice haha. Today we got up a little slower and went across town to see a church to take pictures and show to our teacher-suck up a little since he wants to meet us when we are back. It was Beautiful. By far the most ornate church I have ever seen. Gold, sculptures and paintings everywhere of everything from scenes in the bible to saints, to a family tree looking thing and it was so detailed-every part of it. I did not expect that at all. Then we went to the markets. Got lots of good stuff and gifts for people too. It was HUGE and so much stuff. It was super extreme because there was so many different things, but it wasnt bad. Except that the meat smelled too strong and so did the seafood. YUCK but at least it was all fresh. The have these things here called bugs that they season and eat-like grasshoppers. Those smell too so I know when they are close, but all the fruit and veggies and cheese looked amazing. The strawberries looked better than the ones from home even. Before that we had gotten pizza. Apparently there is no chimichurri this part of Mexico, but the pizza was A LOT better. Tomorrow we are going to go to DF to spend Colemans last couple days together and I will be back in Guanajuato while Casey goes to Eugene to watch her little sister graduate and I stay at her house. She will come back for six days while Im here and then I leave...its so soon.

UPDATE: Becca's friend Justin, that stopped responding to treatment, is on a experimental drung for prostate cancer even though he has a different kind and its removed 4 of 7 tumors. Its not over yet, but things are looking up. Such great news. Prayers are being answered.