The last day of my trip. I spent it hiking straight up a mountain to an archeological site: a small pyramid covered in graffiti. It wasn't exactly what I had in mind for my last day, but the exercise did feel good. The town with the trailhead is a small town about 40 minutes outside of Cuernavaca called Tepoztlan. I have to say that the most interesting thing about this trip was the big carnaval that was being set up in Tepoztlan. As I was leaving town at about 3:30, people were pouring into the town. The buses coming from Cuernavaca were packed, but the one I was on going back was half empty.
By the time I left, downtown Tepoztlan was packed with people and with booths and stands selling everything. I can't possibly express how many small stands are set up all over Mexico selling tacos, but in Tepoztlan, it seemed like little taco and beer stands had taken over the whole town. And the highlight seemed to be a cold beer poured into a cup that had been rimmed with what looked like chili sauce. Everyone had these huge cups with red sauce dripping from the rim. Some also had straws dipped in this red sauce. It is called Michelada, and here is what I found on Wikipedia: "Michelada is a Mexican cerveza preparada made with beer, tomato juice or Clamato, lime juice, and assorted sauces, spices, and peppers. It is served in a chilled, salt-rimmed glass. There are numerous variations of this beverage throughout Mexico and Latin America." And today, throughout Tepoztlan. By now (about 8:00 at night) the whole town must be falling down drunk.
I came home exhausted, took a shower, and fell asleep. That's practically become my routine. I have started taking an hour nap each afternoon. But I miss my schedule back home. I don't think I'll be adopting the Mexican way as far as eating and sleeping is concerned.
I did acclimate to the schedule by the end, though. I started learning how to bring snacks to school for mid-day, and because I was leaving school at 2:00 rather than 3:00, Lupita and I ate comida a little earlier, closer to 3:00 than to 3:30, which helped. I could stay awake and concentrate in classes better, and I do think my Spanish has improved somewhat, but not enough!
I'll post a few pictures -- Nicole called them "atmosphere" shots -- in which I tried to capture the feel of Mexico, and not just pretty cathedrals.
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