Home Again

I arrived back home last night around 9:30, with excited puppies eager to see me! I'm glad to have the traveling part of my adventure over, but I'm already missing Mexico. Let's just say that Iowa is COLD! It's going to take a while to get used to the cold, and I can't wait for the warm weather of summer.

It's very interesting to see what's happening in the US media with Mexico and the Swine Flu. I haven't seen a news program since January, so that alone has been a change. It's different to see it than to read it online. You can hear and see the concern and emotion, while reading it just leaves you with the facts.

It's also fascinating how quickly things are changing. Yesterday, while I was traveling, the CDC raised the alert level to 5. However, in the airport in customs, we were never asked if we were sick, and nobody seemed concerned about a plane that came from Mexico. It was anticlimactic, but I was happy with that. The less stress in travel, the happier I am!

Good Bye Mexico

This morning Central College canceled the Merida, Mexico program. I fly out of Mexico tomorrow morning at 9am.

I never expected my study abroad experience to end like this, and it's hard to take in. Everyone in the house is having a hard time accepting the fact that in 24 hours (for most of us) we'll be back in the US. Yesterday we had 2 weeks left to enjoy Mexico, shop around, and accomplish those last few things we wanted to do...and now we're packed and verifying flights and preparing for our last night in Mexico.

I'm upset, even though I'm relieved to be heading home. I just feel like I haven't had time to say good bye to Mexico. I suppose I'll just have to come back someday!

Plans They Are A-Changin'

Well, due to the current events related to the swine flu, I'm headed home earlier than expected. Tomorrow I'm headed downtown tomorrow to change my flight at the Continental office, and I'll either be leaving Wednesday or Thursday morning.

It's purely a preventative measure to leave early. Our classes are basically over, so it's feasible and easy to leave a week and a half early. Other than not having a chance to say good-bye to Mexico, it doesn't change many plans.

I'll update when I know more details!

From Henequen to String in Photos

A glimpse into how a plant becomes string

Henequen leaves waiting to be defibered.

Men prepping the leaves to go into the defibering machine.

A man gathering the fibers. It's a messy job- check out the green goo on the floor!

Since my blog page won't let me write in between the last few pictures, here is what you're looking at: The fibers have to be dried in the sun before they are made into rope. Then they are fed into big machines which spin really fast and make the string, which you see directly above!

2 Haciendas

It has been an interesting last few days! On Friday we took our last group excursion (Sad!) to 2 haciendas outside of Merida. They were pretty neat! Haciendas were forced by the Spanish government to given land control to the Spanish who were in Nueva Espana (soon to be Mexico) at that time. The systems of haciendas was officially ended with the Constitution of 1857. However, some are still operating, but they don't treat their workers as forced laborers or slaves anymore.

The first hacienda we stopped at grew and harvested Hennequin, a plant that looks like a really big aloe vera plant. From that, the hacienda processes it and takes the fibers from the leaf-things. This fiber, sisel fiber, is made into rope or string. The hacienda started with plants of Hennequin and ended up with string-the whole process was done at the hacienda. It was pretty neat to watch! And when they are deriving the fiber from the Hennequin, it smelled like sweet corn being shucked. Yum! I could've stood there for a while just smelling it, but we moved on.

The second hacienda was absolutely beautiful! The whole lawn was green and lush, which is REALLY rare in the Yucatan during this time of the year. We saw grass! Amazing! And there were all sorts of beautiful flowers, trees, and other plants. This hacienda raised horses, and really nice horses at that. One of them actually ran in the Kentucky Derby. It was a really pretty horse! The owners even had a bullring in the backyard. They had to have been loaded!

It was a nice last trip, calm and quick. But knowing it was the last trip was sad because my time here in Mexico is almost over. I'm happy and sad at the same time. I want to go home and see my friends and family, but I know I'll miss Mexico.

San Cristobal Photos

One of the pedestrian streets in San Cristobal. They made walking around the town very easy!

The courtyard outside one of the beautiful churches in town.

Two women sitting outside the church.

Another pedestrian street full of locals.

Two women looking through their goods. They walk around town, especially the main square, and sell lots of things. As you can see, they carry their kids around in a sling on their backs.

Misol Ha and Agua Azul Pictures

This was the beautiful waterfall at Misol Ha.

There was a path that lead behind the waterfall, which is where this picture was taken.

Part of the waterfall at Agua Azul. This is near the bottom of the waterfall.

More of Agua Azul.

The picture from near the top of Agua Azul. This shows how big the fall really was. The first picture I took was way down there, hardly visible. It was a long walk to get up here, but so worth it!