Camilla in Mexico

To live and work in Casa san José is like living and working in an own, small comunity. It really is like this place separated from the rest of the world. So, every once and a while we (the volunteers) need to get out of the gates of "casa world" and go out and explore some of the areas around in Colima.
It bacame a popular trend among the volunteers to buy a bicycle. I bought a bike too, and now we are 6 europeans riding around on our bikes in the city of Colima!

One weekend we decided to go to this old, indigenous ceremony in the mountains close to the volcanoes in Colima. The actual ceremony took place in a igloo made out of clay and dirt, symbolizing the mother earth, and us being in her belly.

First we had to ask for permision to enter the igloo, and we all gathered in a circle around a fireplace on a floor of sand. One and one, nine hot, lava stones vere introduced to the fireplace, and the Igloo were closed compleatly with a blancet. It was all dark, except a small strip of light needed by Terry, suffering of claustrophobia. The man leading the ceremony started to throw wather with herbs on the hot lava stones, and the igloo was filled with hot damp. We had to present ourself, with our names and what we did for living. Then the man leading the ceremony started to sing. We hummed along as well as we could, but it was rather difficult with the words, because it was in old Spanish or in an indigenous language. Another nine lava stones were introduced to the fireplace. More wather were poured over the stones and even more damp filled the igloo. We all thanked for our families and our good health, and finished with songs. Four times, four different stages, new lava stones were introduced. And we thanked for or shared different things with the people in the igloo. After sharing something you allways ended it with ''tiagoi'' and everyone else answered ''ometeo'' (meaning ''to God'' in a indigenous language). After the four stages were compleated we climbed out of the igloo; symbolizing our rebirth, and cold wather were poured over our heads.
We were offered to have lunch with the people living at the place at the ceremony. I saw it as a great honor, and the food was exelent (not that I'm too picky when it comes to food...)!

After leaving the area of the ceremony we whent to a lake close by; laguna la Maria. The wahter is very green, and the area surrounding it is great for BBQ-ing, or just to sit and enjoy the breeze caused by temp. difference between wather and air.

The guide that drove us around had brougt citrus fruits (in which there are alot of in Colima), and we sat and enjoied the sunshine. We spendt so much time by the lake that eventually the guide told us he had to go, because he had to drive his father somewhere...

Every once and a while the volunteers arrange a "espectaculo" (a show) where the kids can anticipate with something, and the volunteers helps. We figured out a little late that to have the show thursday before "semana santa" was a good idea. So we had only one week to arrange the whole thing. I helpt a boy; Alejandro with magic tricks. After watching and reading about alot of really bad or hard magic tricks on the internet, I managed to pick out three great ones, and the boy loved them!
One day, after searching for Alejandro in the whole orphanage to practis the tricks, I finaly found him with some of the other boys, working down by a part of the orphanage's gardens I never go. We walked up a small hill to get back to the casa. Suddenly Alejandro stoped behind me, and then he shouted "cobra, cobra!!!!!". He was pointing at a little tree too close to where I was standing. I laught and didn't really believe him until I saw that something was moving over at where he was pointing.
It wasn't a cobra, but it was definetly the biggest snake I have ever seen. Alejandro and some other boys asomehow killed it and choppet its head of. And boys being boys; they carried the snake around the whole casa to show of and to scare the girls.

The "Grande Espectaculo" was a great success, eventhough it was put together in just a week.