Camilla in Mexico

In Mexico the easter hollydays are very important, and everyone has one or two weeks off from work and school. Also the kids of casa San José whent to family or volunteer families, and in the end of the weekend there were only four girls leaft in the casa.
The volunteers were divided into two groups, and each group got one week of vacation. The first week I stayed at Casa with Karin, Terry, Eva and Tamara. We worked on several projects, like painting the swimmingpool and one of the playrooms. The four remaining kids were kind of bored, and we wanted them to get a feeling of vacation; so one day we borrowed the white van from the Casa, and drove all the way to the beach with them. They loved it, and I don't think any of them had been to Manzanillo before.

Saterday came, and the other volunteers came back from their vacation. Terry, Tamara, Karin and I decided to go to Morelia; Michoacán. So I whent to the "terminal de autobuses" and fixed the tickets, and at 12 45 a.m. we were on our way to Morelia. Six hours later we were tired and in Morelia. The taxi driver whom drove us from the bus station was really grumpy and played "banda" music (really happy happy music, and REALLY annoying if you are tired...).
We didn't realize that it was easter sunday untill we tried to find a hostel. A lot was full and we had to go three different places untill we found a place; to sleep a couople of hours more and leave our stuff to explore the city.
We wandered the streets of Moreia and just enjoied the city.

We visited several art museums. I especially liked the artist Alfredo Zalce with his original and amazing sketches and paintings. Michuacan is known for its lokal candys, and Morelia has a big marked "Marcado de Dulces" primary for candy. We tried several interesting sweets.

By coincidence we ended up in a resturant with a buffé of trditional Mexican (delicious) foods. We spendt three hours just sitting; enjoing the foods and atmosphere. We decided not to stay in Morelia one more day, and the next day we took the bus to Pátzcuaro.
Pátzcuaro is an incredibly charming little town, still with a Spanich colonialistic influence on the arkitechure. There were many little shops with beautliful Mexican handcrafts, and not just the kind to please the turists.

Around the two zócalos we could buy all the fruit and pastries you can possibly ask for, and very cheap.

We signed in at hostel "Posada de la Rosa", and the room was just fine for a couple of nights. It had a TV, and with a channal only playing "banda" music the party was on... However, Pátzcuaro is not the town for night life. At 10 p.m. we whent out to have a drink, and being in good company we sat and talked for an hour. When we came back to the hostel is was 11.30 p.m and the gate was locked, and the doorbell did not work. So we started to knock on the door. First gently, but after 15 min of gentle knocking we more or less slammed on the door, and yelled to wake the staff up. Must have been some sight. However, from the condition of the gate, we could tell we weren't the first once to get locked out. Finally, after approximately one hour a guy came down and let us in.

The next day we decided to go to an island called Janitzio close to Pátzcuaro. We whent there by boat, and it was a great trip. The people living on the island are very poor, and you get kind of tired when they all try to sell you stuff...
On the highest point of the island was an enormous statue you could climb inside, and all the way to the top. From the top of the statue we had an amazing view over the lake and the islands around.

For dinner we ordered fish, and quite un expected we recived a whole fish on a plate-with skin, eyes, tale and all…. We couldn't help it, we just had to play with the food.

The evening came and we whent back to our hostel in Pátzcuaro, and whent out to a bar kind of place to enjoy some live music. The music was so great that we bought the CD of the guy playing. Out drinks had alot of alcohol in them, mine included, and after one piña colada we got kind of giggly.
We got back to our hostel just in time before they closed the door. Tamara and I watched the rest of “the Gladiator” on the TV in our room. Karin fell asleep and started to snore, and Tamara and i couldn’t stop laughing...
The next day we packed our stuff and continnued our trip in Michúacan.

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.

Everything here in Mexico is pretty much "mañana mañana" ... This meaning that everything is a little late and slow. In other words a speed that should suit me perfectly, but it can be kind of enoing....
A good example of this is when I whent to Manzanillo to enjoy sun, sand and "el pacifico". Ines, Eva, Karin, Tamara and I got up really early to catch a bus at 9am. However, the bus didn't leave untill the driver thought it was reasonably full (allmost 45 min. late). And as we at last, were on our way, it seemed like something was wrong with the bus. It didn't move forward fatser than a a person can walk for the first hour... And in the middle of nowhere the bus broke down. However, because the bus was so delead we didn't have to wait long before the next bus to Manzanillo arrived to where we were.

We arrived the beach a bit later then we had hoped, but it had been an adventure!
The beach we whent to was a nice beach. However, not extra ordinary...

On our way back to Colima our bus made so much noise that we expected it to break down any second. It didn't though...

I also started a trend with jogging twice a week. And after a week Tamara also joined. After Spanish class, every tuesday and thursday! I believe it's not very common to jog outside here, so when we come running, no one move to let us pass. They just stand there and stare...hehe..

The weeks just fly by, and before I blinked my eyes it was weekend again...
We decided to go to Guadalajara. And as early as 7am; Terry, Tamara, Karin, Eva and I left Colima with bus , and enjoyed the beautiful scenary and sunrise on our way there.

Guadalajara isn't really a enormously large city, but it made us realize how very small Colima is... We checked in at "casa libertad" a great hostel in a nice and safe neighborhood. Then we whent to the senter and walked aroud for a while. It is a very nice city, among other things known for it's twin towered cathedral.

And with, as probobly all Mexican cities, the "church, park, pavilion" 's. We also took one of those open top, red doubledecker tourist guide buses...
It ended up taking us to a lovely little town outside of "centro de Guadalajara" called Tlaquepaque (probobly my favorite place in Guadalajara). There was a marked and little shops full of art and handcrafts. I bought a bag with typical Maya patterns and colours. We also tasted some colourful fruit beers; very interesting, but quite tasty.

The evening came, and Terry and Karin whent to a concert of Mana (a really great mexican band). Eva, Tamara and I whent back to the hostel, bought some snakcs and drinks and tiptoed to the roof terrace of the hostel. It was so beautiful up there, and we had an amazing view.
After Karin and Terry came back from the concert we whent to a dance bar with live, Cuban music. We actually had a hard time to get in because we weren't mexican, but we finally got in and danced untill we were tired enough to drop... When we left we had problems with getting out too, a little uncomfortable actually...

The next morning we got up just in time to have breakfast, or at least we thought so. However, when we whent down stairs the one that prepared breakfast had allready left... An other good example of the Mexicans realationship to time and schedules.
So we whent to a cafe close by the hostel, and had a great breakfast with eggs, fresh orange juice and a handsome waiter! (no, we didn't eat the waiter;-) )

We spendt the day strolling around, and stopped for a drink in a neighborhood where the"Mariachi" musicians sat and enjoied the shadow and tuned their instruments. Then we whent to an art museum. It was a great building that used to be an orphanage in the 1800s. It had huge, macabre paintings by José Clemente Orozco in the high ceilings of one of the main buildings.
Outside of the museum were these big, metal statues of alien-like creatures. So different from any publick art I have ever seen before, and I really loved it!
We also whent to Guadalajaras enormous indoor marked. But there wasn't much variation from what we allready had seen other places, and the sellers allmost put things in your hands for you to buy...
Before the evening came, we whent to "Placio"; a building that used to be the house of the state gouvernment. In the ceiling we could admire some more of José Clemente Orozco's amazing and powerfull paintings.

The evening arrived, and we whent back to the area of "our" hostel. We decided to "go wild" by eating at a very exclusive, Italian resturant. It was absolutely worth it!

We got delayed (for our bus home) when Karin was so incredibly unfortunate and twisted her foot really bad. We didn't get on the bus untill 10, and back in Colima at 1pm... When we arrived, the gate we have a key for, wouldn't open. So we had to wake Ferry up, not only once but twice, and get a key for the other gate...
At last, at 2pm, I could enjoy some hours of sleep before I had to get up.
I teach English; mondays and fridays for a Mexican girl (from the university of Colima). It takes 10 min. to walk, but my class starts at 8am...

After being in Mexico for more than a month, I suddenly thought; Why not start writing a web blog?
--So I did...

Being in Mexico for a while now, I'm experiencing so much, and I want to share it with more people than the people on "Facebook". So here is a resumé of my first month here (sorry folks, but it is going to be a lot of writing here:p) :

After 4 great months in the US with my grandparents and other family, 29th of January I left NC and the US.
The flight to Guadalajara took six hours, and being a novice when it comes to travelling, I was nervous all the way there. So many "what ifs"... And not knowing any spanish, I could only hope for the best.
However, I arrived to the airport, bought my taxi ticket, arrived safely at the "terminal de autobuses", bought a ticket for the bus and got on the bus with out ANY of the "what ifs" included! My only problem was to get my backpack on my back, because it was SO heavy...

When I arrived in Colima it was all dark, but still at least 20 C (70 F). Ferry, who manages the orphanage, waited for me by the enterence and we drove to the orphanage.
When we arrived at the orphanage he showed me my room, a charming room that I shared with a lot of spiders web, and told me breakfast was tomorrow at 9am. I didn't even think of a complain at all.

The next day I gradually was introduced to the place I was going to live the next four months. I got to meet the other volunteers, who all were from Holland... And at breakfast, many curious children came over to me and asked my name. I was also introdused to "frijoles" (aka beans). And I must say I really got to know beans very well, just after one week...

The weekend came, and Febuary being the time of carneval, friday the other volunteers and I whent to see a parade and enjoied a free concert. A lot of fun!

Saterday, while some whent to Manzanillo, I stayed in Colima. Two of the other remaining volunteers; Sandra, Terry, and I whent to a lake outside of Colima. It was so beautifull there!

And on our way there we met several horses, chickens and dogs. And at a point we even had to stop our car for a buch of cows.
By the river we enjoied the refreshging wather of the river and cold, mexican beer untill dawn.

After just one week I allready knew I was going to love this place, and of course the children.

My second week a new group of volunteers came to the orphanage. We were now a group of 13 volunteers (Terry, Karen, Rianne, Sandra, Eva,Tamara, Ines, Marlou, Shari, Suzanne, Jonathan, (Mandy--who left after a wek) and I), and with me as the only non-Dutch.

We also started Spanish class, 2 hrs, 4 times a week!
I was getting more and more language confused, and my sentences had a tendency to come out as a good mix of English, Norwegian, Spanish and Dutch...

This was the week of "alberca" (swimmingpool) and we had to clean it to fill it with wather. Because of the extremly long and cold winter weeks (yes, that was written very ironically...) it had been a while since the last time it was cleaned. So we had to remove big amounts of leaves and dirt. After removing one of the wather toys, (that some one left the last time the pool was in use,) an iguana terrefied jumped out to hide somewhere else. As the biologist (to be) I am, I was so fascinated. And just five minuttes later I found a big scorpion too! Next I was just expecting to find a tarantella and poisonous snake...

The whole idea with a week of swimmingpool is SO brilliant, and the kids love it alot! It really warms a swimming intructors heart. However, after three days and with out a filter system, the wather is really growse...

The week passed by very fast, and suddenly it was weekend again...
I went with Tamara and Karen to a little town right out side of Colima, called Comala. It is a very charming little town, with little shops and the characteristic church by a park, with a "kiosko" in the middle. Comala is also known for its tapas resturants, so we sat down at "Don Camalon". It turned out that by ordering drinks we got several plates with different taco and tortillas filled with salsas and guacemole. MHMMMMM!!!!

While enjoing our delicious meal a lonely harmonica player played "la cucaracha" for us.

Later we whent to a museum with mexican ancient art from the time of the pyramides. We took the lokal bus home from the museum, and it was one bumpy ride... :D

On sunday Terry, Sandra and I whent with some of Sandras local friends to a lake by the volcanos and had a barbecue! On our way there we passed the "magic piont" in Colima. This is a spot where, if you stop your car engine in the bottom of a little hill here, your car will move by itself, backwards. It was SO fascinating!!!