You will never guess what I got a receipt for!

I cannot believe how fast the past three weeks have gone! It is amazing how quick time flies when you are busy all day long, every single day. My month here in Mexico is almost over. I am flying back to Omaha this Saturday and I am very excited. It has been a good experience down here, but I miss both Costa Rica and my home in the States so much. After having so much independence during the four months in Costa Rica and having two amazing host families to live with and learn from, sometimes I feel like I am learning so much less or getting so much less out of my experience in Cuernavaca. But at the same time, I know that I have improved so much with the subjunctive tense and without the intense class work, I couldn't have made that much progress. I am keeping it all in perspective and really trying to enjoy each moment, experience, and encounter I have these last few days.

Speaking of experiences...this weekend I was very busy. Saturday we left at 9 am from the school to travel to Mexico City. In the morning we went to Baazar Sabado, which was a display of local artists work in the market area. There were a lot of cute little stands and shops where we had some time to shop. Then we went to Frida Khalo's house and got to look at a number of real Diego Rivera paintings. Then we went to Xochimilco and took these boats around in the water channels. It was amazing. All the boats were decorated with bright colors and there were venders who had their own boats and would float along beside you selling corn on sticks or blankets or jewelry.

Hairless dogs - These dogs were at Frida Khalo's house and are a rare, almost extinct, breed that were actually around when the Aztec civilization was present.


At Diego Rivera House


Really Big Plant


Boat in Mexico City


Viva Laurita


I almost forgot, but on Saturday I felt awful. I had horrible motion sickness, combined with a severe headache from lack of sleep and change in elevation. I was so mad because I never used to ever have problems with motion sickness, but there have been quite a few times in the past 5 months where it has really affected me. (And yes, I know I need to go to bed earlier. But it wasn't my fault this time. I was in bed before 11 pm Fri night and just couldn't fall asleep. So I was a good girl and TRIED to get some sleep.) So Saturday night I took a Niquil around 9:00 pm and was asleep before 10:30 pm. (Mind you, we had to get up at 6:30 am Sunday morning and we were going to be walking/climbing all day).

Sunday we traveled to Teotihuacan, which is a ruins site on the other side of Mexico City from Cuernavaca. The ruins there were incredible! I was in awe. I have been fascinated with the ruins in Mexico for quite a while and still can't begin to imagine how intelligent those individuals had to be to create those huge structrues with such precision. I climbed three different pyramides, including the Moon and the Sun ones, which are the biggest at the site. It was an amazing experience, but lucky me forgot my sunscreen on the bus and didn't get to borrow any until it was to late. So my face and shoulders got a little red, though today they are already almost all tan. Yeah! I've been so good about that though and in all my time in Costa Rica and Mexico I have only burnt bad once.

Me in front of the pyramid of the Moon


Me at the top of the pyramid of the Sun


Group at top of pyramid of the Sun



Well even though this last photo is out of order, it was taken on Saturday after we got off the boats. We had a few minutes to do some shopping and go to the bathroom before getting on the bus to head back. When we went to use the restroom, we had to pay three pesos (30 cents). But the funny part is that the lady who we paid gave us each a receipt! I don't think I have ever gotten, or will ever again receive, a receipt for going to the bathroom. So being the dork I am, I made one of the girls take a picture of me with my receipt. You may laugh (as I know you are), but think about what a great scrapbook page this will make. Hahaha! Yes...some things will NEVER change.

Bathroom receipt


Love you!!