Campech

Since our big trip to Oaxaca - not much has been going on. The girls and I have gotten into a routine of going to school, going home for the main meal of the day and a siesta, and then meeting up in the Centro at night to grab something to eat and meet up with some of our other friends. Some of the restaurants we've been going to have been amazing. There's one called Portales that sells amazing horchata which is a sort of rice milk- milkshake. It's really hard to describe but take my word for it - it's delicious! Another is called Potros - and they have amazing Hawiian tortillas (ham, bacon and cheese on top of flour tortillas) - riquisimo. Then there's the churros on the street (doughnuts in the shape of twirley sticks with cinnamon is the best way to describe them...) that are a regular staple in our night time diet now.

Last Friday the teachers at the school held a birthday party for me since I was in Oaxaca on my birthday. They had food, cake, and a pinata!! Apparently there's a tradition where the birthday person needs to take a bite out of the cake. I thought it was weird, but I don't agrue with Mexican traditions - but before I knew it my whole face was in the cake. Last time I fall for that one! All in all, we had a great afternoon breaking the pinata and eating all the great food.

Last Saturday Alysse, Andrea and I went to a beach club for the day called Club Nautico. We were all given four free passes to get in so we decided to use it on that hot day. We ended up being the only people there - since this weather is considered cold for a lot of Campechanos. So we spent a few hours hanging out by the pool all to ourselves.That night Maddy and I went to the local (and only...) bar called Chupis with some friends for what was a great night!

The following week was more of the same; school, siesta, centro, etc. Friday we went on a field trip with the school to a near by Mayan ruin city called Calakmul. We had to be at the school at 5am, and didn't get back until 9pm but it was so worth it. The experience was unbelievable. There are only a small number of ruins uncovered in Calakmul, but they are some of the tallest in Mexico. So naturally, we climbed the three highest ones! My legs are still killing me two days later, but again, so worth it for the amazing view at the top. We were literally over looking miles and miles of jungle and ruins. An experience of a lifetime.

Oaxaca

It's been a while since I've posted a blog for a couple reasons - the weeks leading up the November were spent much the same in Campeche; going to school, hanging out with the girls, making some friends around the city, etc. This past week we had off from school because of the Dia de los Muertos celebrations (Day of the Dead). These days are said to be those in the year that the living are closest to the dead. This holiday is practiced on the 1st and 2nd of November and celebrates the lives of those who are no longer with us. It is truly a beautiful holliday, filled with alters dedicated to loved ones with their favorite things, food, flowers, etc. Because we had a whole week off school we decided to go on a big trip - one we wouldn't have been able to do on a weekend. We originally wanted to go to the east coast to see Playa del Carmen, Tulum and Cozumel, but hurrican Rima posed some complications. So instead we made our way to the west coast to the state of Oaxaca.

We left Campeche Saturday morning and settled in for a 20+ hour bus ride to Oaxaca City. We arrived early Sunday morning, and after walking around the centre looking for a hostel with room for 4 we found a great place called Paulina. Before we even checked in the workers offered us breakfast and a moment of rest, which we all appreciated! After breakfast we walked around 'el centro' (the centre of the city) and the market, had an amazing siesta at the hostel, and went out for unbelievable sushi that night which we had all been craving! Sunday was the 31st - so Halloween parades were in full swing, and people were walking around the city with costumes on. The holliday is quiet different than in Canada, but it was fun to experience the Mexican style.

Monday we found a Canadian/American couple that offers horseback riding tours in the mountains surrounding the city. In the afternoon we rode out to the countryside to the ranch that they built and had a two hour ride in the mountiains. It was breathtakingly beautiful. The sun was hitting the mountains at just the right angle and the path allowed us to see for miles along the beautiful countryside. On our way back into the city we were dropped off in a town called Del Tule which is famous for having the biggest and one of the oldest trees in the world (2000+ years). After seeing the tree we had dinner at a restaurant that was recomended to us where we tried huge totillas with Oaxacan cheese, chicken, beans, and veggies - so delicious! After dinner we went back into the city and went to a cemetery that was open to tourists who wanted to see the practices of Dia de los Muertos. The cemetery was filled with lit candles and dedicated alters. It was so beautiful to see - hundreds of candles lit in memory of amazing people.
                                                   

Tuesday we took an afternoon bus to Puerto Escondido - a surfing town on the west coast of Mexico. The bus ride wasn't too long, but it was on the curvy mountain roads Latin America is famous for. We didn't get into Puerto until late Monday night, in which we settled right into our hostel, The Mayflower, and went to bed. Wednesday we woke up, and it was my birthday! We went for breakfast at a restaurant that was recomended to us by other Canadians called El Cafecito. We had a great view of the beach and the waves right from the patio of the restaurant - it was stunning. After breakfast we walked along the beach but we couldn't swim there becuase of the big waves, so we made our way to another beach 15 mins away. We had to walk down 100+ stairs to get the beach, but when we got there is was amazing - even at the top of the stars it was stunning - like no other beach I had been to before. We layed on the beach for the afternoon, getting something to eat at a restaurant on the beach, and later in the afternoon I took a surfing lesson. I'm terrible, but at least I tried! And it was lots of fun :). After the beach we went to the supermarket to buy food to make for dinner. We ended up making a great stirfry, with birthday cheesecake for dessert. We spent the night hanging out at the hostel with the other guests, and ended the night at a salsa bar just 5 minutes away called Congo. An amazing 21st birthday!

The next few days were again spent on the beach. On Friday we went to a beach way on the other side of the town called 'La Punta' - where again we were not able to swim, but we were able to watch the surfers catch some waves which was so cool to see. Kids as young as 8 were out there in big waves. And the nights were spent hanging out at the hostel meeting the other guests. Our last night there a group of us went down to the beach to a bar called Barfly - where we danced the night away. The bus ride back to Campeche was around 30 hours - but we all felt it was so worth it, for the amazing week that we had in both Oaxaca City and Puerto Escondido.