I finally learned how to use a camera and embarked on this three week study-abroad immersion trip to Cuernavaca, Mexico. The first time I traveled without my parents! Exciting. My brain almost exploded from trying to comprehend so much Spanish around me, but the places we visited were amazing.
Taxco - City of Silver
Fun times in the town where silver rules. They used to mine it in a big way, but now it's mostly a tourist attraction. They still sell really great silver jewelry and silverware. Plus there are these guys everywhere selling hats - makes it worth the trip:
We were able to take a nice little trip through an underground mine - or what touristy remnants there were. Plus, we got to take in all of the nice jewelry and silverware for sale. I thought the most interesting part of this city is their Holy Week, where processions and ceremonies have gained international fame for the self-penitence a select number of groups still practice very openly. Chained, some group members stay bent at a 90 degree angle for the entire time, carrying small crosses on their backs. Others carry about 100 pounds of thorny blackberry canes on their backs. Still others carry a 100 pound cross and a whip with metal hooks that tear holes into their backs.
Moving to cheerier topics, however!
The Ballet Folklórico in the Palacio de Bellas Artes is a festive must-see in Mexico City. Formed by Amalia Hernández in 1952, the ballet has a repertoire of traditionally costumed dances that reflect the history and culture of Mexico.
I was sneaky and got a shot inside the theater - no flash photography. I can't recall now if they actually allowed any photography.
We did some good work while we were there learning about the culture. We visited a local orphanage around the Cuernavaca area and spent the better part of a day with the children there after we had brought them clothing and other items. They tried to get me to speak Spanish to them, but I'm sure they couldn't understand anything I tried to say.
The Robert Brady Museum in Cuernavaca is an interesting place to visit - a collection of art gathered by Robert Brady, an Iowa native who collected art for a good part of his life. The colorful rooms are exactly as he left them, and are filled to the brim with really interesting artifacts.
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| Wild colors. |
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| He was into crucifixes. |
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After the Robert Brady Museum, we visited several other fun spots around the general area. We visited Teotihuacan, Xochicalco, and Tenochtitlan. At least that's what I can remember off the top of my head.
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| Sun or moon? I don't even remember. By the size of the people at the top, I say sun. |
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Visiting a panadería is a great adventure. The bread is so delicious, and you can see how it's made right there in front of you. I wanted to eat so much bread. By the way, bread is my favorite. Along with cheese.
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| Xo | chicalco |
So, despite my inaccurate descriptions due to my cloudy memory 6 years later, I do have good memories of the amazing people I traveled with as well as the fantastic times I had while visiting my first foreign country - on my own.
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