Friday, December 2, 2011
NHCC Student - Blogging from Belfast, N. Ireland
NHCC student Megan Thompson will be blogging about her upcoming spring study abroad experience in Belfast, Northern Ireland. She will be studying at Queen's University. Check back late January 2012 to start following her as she learns about Irish politics, history and more!
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Another day in Salamanca ...
Another normal day in Salamanca. I had classes all day. After classes I went to get my official University of Salamanca ID ... which is so cute ... I love it. After that, I went to the supermarket to get a couple of snacks for school tomorrow. I was done from there and walked home as usual. I took a nap for about 30 minutes and then went to supper ... at 9pm. After supper we (the NHCC Trio group) walked to the "Love Garden" and saw the lunar eclipse ... how exciting? After the lunar eclipse, we walked back home and now I am off to bed. That defines another day in Salamnca for me. I feel like it is getting closer and closer to coming back home!
Lydia Masese
June 14th - A Normal Day
It is 10.40pm and June 14th is almost over. Today was a normal day. I woke up at 8am to get breakfast, and then came up to my room for a shower to start the day. After getting ready, off I walked to school at about 10:40am to start my first class at 11am. My morning classes were done at 2pm and I got a break from 2pm-4pm. At this time in some parts of Spain, people get to take a nap and most stores are closed during 2-4pm. My last class started at 4pm and went to 6pm. When classes were over, we all headed to a lecture about Spanish art. Even though I was tired, it was really nice to see how Spanish painting (art) evolved and learn about the most important painters of Spain. After about an hour of lecture, it was time for supper and we came back to eat. I am now going to take a shower, study for a little, and then go to bed. Have a good day and as the Spaniards say "Hasta Luego."
Lydia Masese
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Overview of Salamanca, Spain
After being in Salamanca Spain for two weeks, I will start with an overview of my perception of the city. Salamanca is a small university city with mostly students from all over the world. It is also a walking city with a lot of old buildings and very beautiful. The most challenging thing for me so far is the language barrier. As much as I came in with the perspective of knowing a lot of people and making new friends, it is so hard to communicate - so - you cannot make friends easily if you cannot communicate.
This weekend was fiesta weekend in Salamanca. There were a bunch of things going on in town. I attended a couple of them which I really enjoyed - I went to a bullfight for the first time! There was a lot of blood and the killing of six bulls. I enjoyed it because I viewed it as an art. This also gave me a perspective of the Spanish culture. Because Salamanca is a university town, you never get to see old people a lot - so - during the bullfight I got a chance to see all generations of people. After the bullfight we walked home for dinner, and after dinner, we headed for the fireworks. That also was so much fun, and the end of the fiesta weekend.
Today, Monday, was an extended holiday so we did not have to go to classes and we had a lazy day. After lunch, which is usually at 2pm, everybody wanted to stay in but a couple of us. We decided to take a walk to the river, which turned out to be a two hour walk and an ice cream treat after the walk. A good excuse to have ice cream haaaa... Anyway, it is a small city with so much to do and one month to try and do as much as I can. I am loving it here so far. I will try and update you everyday starting today.
Lydia Masese
Friday, May 27, 2011
Three NHCC Students Studying in Spain
Lydia Masese, Saif Alnabi and Tylan Mitchell were awarded the Keith Sherin Global Leaders International Scholar Award to study abroad this summer in Salamanca, Spain.
ONLY 15 Student Support Services/TRIO and McNair/TRIO students nationwide were awarded this scholarship. The selection process was extremely rigorous and involved two separate panels of judges made up of higher education professionals from across the United States and Territories.
While living in Spain, these students will earn 6 college credits as they attend the University of Salamanca and will be immersed in Spanish Language courses. They will also be able to choose from a variety of courses such as Women’s Roles in the History of Spain, The Arab World in Hispanic Culture, Spanish and Latin American Cinema, and Spanish Language for International Business.
Check back to follow their blog while they are in Spain!
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Science Fair Judges
Lydell and I are still here in Mexico, yes, that's right, we loved Puerto Aventuras so much that we decided to stay on for another whole week!
Today we participated in a 4th, 5th and 6th grade Science fair (as judges) at Gabi’s school. I had a great time, and Lydell says he did as well. We saw such a variety of great projects and presentations. There were natural water filtration systems, a miniature house built from recycled items, Lion fish (a horrible danger to the reef here) control systems, recycled paper making, solar ovens, oil spill absorbers, and even an actual working steam boat that made a really cool “putt putt” sound! What a fantastic day!
The judging began this morning and went on (after a lunch break) into the early afternoon. We picked three projects per grade to move forward into the finals which will take place on Friday. At that time there will be three presenters or groups picked as winners from the finalists of today. I’m looking forward to seeing if my favorite wins.
Our thanks to Gabi for asking us to share in all the fun-It was such an enjoyable day!
Raquel
Today we participated in a 4th, 5th and 6th grade Science fair (as judges) at Gabi’s school. I had a great time, and Lydell says he did as well. We saw such a variety of great projects and presentations. There were natural water filtration systems, a miniature house built from recycled items, Lion fish (a horrible danger to the reef here) control systems, recycled paper making, solar ovens, oil spill absorbers, and even an actual working steam boat that made a really cool “putt putt” sound! What a fantastic day!
The judging began this morning and went on (after a lunch break) into the early afternoon. We picked three projects per grade to move forward into the finals which will take place on Friday. At that time there will be three presenters or groups picked as winners from the finalists of today. I’m looking forward to seeing if my favorite wins.
Our thanks to Gabi for asking us to share in all the fun-It was such an enjoyable day!
Raquel
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Puerto Aventuras Horse Therapy & Service Learning Project
I walked up to the marina area in Puerto the other day to meet up with Gaylita Dunaway, a local restaurateur. We met outside her place, Café Olé, and after introductions, went to a waiting vehicle to drive across the highway to the stable area. I also met Hal, who was driving. He is another volunteer who helps out by walking the horses around the ring when children are doing their horseback therapy sessions.
When we got to the stable we immediately set out to the ring area. There were a couple of children there, with one already onboard a horse and doing her therapy. Hal and I walked over to a tall (16+ hands) horse named Top and checked his padding and the handle strap used for some children to hold onto. We found a child who was the next to be worked with, and walked Top over to a small stairway in a corner of the ring. This is used to enable some children to mount up with a bit of assistance.
After we got the child situated, we got Top moving around the ring. One of the other volunteers (Physical Therapist) showed me what I could do to help with flexion exercises and to help to encourage self-balancing. This exercise was well tolerated by both the children I worked with personally. Old Top was used to the routine and seemed to be copasetic with everything. One little girl enjoyed her session so much she hardly stopped speaking the whole time.
Each therapy session lasts about one half-hour, and is individually tailored to suit each child. Each child has a team of supporters to help with exercises and preparation of the horse and gear. There is room for more assistance though, so take heart! If you would like to help out and you are in the area, I’m sure you could aid in the project by doing the same as I did, and help by walking the horse around the ring and assisting a child with their exercises. Other ways to help would be to donate money which can be used to help with vet fees, farrier bills and of course feed (and perhaps a few carrots) for the horses.
I believe the idea of using a horse to help progress a child in so many directions is a great one that really helps numerous kids with muscle laxness and balance issues as well as with self-esteem. Just having a visit with “their” horse can make a kid happy!
I would love to see the next round of NHCC study abroad students get more opportunities to work with this small self-funded program. It is such a worthwhile way to help out, and it does such miraculous things for the kids and everyone involved. I felt honored to aid in the facilitation of such a meaningful program.
If you’d like to give any funding (no matter how small) or give of your time, please contact me, I’d be delighted to connect you.
Raquel Dalager
When we got to the stable we immediately set out to the ring area. There were a couple of children there, with one already onboard a horse and doing her therapy. Hal and I walked over to a tall (16+ hands) horse named Top and checked his padding and the handle strap used for some children to hold onto. We found a child who was the next to be worked with, and walked Top over to a small stairway in a corner of the ring. This is used to enable some children to mount up with a bit of assistance.
After we got the child situated, we got Top moving around the ring. One of the other volunteers (Physical Therapist) showed me what I could do to help with flexion exercises and to help to encourage self-balancing. This exercise was well tolerated by both the children I worked with personally. Old Top was used to the routine and seemed to be copasetic with everything. One little girl enjoyed her session so much she hardly stopped speaking the whole time.
Each therapy session lasts about one half-hour, and is individually tailored to suit each child. Each child has a team of supporters to help with exercises and preparation of the horse and gear. There is room for more assistance though, so take heart! If you would like to help out and you are in the area, I’m sure you could aid in the project by doing the same as I did, and help by walking the horse around the ring and assisting a child with their exercises. Other ways to help would be to donate money which can be used to help with vet fees, farrier bills and of course feed (and perhaps a few carrots) for the horses.
I believe the idea of using a horse to help progress a child in so many directions is a great one that really helps numerous kids with muscle laxness and balance issues as well as with self-esteem. Just having a visit with “their” horse can make a kid happy!
I would love to see the next round of NHCC study abroad students get more opportunities to work with this small self-funded program. It is such a worthwhile way to help out, and it does such miraculous things for the kids and everyone involved. I felt honored to aid in the facilitation of such a meaningful program.
If you’d like to give any funding (no matter how small) or give of your time, please contact me, I’d be delighted to connect you.
Raquel Dalager
Monday, February 21, 2011
Xcaret
There is uncertainty in the air. The crowd, excited, yet uneasy, wonders what is about to happen. It’s beginning to get full in the spacious arena. I wait with my group, fidgeting, for the action to begin. We are here, at Xcaret! The big night is upon us, we have all been waiting to see this famous musical show. Now, we are here together at the celebrated “eco-theme” park, Xcaret. Copal incense burns in the air. The scent is intense and powerful, distinct from any other I have experienced. This ritualistic custom fills the air with abundant clouds of smoke.
I am to see the history of Mexico unfold tonight…
The Xcaret at Night experience at Xcaret “eco-theme” park is the stage for the Xcaret Mexico Espectacular. With several hundred artists participating, you experience a dynamic passage through the history of Mexico and Mayan culture. These artists and showmen and women bring to life numerous colorful Mexico traditions in the Gran Tlachco Theater. (An outdoor, covered arena.)
Two versions of the pre-Hispanic Ball Game of the Xcaret Night Show will keep you riveted to the show at the ecological park. One is the Mayan Ball Game and the other is native from the Mexican state of Michoacan. The players of Xcaret's Mayan Ball Game will show off their strengths and skills in this ancient Mayan ritual that represents a battle between good and evil, meaning the gods of heaven and the lords of the underworld. The players use their hips to move the ball up and down the court (Look Mom, No hands!) and score by hitting it through a hole in a stone ring which is placed one on each side of the court, at the midway point. This was very difficult looking and seems to require a great deal of proficiency for the sport.
The other game was very similar to a game which is close to my heart; Hockey! The exception in this case was that this game is played not only with hockey-like sticks, but with a flaming orb the size of a cannonball (yes, that’s right, I said FLAMING!) This was very exciting and was responsible for getting the crowd roaring on several plays. This game is played between two five-player teams. All of them have a stick with which they try to get the ball to the goal. The opponents have to stop the ball’s advance. The game represents a fight between the young and the old sun, between day and night. It is played at night and the goal is the same- scoring points by making the ball cross a line. The ball is made with maguey thread, silk or cotton. It is doused with petroleum and it can be hit on the floor or in the air. A fault is considered when one player hits another one, when someone makes one player fall or when the stick goes above the waist level.
Xcaret Mexico Espectacular also blends a remarkable display of traditional Mexican hand-made dresses, musical performances, dances and customs. All this has been taken from the history of the entire country, from the state of Baja California Norte to Sinaloa, including famous mariachi songs and the syncopated rhythms of the Son Jarocho from Veracruz.
Xcaret puts on a show that is a truly remarkable interpretation of Mexico’s national identity and cultural heritage. I recommend that all who have an opportunity to see this show take it!
Raquel Dalager
I am to see the history of Mexico unfold tonight…
The Xcaret at Night experience at Xcaret “eco-theme” park is the stage for the Xcaret Mexico Espectacular. With several hundred artists participating, you experience a dynamic passage through the history of Mexico and Mayan culture. These artists and showmen and women bring to life numerous colorful Mexico traditions in the Gran Tlachco Theater. (An outdoor, covered arena.)
Two versions of the pre-Hispanic Ball Game of the Xcaret Night Show will keep you riveted to the show at the ecological park. One is the Mayan Ball Game and the other is native from the Mexican state of Michoacan. The players of Xcaret's Mayan Ball Game will show off their strengths and skills in this ancient Mayan ritual that represents a battle between good and evil, meaning the gods of heaven and the lords of the underworld. The players use their hips to move the ball up and down the court (Look Mom, No hands!) and score by hitting it through a hole in a stone ring which is placed one on each side of the court, at the midway point. This was very difficult looking and seems to require a great deal of proficiency for the sport.
The other game was very similar to a game which is close to my heart; Hockey! The exception in this case was that this game is played not only with hockey-like sticks, but with a flaming orb the size of a cannonball (yes, that’s right, I said FLAMING!) This was very exciting and was responsible for getting the crowd roaring on several plays. This game is played between two five-player teams. All of them have a stick with which they try to get the ball to the goal. The opponents have to stop the ball’s advance. The game represents a fight between the young and the old sun, between day and night. It is played at night and the goal is the same- scoring points by making the ball cross a line. The ball is made with maguey thread, silk or cotton. It is doused with petroleum and it can be hit on the floor or in the air. A fault is considered when one player hits another one, when someone makes one player fall or when the stick goes above the waist level.
Xcaret Mexico Espectacular also blends a remarkable display of traditional Mexican hand-made dresses, musical performances, dances and customs. All this has been taken from the history of the entire country, from the state of Baja California Norte to Sinaloa, including famous mariachi songs and the syncopated rhythms of the Son Jarocho from Veracruz.
Xcaret puts on a show that is a truly remarkable interpretation of Mexico’s national identity and cultural heritage. I recommend that all who have an opportunity to see this show take it!
Raquel Dalager
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Big Brothers Big Sisters - Pueblo
On Tuesday the 15th we went to the BIG brother BIG sister activity in the Pueblo again. We all had an amazing time. Our group from NHCC ran the first half of the activities. We gathered all the kids in a circle and sang three songs with them. We sang “if you’re happy and you know it clap your hands”, “the hokey pokey” and “head, shoulders, knees and toes”. I lead the kids with the ladder two songs, and the kids from the Colegio started us all out with the first song. It was a lot of fun and we all got really goofy with it. The kids were laughing and screaming having a great time.
At that time we all sat down in the circle for their version of the game “duck, duck, grey duck”. In their version you went around patting heads saying “duck” in Spanish then when you picked the grey duck you yelled “goose” in Spanish. Instead of chasing the person around the circle they ran in opposite directions around the circle and who ever made it back to the spot first got to stay there and sit, while the other person continued the game patting heads. By this time I had a little friend attached to my hip. She was making me necklaces out of grass and leaves, and eventually ended with a grass crown for my head. She was very, very cute (and very, very hyperactive). Haha
After the game of “duck, duck” we gathered the kids at the tables for an art project. This time they made valentines. All of us went around helping them but Jill and I parked it at one table. The little girl who was making me the grass jewelry wanted me to sit next to her and help so I did while Jill helped the little girl that was sitting next to her. All of them are very artistic and the art projects are great for them to do. During the activity cookies and juice were passed out. Sadly at the end of the art project it was time for all of us to go.
We all packed up and started heading out, the little girl that I was helping DID NOT want me to leave. She was trying to pull me back the whole walk to the gate yelling “NO!” while I was trying to say goodbye (because I didn’t really want to leave her either). She rounded up two of her friends and all three of them were pulling on my limbs when finally the teacher told them to come along and get inside the classroom. I pointed to my cheek one last time and said, “Dame un beso por favor” (give me a kiss please). I snuck out really quickly after that but I can’t wait to go next week to see her again!!
Mercedes Forslund
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Xel-Ha
On Saturday the 5th Jill, Todd (Jill’s dad) and myself decided to go to Xel ha. Xel ha is an eco-park and is all inclusive once you pay the fee to get in. I was really lucky to be able to have this experience with them!!
First we started out by walking in the park…who woulda thunk it! There was a group of around 6 macaws right when we walked in, all on perches and not in cages of any sort. I wanted to reach over and try to pet them but I didn’t want to get my finger bitten off. I decided to restrain myself for the risk of losing a finger…
After that, since it was all inclusive, we decided to grab some brunch before we experienced the park. It was buffet style which freaked me out a little bit but I was hungry and its Mexico, when you’re in a different country it gets complicated if you’re really picky. Besides, the food wasn’t even that bad. The buffet was huge; it was a “shmorgous board” (Charlotte’s Web) in Jill’s words. After that we went to find the beginning of the lazy river and ended up coming upon the zip lines. We went on the zip lines twice and walked along this rope hanging over the water. We decided to just jump on the lazy river right there. We tried to relax but the waves from the ocean were pushing us back the other way, Jill ended up being the motor for our little tube train.
We got out of the not so lazy river to experience the floating bridge, path of consciousness, and the cenotes. We ended at a cliff jump that Jill couldn’t turn down, and I forced Todd to jump. I didn’t jump so I got grief the rest of the day that only two thirds of the people with jumped. I’m okay with that though.
There are people all over the park too taking pictures for you so we got great pictures, and Jill got a great one of her jumping off of the cliff. We ended the day by getting on the lazy river again and making our way back to eat one last time and leave. We shopped a little, bought some awesome pictures, followed by grabbed a taxi for home.
First we started out by walking in the park…who woulda thunk it! There was a group of around 6 macaws right when we walked in, all on perches and not in cages of any sort. I wanted to reach over and try to pet them but I didn’t want to get my finger bitten off. I decided to restrain myself for the risk of losing a finger…
After that, since it was all inclusive, we decided to grab some brunch before we experienced the park. It was buffet style which freaked me out a little bit but I was hungry and its Mexico, when you’re in a different country it gets complicated if you’re really picky. Besides, the food wasn’t even that bad. The buffet was huge; it was a “shmorgous board” (Charlotte’s Web) in Jill’s words. After that we went to find the beginning of the lazy river and ended up coming upon the zip lines. We went on the zip lines twice and walked along this rope hanging over the water. We decided to just jump on the lazy river right there. We tried to relax but the waves from the ocean were pushing us back the other way, Jill ended up being the motor for our little tube train.
We got out of the not so lazy river to experience the floating bridge, path of consciousness, and the cenotes. We ended at a cliff jump that Jill couldn’t turn down, and I forced Todd to jump. I didn’t jump so I got grief the rest of the day that only two thirds of the people with jumped. I’m okay with that though.
There are people all over the park too taking pictures for you so we got great pictures, and Jill got a great one of her jumping off of the cliff. We ended the day by getting on the lazy river again and making our way back to eat one last time and leave. We shopped a little, bought some awesome pictures, followed by grabbed a taxi for home.
Mercedes Forslund
Isla Mujeres
Today we went to Isla Mujeres. Our day started off at 7:30am. We were picked up by our tour company in a van. After picking up the rest of our tour group, we were headed off to Cancun. The sun was peaking in and out between clouds, and the wind made some decent waves crash up on the shore. It was a beautiful day outside, but a little chilly for swimming. We took a catamaran to the Island. We could see at least seven or eight different colors of water on our way. The colors ranged from deep blue to hypnotic green. When we were half way there we stopped for snorkeling. We snorkeled at a coral reef and saw many beautiful fish. There were schools of hundreds of fish just swaying back and forth with the current of the ocean. We saw the coolest fish ever, the Parrot Fish. They are so colorful and we saw three swimming together. After snorkeling we went to the shopping side of the Island. We walked through the shops for a bit. Raquel got a sweet deal on a huge shell she bought. Then we walked on the beach back to our catamaran. Then we were brought to the other side of the island. We had lunch buffet style on the beach. The food was really good, and the view from our table was stellar. We had time to relax on the beach and do a little more snorkeling. We sailed on the catamaran on the way home. Once we got close enough to the shore we set up the Spinnaker. It is a parachute you can sit on, kind of like parasailing, but much smaller. The wind whips you around depending on how strong it is that day. Luckily, Michelle was able to go on it, she was the last person they accepted. She said it was fun because you can really feel the air currents whip you around, and jumping off was like being flung at the ocean. The ride on the Spinnaker was worth the cold ocean and hiding sun. We ended the tour right where we started and took a van back to Puerto. All in all, it was a fabulous day.
Raquel and Michelle
Big Brothers Big Sisters Program
We were invited to go to a school and participate in the BIG brother BIG sister program a few weeks ago. We met at our school and piled into two vehicles. When we arrived at their school the kids were still in class and so waited out in the recess area. It was surrounded by three walls that were beautifully painted. There was a different mural on each wall. Pocahontas was on one, characters from the movie Madagascar in the middle, and the other wall by the gate had a beautiful portrait of three very important people. When the little kids came out it was really cool to see how happy they were to see their big brother or sister. Some of the older kids had two or three children tugging at their arms and attaching themselves to the big kid’s legs. You could tell it was something that the children looked forward to each week.
We did introductions first and after that we taught them a new song, we decided on the HOKEY POKEY!!!! I think they liked it a lot and I am quite certain they thought we were really GOOFY!
After singing, Miss Christina showed the kids a ceramic rooster (gallo). She explained that they would be given paper and paint and they were to paint a picture of the rooster, when they are done painting they would get feathers to glue on to their roosters tail. Michelle had the honor of carrying around the rooster “gallo” for all to see. Everyone else went around and helped the kids paint and glue on feathers. It was amazing to see the pictures they drew. They were really good!!!
After painting the BIG kids passed out cookies and juice. The kids devoured their snack and had a lot of energy to run around the yard and play.
At the end we all gathered in a circle and sang, if you’re happy and you know it. It was a great way to end our first visit to the school.
~*~ Jill Johnson ~*~
We did introductions first and after that we taught them a new song, we decided on the HOKEY POKEY!!!! I think they liked it a lot and I am quite certain they thought we were really GOOFY!
After singing, Miss Christina showed the kids a ceramic rooster (gallo). She explained that they would be given paper and paint and they were to paint a picture of the rooster, when they are done painting they would get feathers to glue on to their roosters tail. Michelle had the honor of carrying around the rooster “gallo” for all to see. Everyone else went around and helped the kids paint and glue on feathers. It was amazing to see the pictures they drew. They were really good!!!
After painting the BIG kids passed out cookies and juice. The kids devoured their snack and had a lot of energy to run around the yard and play.
At the end we all gathered in a circle and sang, if you’re happy and you know it. It was a great way to end our first visit to the school.
~*~ Jill Johnson ~*~
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Roman Rivera Torres
On Tuesday the “Father of Puerto Aventuras”, Román Rivera Torres, came to visit with our class. He told us about his vision twenty five years ago for a safe community. He told us how when he was trying to attract investors, one of the investors said that Roman was trying to get them into a jungle adventure and at that time the investors preferred Cancun. Hence the name Puerto Aventuras. He told us some of the legal and permit difficulties he has had over the years. He has never bribed an official, but he has had some very creative ideas.
He told us about the European inspiration for the original marina from Port Banus, Spain and about the street lighting which is low and designed for walking. He told us about the private security and the zero crime rate. The only crime is the occasional borrowing of a golf cart or a bicycle, and it is usually found within a week.
He is an honest and humble man. We enjoyed his talk very much and were inspired by his accomplishment, the beautiful Puerto Aventuras. He shared his tips for success with the students. He told us that he always had goals and focus on those goals. He is dedicated to his goals and he learns from his master plan, adjusting as necessary. He doesn’t procrastinate and he lives in the present moment.
He told us about the European inspiration for the original marina from Port Banus, Spain and about the street lighting which is low and designed for walking. He told us about the private security and the zero crime rate. The only crime is the occasional borrowing of a golf cart or a bicycle, and it is usually found within a week.
He is an honest and humble man. We enjoyed his talk very much and were inspired by his accomplishment, the beautiful Puerto Aventuras. He shared his tips for success with the students. He told us that he always had goals and focus on those goals. He is dedicated to his goals and he learns from his master plan, adjusting as necessary. He doesn’t procrastinate and he lives in the present moment.
Katie Gaitan
NHCC Instructor
A Parent Visit
Dear North Hennepin Community College,
I had the opportunity to visit my daughter during her study abroad program in Puerto Aventuras, Mexico. On the first day I met all of the students and teacher at North Hennepin Community College. I was lucky enough to spend my second day with them when the class visited the school in the Pueblo. They went to the school in the Pueblo to help out with the Big Brother and Big Sister program. The NHCC student interacted wonderfully with the Pueblo kids. It was quite a moving experience to see. I am impressed with the teacher, Katie Gaitan. She is very involved with the students. I can tell the NHCC students are learning a lot about the Mayan culture and history.
I was a little concerned about my daughter's safety going to Mexico, but after visiting Puerto Aventuras, I have no worries about her safety. All in all this is a excellent and very educational study abroad program. I would recommend it to everyone.
Best regards,
Todd Johnson
I had the opportunity to visit my daughter during her study abroad program in Puerto Aventuras, Mexico. On the first day I met all of the students and teacher at North Hennepin Community College. I was lucky enough to spend my second day with them when the class visited the school in the Pueblo. They went to the school in the Pueblo to help out with the Big Brother and Big Sister program. The NHCC student interacted wonderfully with the Pueblo kids. It was quite a moving experience to see. I am impressed with the teacher, Katie Gaitan. She is very involved with the students. I can tell the NHCC students are learning a lot about the Mayan culture and history.
I was a little concerned about my daughter's safety going to Mexico, but after visiting Puerto Aventuras, I have no worries about her safety. All in all this is a excellent and very educational study abroad program. I would recommend it to everyone.
Best regards,
Todd Johnson
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Pueblo
On Feb. 1st “the gang” went to the Pueblo to help out with a Big Brother Big Sister activity, make tamales, and have dinner at a nice restaurant called Tu Paradore. There will be blogs about the other two activities separate from this blog. I am going to talk once again about food, I love food.
This restaurant is stunning. It is positioned right off the highway although at night the highway actually adds some spunk to the restaurant. The bridge of the highway has lights that change between attractive different colors (blues, purples, pinks, reds, oranges, yellows, greens, etc.). Guillermo, the owner of the restaurant, really gave us a once in a lifetime experience. I could tell that he really cared about the food he was going to give us. He explained all the drinks to us as well as explained the whole menu to us. We then decided each on what we would start off with, in addition to what our main course would be. At the restaurant in total there was as follows: Jill, her dad Todd, Lydell, Michelle Smaby, Gabi, her son and our classmate Joey, one of Katie’s friend’s Dani, Katie, Mike and myself. I decided to start off with an artichoke salad and for my main course grilled vegetables.
First, all of his vegetables are grown in his garden and all the fish and seafood is caught that morning by him. My starter came out and it was a whole artichoke with just a little salad surrounding it. I had never eaten an artichoke like that…
I ripped off a piece and stuck the whole thing in my mouth, I was chewing and chewing but it wasn’t disintegrating. I looked up at Guillermo and whispered, “Ugh, how do I eat this? How do I swallow it?” He laughed a little and showed me how to do it and it was game on with the artichoke. I plowed right through it in probably ten minutes. It was absolutely delicious and garlicky…amazing. Subsequently the server brought over a finger bath for me after my delicious endeavor with the artichoke.
Following our starter we all received a little sphere of sherbet for a pallet cleanser (A.K.A mouth refresher). I’ve never had that before at a restaurant. It was a good tasting first.
At that time I got my main course, sautéed vegetables with garlic that were then put into the oven with cheese all over them. These vegetables were cooked to perfection (and that’s an exaggeration)!! As usual Jill and I got two different things then split them in half and shared. She got the ravioli, which was also scrumptious. Her dad Todd got fish and Jill and I reluctantly again tried the fresh meat and decided it was good/okay. Coming from two ladies who don’t like fish, I think it’s a safe guess to say that the fish was remarkable.
The night ended with desert, as it always does. Todd, Jill and I decided to share a piece of key lime pie despite the fact that we were filled to the brim. We paid the bill and packed up on an expedition to our humble abode for some relaxation after a meal that immense and that grand. The restaurant was a little pricey but the experience was one in a lifetime, remarkable place!!!
Mercedes Forslund
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Coba
Yesterday was the perfect day! We started our adventure at the ruins of Coba. The weather was beautiful, blue skies and 80 degrees. When we first got there we got to climb on some of the smaller ruins as well as go through a tunnel. The ruins of Coba are very spread out so we rented bicycles. On our way to the big pyramid we stopped at each of the smaller ruins. We saw a game field much smaller than the one at Chichen Itza. There were various temples and artwork all along the path to the big pyramid. Seeing the big pyramid was so exciting because I knew I would be on top of it very soon. The walk up was tiring, but short. The steps were plenty wide enough to put your feet, very few steps were narrow. It only took about five minutes or so to get to the top. We didn’t want to look down when climbing up because it would have been too scary. The view from the top took away any fear I had of heights. Half of the view was of the jungle and the other half was of the blue sky with white clouds and a shining sun. In the distance we could see the top of another pyramid and a lake. We spent a lot of time on top of the pyramid. Joey even threw his frisbee off the top of the pyramid! Getting down the pyramid was a little more difficult than getting up, but it still wasn’t too bad. There was a rope in the middle of the steps you could hold onto if need be. The feeling of climbing the big pyramid was pure accomplishment. It also brought a deeper respect for the work of the Mayan people. Going on top made me realize how much effort they had to put into building something this great. It’s especially exciting that we were able to go on top because soon they are going to prohibit climbing it. We biked back through the jungle to our van and soon were off to our next adventure. We went to a 21st century Maya village. They had small houses made of trees and cement with roofs like palapas. We were able to go inside a woman’s house where she was making tortillas over the fire. We even got to try the tortillas she was making! I learned that they sleep in hammocks instead of beds. There were cats, dogs, chickens, and turkeys running all over. Then we went into another building where four kids played us traditional Maya music. They burned incense while playing and included us in their ceremony. We also learned the word for thank you in Maya ‘umbotik’. After the village we went to a restaurant. We got a Mexican Platter including tacos, quesadillas, a salad, and rice. The food was delicious! Then we were off to our last adventure of the day, the Gran Cenote. It was really pretty with clear water and rainforest like plants. I think this cenote was more like a cave than the other one. There was no where high to jump off of but the cenote was still fun to explore. We swam at the cenote for about an hour before we headed home. By now we weren’t too far away from home so the ride was short. With the visit to Coba, visiting a current day Maya village, eating fantastic food for lunch, and swimming in the Gran Cenote, it made for a perfect day.
Joey, Raquel, Michelle
Joey, Raquel, Michelle
Caleta
We spent the day lounging around our condo and laying out by the pool. After class a few of us went to Caleta. You can get there by swimming a short distance or by hiking a couple of miles. The first thing we saw was a gorgeous beach with perfectly spaced palm trees. We saw a few other cool plants too like Sea Grape and a plant with inch long thorns all over. Caleta is a beautiful inlet bay. One area looked very similar to the shore of Lake Superior. While Raquel was enjoying the sunset, she happened to see a manta ray! It was stunning to see because it was so close and in the wild, she says it was awesome, but creepy. We also checked out the small Mayan ruins there. It was a single building that is believed to have been their post office. It was fenced off so we couldn’t go inside, but it was really cool to see. Caleta is beautiful; we plan to go snorkeling there soon! Seeing this place was a wonderful experience!
Joey, Raquel, Michelle
Joey, Raquel, Michelle
Monday, January 31, 2011
Akuhmal
Jill, Lydell and I went to Akuhmal on Friday. Mike was in Belize and the girls, Michelle and Raquel, had headed off to Coba with Joey our classmate. We decided that we wanted to do something fun!! So of course Jill decided it was a perfect day to go to Akuhmal. We walked to the front gate of Puerto and grabbed a taxi heading to the beach there. When we got there we walked up the path and saw a little snorkeling stand to the left. The man said that we could watch a quick 5 minute instructional/informational video then make a decision if we wanted to do it. He then took us outside where he started to explain the different kinds of packages there are. He got through the first one and we all looked at each other and said how much? He said that it was only 25 dollars. We again looked to each other and simultaneously decided it was a definite go!! (Did I mention that included renting to snorkeling gear!!)
We all striped down to our bathing suits and the man got us all fitted with snorkeling gear. We walked to the beginning of the ocean water and started trekking across the sand toward this boat. When we reached the point where we were about waist deep in the water he stopped and had us put on our fins. He offered us life vests but Lydell was the only one who decided to go the safety route. He said that in the salt water you just float and you didn’t need the life vests. I was a little skeptical but to my surprise I was floating without a care on the surface of the water looking down on the spectacular coral reef in no time!! It was the first time Lydell or I had ever snorkeled before so it took some getting used to but I was a natural right away and I got the hang of it. Lydell on the other hand seemed like a fish out of water and struggled a little running into Jill and I but eventually got the hang of it as well. It was breathe taking to say the least. I brought my underwater camera with and I was snapping photos left and right!!! Jill would try to scream at me through her snorkel when she saw something she liked and wanted me to take a picture of. The highlight of the swim was the turtles! We saw four sea turtles feeding on the sea grass. One of them stopped eating momentarily to get a breathe of air, Jill popped her head out of the water right when the turtle did and she said the moment was really cute. Then he swam right back down and continued to graze. At the end of our hour and a half long journey in the ocean we arrived back where we had started. We were cold when we got out of the water and a little disoriented about where exactly we were at first but we in time found our way out and to a warm shower.
After we collected our things and dried off a little we started yet another trek to La Buena Vida. We were starving from our snorkeling adventure and needed some fuel. It was a semi-long walk but we made it. We plopped ourselves down on the swings next to the bar. It was beautiful and the food was amazing, just a little windy. After dining we started our walk back and found a taxi (negotiated the price to get home, he reluctantly agreed with me) and we got in. All in all Akuhmal was amazing and I am looking forward to returning with Nick when he gets here.
Mercedes Forslund
Puerto Aventuras - Monday, January 31st
Puerto Aventuras is lovely ...
I arrived Friday and visited the school where NHCC students are attending class and doing their service learning project - Collegio de Puerto Aventuras. Our six NHCC students are now comfortably part of the Puerto Aventuras community. It is fun to see.
Later in the day Alison, Katie, Gabby (the Director of Collegio de Puerto Aventuras) and I met with staff from Anahuac University. We talked about study abroad, faculty exchanges, classes, degrees and programs - all while overlooking the ocean and eating seafood. Anahuac University has some programs similar to NHCC - graphic design, engineering, and a variety of business degrees. It was fun to talk about the possibly of developing a relationship with that University, the school in Puerto, and NHCC.
Saturday we went to Xcaret. Xcaret is a theme park with all the natural attractions of the Yucatan. There is a vast display of wildlife - for example a butterfly habitat, sea turtle reserve, cave full of bats, high-tech aquariums and an education center. Raquel is going to blog about our evening there - we saw a wonderful performance that was a highlight for everyone - stay tuned.
I'm off to Collegio de Puerto Aventuras to get a tour and see our students. Mexico is a great place to study abroad and Puerto Aventuras is spectacular.
Hasta luego,
Michele Smaby
I arrived Friday and visited the school where NHCC students are attending class and doing their service learning project - Collegio de Puerto Aventuras. Our six NHCC students are now comfortably part of the Puerto Aventuras community. It is fun to see.
Later in the day Alison, Katie, Gabby (the Director of Collegio de Puerto Aventuras) and I met with staff from Anahuac University. We talked about study abroad, faculty exchanges, classes, degrees and programs - all while overlooking the ocean and eating seafood. Anahuac University has some programs similar to NHCC - graphic design, engineering, and a variety of business degrees. It was fun to talk about the possibly of developing a relationship with that University, the school in Puerto, and NHCC.
Saturday we went to Xcaret. Xcaret is a theme park with all the natural attractions of the Yucatan. There is a vast display of wildlife - for example a butterfly habitat, sea turtle reserve, cave full of bats, high-tech aquariums and an education center. Raquel is going to blog about our evening there - we saw a wonderful performance that was a highlight for everyone - stay tuned.
I'm off to Collegio de Puerto Aventuras to get a tour and see our students. Mexico is a great place to study abroad and Puerto Aventuras is spectacular.
Hasta luego,
Michele Smaby
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Chichen Itza
Another adventure filled day in Mexico. First we visited Chichen itza, one of the 8th wonders of the world. We rented a tour guide name Ruben. Ruben was a great speaker, he explained every ruin and pyramid we came across. Any questions we asked he knew the answer. There were Myan sellers all over the area, some myan sellers sold hand made clothes, and cloths with the myan kings and the gods sewed into them. We saw the Myan sport field where the myans played a game thats similar to basketball and soccer. The players could not touch the ball with there hands, only with there hips. The game was extremely hard because the players couldn't use there hands too toss the ball through the ring. We saw the different sections where the priest would watch the game. After Chichen Itza we went out for lunch.We dined at a fancy buffet restaurant, that served great food, also we were accompanied by a dancers which were very talanted. The dancers danced and spinned in circles with a tray of drinks on top of there heads. Afterwards we went too a cenote, that had a 25 too 30 foot drop. Some of us jump into the water, including myself. Most of us were scared but a little encouragement from each other gave us the power to jump. The jump was so scary and fun, we went back for more. Next we went to a town called Valladolid. The town was amazing, we can see the big church down the street, the park was in the middle where some of the venders sold their mechandise. We were all happy to have the oppurtunity to visit one of the 8th wonders of the world, dine at a fancy restaurant, swim in the cenote and explore a great city.
Lydell Williams
Lydell Williams
Our Food Experiences!
We thought we would update everyone on our experiences at restaurants….. The first night we went to Solei, we had traveled all day and were ready for some good food and relaxation. It was some of our first experiences dealing with different service, ordering, and conversion of money. There was a wide variety of options, even for the three vegetarians in the group. Even though we were finally in Mexico, some of the group opted for pizza and burgers. This was our first lesson in Mexican time. We quickly learned that you have to wave to servers if you want something and you absolutely have to ask for the check. This is quite a difference compared to back home where you consider it bad form for your server to not check on you every five minutes. We were very impressed that he was willing to separate checks for us, it didn’t seem like they were used to doing that.
We quickly became regulars at the “hot spot” in town, Gringo Dave’s. They have decent lunch prices and dinner is comparable to buying dinner back in the states. The food is average. The vegetarians really enjoy the mixed grill fajitas, truly amazing! The carnivores rave about the burgers, but I guess we’ll take their word for it. There are many regulars at Gringo’s but one of our favorites is Duke a.k.a the governor (insert British accent here), he is K-9 but always polite and friendly, sometimes he even walks us home and tries to take a dip in our pool. In Puerto, they don’t have stray animals, dogs and cats are free to walk the grounds without supervision or a leash but have a home.We have two favorite bartenders, our dear friend Quicky is quite a treat, a remarkable bartender as well as a bright light in our lives. He truly cares about us. He even came over and showed us how to make beans and is coming over tonight to make nopalitos (we believe it is cacti but we will update you when we know for sure). He is friends with Katie, our teacher, from a previous stay last year. Another bartender, THE DUDE (a.k.a Carlos), is hilarious!! Just recently he got in a fight with a bull shark; they wrestled a bit, he punched it in the face, and cut up his hand. He was able to escape but was a little worried about the blood in the ocean. Okay, Okay, bull shark a.k.a the coral reef…we told him his first story was LAME! So we made up a new one for him, we got you going right???
After a once in a lifetime experience at Dr. Don’s condo we decided to get a bite to eat at The Pub. BAD CHOICE….Where do we start. First of all the Sol (beer) tasted like you were sucking a quarter, even after adding a lime it didn’t help the situation. Mercedes was in the mood for some tuna, as always, and ordered up a tuna fish sandwich. It was pretty tasty but 4-6 hours later she was praying to the porcelain gods, regretting ever craving tuna! Lydell ordered some nachos with chicken, Jill failed to hear him order it with chicken and decided to take a bite. BAD IDEA!!!! Michelle, a fellow vegetarian quickly screamed, “There’s chicken in that!!” (Thank you again, by the way!). Jill quickly spit out the meat infested Mexican dish. Alongside the nachos came a ramekin of green hot sauce, the server warned Lydell that it was “really really hot”. Since they were out of jalapenos Jill decided to dip her entire bite pizza in it. She was numb, speechless, suddenly mute (rare for Jill), and starting to sweat a little, the server wasn’t lying!!! (NOTE TO SELF, NEVER SIT NEXT TO LYDELL AT DINNER!)
Mercedes and Jill read reviews and decided to try a new bar and grill in town. Mango’s is an outside swing bar with tables. There was a football game on so it was pretty busy for a Sunday night. We situated ourselves at the bar on two of the swings (not as comfortable as you would think, but we were troopers!). The drinks are attractive and mouth watering; we found ourselves and others asking, “What is that?” with everything he made. Gorge, the bartender took his time making one of a kind fresh fruit drinks. We ordered vegetarian tacos and guac of course! The food was good but we ditched the tortillas, they were funky, all in all a great experience!
After another Dr. Don experience at the Tulum Mayan Ruins, he took us off the beaten path to a beautiful palapa restaurant in Tulum. It was right on the ocean and the sand didn’t stop at the door; we took our shoes off at the table and enjoyed the cool sand between our toes. We spent a lot of time playing in the surf while waiting for our food. All the food came out looking like pieces of art. Alison ordered the catch of the day, it was fresh and some of the vegetarians tried it (scary!!). The boys (Joey and Lydell) inhaled their food and were the first ones done. They became our garbage disposals, as most men do and were able to try a lot of different dishes. Dr. Don went all out we had drinks, appetizers, a main course, and dessert! It is by far the most beautiful restaurant we have experience thus far.
Recently we ventured out to Café Ole, a family owned restaurant, with live music, salad bar, and home-made desserts made by the one and only Gaylita. They have everything from wraps, steaks, Mexican dishes, Italian, burgers, and breakfast. It is a little more expensive but so worth it! Jill and Mercedes are officially addicted to this place! Lydell had his first experience buying a bottle of wine, a little confusing but we got him through it. Mike and Jill ordered enchiladas, Mercedes had tuna….. again, and Lydell ventured out and had fajitas, Michelle and Raquel stopped by for a bit to say hi.
Tiramisu is a charming Italian restaurant in town that we frequent once or twice a week. They offer free salsa dance lessons, buy one get one free margaritas and pasta on Wednesdays and Fridays. If you are able to go on those days your bill is considerably lower, always helpful when on vacation. We have yet to hear a complaint from the group about Tiramisu, the pasta; service, drinks, and entertainment are absolutely fantastic.
We are unconventional and saving the worst for last….Sorry (insert Lydell’s voice). After a three hour ride and a long day at Chichen Itza our lovely driver/body guard took us to a Mexican buffet. UGHHHH! It wasn’t great, and we’re being nice. We were all so hungry and tired that everyone ate but I’m not sure if anyone got full. Katie thanked us later for not complaining and being respectful. It truly shows how much we’ve grown personally and as a group. We’ve accepted that fact that not everything is perfect, we are travelers and guests of this country and sometimes you have to suck it up and enjoy the ride.
Here are some differences we’ve experienced in Mexican restaurants:Slower service - servers do not bug you every five minutes, if you need something you wave them over. They watch and wait from afar and if you need something they are there in a split second (sometimes two or three people come up). You have to ask for the check. They don’t just assume you’re done eating and want to leave they wait for you to actually ask for the check when you say you’re done. Sometimes you have tip the person in the bathroom to use the bathroom and get toilet paper. You have to pay for water. Water is not given to you at the beginning of the meal. You have to pay for it and it is generally in a bottle. There are smaller portions. More restaurants are outside vs. inside (or they have both options). There are less options for vegetarians. Open kitchens (you can see in them or walk through them). Animals walk freely through the restaurant.
All in all, we have eaten at many places and there will be many more to come. We hope to keep you posted on our eats and adventures.
Bye for now friends, until next time!
Jill and Mercedes
We quickly became regulars at the “hot spot” in town, Gringo Dave’s. They have decent lunch prices and dinner is comparable to buying dinner back in the states. The food is average. The vegetarians really enjoy the mixed grill fajitas, truly amazing! The carnivores rave about the burgers, but I guess we’ll take their word for it. There are many regulars at Gringo’s but one of our favorites is Duke a.k.a the governor (insert British accent here), he is K-9 but always polite and friendly, sometimes he even walks us home and tries to take a dip in our pool. In Puerto, they don’t have stray animals, dogs and cats are free to walk the grounds without supervision or a leash but have a home.We have two favorite bartenders, our dear friend Quicky is quite a treat, a remarkable bartender as well as a bright light in our lives. He truly cares about us. He even came over and showed us how to make beans and is coming over tonight to make nopalitos (we believe it is cacti but we will update you when we know for sure). He is friends with Katie, our teacher, from a previous stay last year. Another bartender, THE DUDE (a.k.a Carlos), is hilarious!! Just recently he got in a fight with a bull shark; they wrestled a bit, he punched it in the face, and cut up his hand. He was able to escape but was a little worried about the blood in the ocean. Okay, Okay, bull shark a.k.a the coral reef…we told him his first story was LAME! So we made up a new one for him, we got you going right???
After a once in a lifetime experience at Dr. Don’s condo we decided to get a bite to eat at The Pub. BAD CHOICE….Where do we start. First of all the Sol (beer) tasted like you were sucking a quarter, even after adding a lime it didn’t help the situation. Mercedes was in the mood for some tuna, as always, and ordered up a tuna fish sandwich. It was pretty tasty but 4-6 hours later she was praying to the porcelain gods, regretting ever craving tuna! Lydell ordered some nachos with chicken, Jill failed to hear him order it with chicken and decided to take a bite. BAD IDEA!!!! Michelle, a fellow vegetarian quickly screamed, “There’s chicken in that!!” (Thank you again, by the way!). Jill quickly spit out the meat infested Mexican dish. Alongside the nachos came a ramekin of green hot sauce, the server warned Lydell that it was “really really hot”. Since they were out of jalapenos Jill decided to dip her entire bite pizza in it. She was numb, speechless, suddenly mute (rare for Jill), and starting to sweat a little, the server wasn’t lying!!! (NOTE TO SELF, NEVER SIT NEXT TO LYDELL AT DINNER!)
Mercedes and Jill read reviews and decided to try a new bar and grill in town. Mango’s is an outside swing bar with tables. There was a football game on so it was pretty busy for a Sunday night. We situated ourselves at the bar on two of the swings (not as comfortable as you would think, but we were troopers!). The drinks are attractive and mouth watering; we found ourselves and others asking, “What is that?” with everything he made. Gorge, the bartender took his time making one of a kind fresh fruit drinks. We ordered vegetarian tacos and guac of course! The food was good but we ditched the tortillas, they were funky, all in all a great experience!
After another Dr. Don experience at the Tulum Mayan Ruins, he took us off the beaten path to a beautiful palapa restaurant in Tulum. It was right on the ocean and the sand didn’t stop at the door; we took our shoes off at the table and enjoyed the cool sand between our toes. We spent a lot of time playing in the surf while waiting for our food. All the food came out looking like pieces of art. Alison ordered the catch of the day, it was fresh and some of the vegetarians tried it (scary!!). The boys (Joey and Lydell) inhaled their food and were the first ones done. They became our garbage disposals, as most men do and were able to try a lot of different dishes. Dr. Don went all out we had drinks, appetizers, a main course, and dessert! It is by far the most beautiful restaurant we have experience thus far.
Recently we ventured out to Café Ole, a family owned restaurant, with live music, salad bar, and home-made desserts made by the one and only Gaylita. They have everything from wraps, steaks, Mexican dishes, Italian, burgers, and breakfast. It is a little more expensive but so worth it! Jill and Mercedes are officially addicted to this place! Lydell had his first experience buying a bottle of wine, a little confusing but we got him through it. Mike and Jill ordered enchiladas, Mercedes had tuna….. again, and Lydell ventured out and had fajitas, Michelle and Raquel stopped by for a bit to say hi.
Tiramisu is a charming Italian restaurant in town that we frequent once or twice a week. They offer free salsa dance lessons, buy one get one free margaritas and pasta on Wednesdays and Fridays. If you are able to go on those days your bill is considerably lower, always helpful when on vacation. We have yet to hear a complaint from the group about Tiramisu, the pasta; service, drinks, and entertainment are absolutely fantastic.
We are unconventional and saving the worst for last….Sorry (insert Lydell’s voice). After a three hour ride and a long day at Chichen Itza our lovely driver/body guard took us to a Mexican buffet. UGHHHH! It wasn’t great, and we’re being nice. We were all so hungry and tired that everyone ate but I’m not sure if anyone got full. Katie thanked us later for not complaining and being respectful. It truly shows how much we’ve grown personally and as a group. We’ve accepted that fact that not everything is perfect, we are travelers and guests of this country and sometimes you have to suck it up and enjoy the ride.
Here are some differences we’ve experienced in Mexican restaurants:Slower service - servers do not bug you every five minutes, if you need something you wave them over. They watch and wait from afar and if you need something they are there in a split second (sometimes two or three people come up). You have to ask for the check. They don’t just assume you’re done eating and want to leave they wait for you to actually ask for the check when you say you’re done. Sometimes you have tip the person in the bathroom to use the bathroom and get toilet paper. You have to pay for water. Water is not given to you at the beginning of the meal. You have to pay for it and it is generally in a bottle. There are smaller portions. More restaurants are outside vs. inside (or they have both options). There are less options for vegetarians. Open kitchens (you can see in them or walk through them). Animals walk freely through the restaurant.
All in all, we have eaten at many places and there will be many more to come. We hope to keep you posted on our eats and adventures.
Bye for now friends, until next time!
Jill and Mercedes
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Ahhhh, Mexico...
Hola blog world! We have been down here now for 2 weeks to the day. It has been an amazing experience so far. Living in a house with six different people has been an experience all on its own. We joke that we are on the “Real World” and its Real World Puerto Aventuras. Katie’s daughter Mo was down here for the week and introduced us to some of her local friends: Joey aka Pinkey and Gullermo. It awesome that we are already starting to meet people here.
This week we did a lot! It started off with another trip to the beach. We have found that that is one of our biggest past times. Michelle snorkeled, Mo, Mercedes, Lydell, Jill and Mike swam around in the nice blue waters. Later Mike discovered (being the whitest boy on the trip) sun screen is your best friend. Sadly that day Raquel was not with us at the beach, she twisted her ankle getting into our pool, and did we mention it looks over the marina? We later learned that it was the beautifulness of Puerto and its people that distracted here. She is recouping now and determined to get better (cant keep her down!)
We also met Dr. Don Hart, archeologist and anthropologist. He worked for National Geographic for many years and now gives lectures about his experiences of finding and exploring the Mayan ruins in the jungles of Central and Southern North America. He invited us into his home which in itself is an archeological find. He has native wooden timbers on the ceilings of his living room, art work all over. Over his sofa he had the etchings that he did of a Mayan King. One of the coolest things that we learned about Mayan hierarchy is that when they are in art they always seem the arch the hands over (wrist pointing up and fingers pointing down) in front of their chests (kind of a kiss my hand poise) As a group we could not get enough of Dr. Don’s stories (we were there for almost 3 hours).
Most of our days here are spent exploring Puerto Aventuras. This small town is amazing, it’s a gated city that is self contained. Think of a gated condo community, but then at convenience stores, shops, restaurants, bar and even their own hired security.
This last Thursday we went to Tulum. Just south of Puerto Aventuras by about 30 minutes. Tulum was the true gated city. it’s a small village that had a stone wall all around it that could only be entered from the small entrance at the front or by ocean. Dr. Don gave us our tour of Tulum. He knows so much about the history and people of the area and loves to share his knowledge about it.
While we there we learned that Tulum was one of many trading grounds for chocolate and corn. We (students) also got to be archeologists, we went exploring for terracotta and obsidian (volcanic glass). The terracotta is thought to be from women who would brake and bowl and just throw it out. The obsidian is from men who would make arrow heads from this sharp glass.
One of the best pictures we took was of all us students and the good doc in front of the biggest pyramid doing the Mayan King/ God poise.
After the tour Dr. Don took use out for lunch at Ana Y Jose. It was amazing, eating great food with great people overlooking the crystal blue waters and blue sky’s. It just seemed to go on forever. After lunch we went and played in the ocean like little kids, all 10 of us were fully clothed and we just ran, jumped and frolicked in the water.
This week we did a lot! It started off with another trip to the beach. We have found that that is one of our biggest past times. Michelle snorkeled, Mo, Mercedes, Lydell, Jill and Mike swam around in the nice blue waters. Later Mike discovered (being the whitest boy on the trip) sun screen is your best friend. Sadly that day Raquel was not with us at the beach, she twisted her ankle getting into our pool, and did we mention it looks over the marina? We later learned that it was the beautifulness of Puerto and its people that distracted here. She is recouping now and determined to get better (cant keep her down!)
We also met Dr. Don Hart, archeologist and anthropologist. He worked for National Geographic for many years and now gives lectures about his experiences of finding and exploring the Mayan ruins in the jungles of Central and Southern North America. He invited us into his home which in itself is an archeological find. He has native wooden timbers on the ceilings of his living room, art work all over. Over his sofa he had the etchings that he did of a Mayan King. One of the coolest things that we learned about Mayan hierarchy is that when they are in art they always seem the arch the hands over (wrist pointing up and fingers pointing down) in front of their chests (kind of a kiss my hand poise) As a group we could not get enough of Dr. Don’s stories (we were there for almost 3 hours).
Most of our days here are spent exploring Puerto Aventuras. This small town is amazing, it’s a gated city that is self contained. Think of a gated condo community, but then at convenience stores, shops, restaurants, bar and even their own hired security.
This last Thursday we went to Tulum. Just south of Puerto Aventuras by about 30 minutes. Tulum was the true gated city. it’s a small village that had a stone wall all around it that could only be entered from the small entrance at the front or by ocean. Dr. Don gave us our tour of Tulum. He knows so much about the history and people of the area and loves to share his knowledge about it.
While we there we learned that Tulum was one of many trading grounds for chocolate and corn. We (students) also got to be archeologists, we went exploring for terracotta and obsidian (volcanic glass). The terracotta is thought to be from women who would brake and bowl and just throw it out. The obsidian is from men who would make arrow heads from this sharp glass.
One of the best pictures we took was of all us students and the good doc in front of the biggest pyramid doing the Mayan King/ God poise.
After the tour Dr. Don took use out for lunch at Ana Y Jose. It was amazing, eating great food with great people overlooking the crystal blue waters and blue sky’s. It just seemed to go on forever. After lunch we went and played in the ocean like little kids, all 10 of us were fully clothed and we just ran, jumped and frolicked in the water.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Hola! Greetings from Mexico! This is our (the students) first official blog post and we are very excited to share our experience studying abroad with everyone. We have officially been in Puerto Aventuras for four days and have experienced a lot so far.
The first day was filled with traveling, unpacking, getting to know each other and letting our friends and family know we made it okay. Our condo is amazing, we have a pool right outside our door! We met Lalo, our landlord, he went over the rules of the condo. We ended the day having dinner as a group and we had our first experience dealing with Mexican money, pesos.
The next day we all met outside our new school. We toured the town and Mercedes, Michelle, and Lydell were able to put their feet in the ocean for the first time. Then we went to Playa Del Carmen to walk along 5th street and experience some of the culture. There were so many shops and everyone is trying to sell you things. We found a beautiful Mayan mural to pose in front of, we’ll post the pictures along with this blog. We needed some groceries so we went to the store but it was HARD, everything was in Spanish plus we had to deal with pesos! Mercedes ended up accidentally buying lotion instead of body wash; we learned later that they don't make liquid body wash down here. We experienced having to carry our groceries back from the gate to our condo which is a bit of a walk. We live in a gated community so they only let the people that live here come in. We were again exhausted and went to bed early because we had our first official day in class.
On Wednesday a few of us went to the beach. We waded along the shore and looked for some pretty shells to collect. We kept picking up rocks to see what was underneath; we found a few funny looking crustaceans and some different crabs. We met the principal of the school here, Gabi, she invited us into her home and we talked for a while about people to meet and things to see down here. We met so many people! We met a few of Katie’s friends, Joey, our classmate from Puerto, and a bunch of the local kids. We all hung out under a Palapa by the dolphins. It was nice to meet more people here and we’re going to meet so many more in the next couple of months! It really helps that Katie has so many connections.
Thursday was a chill day. We slept in, laid by the pool, did some homework, and went to class. Today we ended our class with the Spanish tradition of breaking the bread. Everyone here opens their Christmas presents on this day since it’s the day the three kings came bearing gifts. It’s tradition to split this big bread/cake thing. All breads are different but they can have fruit, sweets, vegetables and meat on them. The tradition is to cut the bread into pieces and whoever gets the piece with a tiny doll baked into it gets to host a tamale party. Our bread came with six dolls though so we were kind of confused, but it was really tasty!
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