 |
 |
|
"...In diversity there is beauty and there is strength."
--Maya Angelou
|
In 2005, I was lucky enough to get to travel to Mexico to teach in an elementary school called Emiliano Zapata for three weeks. This school was located in a town called Tapalpa, a small pueblo about two hours from Guadalajara. This school only had one class per grade (1st through 6th). I was able to spend time in each of the classes teaching some English to the amazing kids! We played games like "Simon Says" and "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes" and learned about colors, body parts, numbers, and basic greetings like "hello" and "goodbye." The kids loved having us there, almost as much as we loved being there!! We also traveled around Mexico on the weekends and learned all about the local culture. We made tortillas and tamales, weaved God's Eyes, created herbal soaps from local ingredients, and visited lots of nearby towns. We visited a turtle sanctuary on the beach called La Tortugaria and went shopping in a market that went on for miles in Tonala. It was one of the best experiences of my life and I hope I get to go back again someday to visit my kids!! I really miss them!
 Sebastian, Amelia, and Karla--Siblings
|
 The weekly flag ceremony at Emiliano Zapata
|
 A beautiful cathedral in Guadalajara
|
 A very old church in a nearby pueblo
|
 Papelmalecho--An art form (like paper mache) that the people of Tapalpa create together from recycled objects like soda bottles.
|
 An
estuary on the coast in a town called Cuyutlan, Colima. We took a
boat ride through to see the native wildlife and also visited La
Tortugaria, or turtle sanctuary nearby.
|