Oh.... Mexico

About six months ago we started making plans for our busy summer... Mexico City for a college friend's wedding, New York with the family & to visit friends, then a "trip" to Ecuador to visit Dave and Danielle... Little did we know that we'd actually be moving to Ecuador, and still have all these crazy plans to hop all over North America before we headed to the South.

Last week we spent nine days in Mexico City. We floated down the river in Xochimilco; walked through town looking at the beautiful, European style buildings the Spanish brought with their rule; tried to cross a border to enter another Mexican state only to be pulled over by the Federales and chased out of town (we ended up hiding out at a water park/restaurant/hotel until late evening so the Federales' friends couldn't bust our driver or demand money); ate at various taco stands and ended up with crippling stomachaches (so much so that right now the thought of a REAL Mexican taco in a corn tortilla still gives me instant nausea... why can't you find a single flour tortilla burrito in Mexico???); had dinner at Grandma's house while a bachelor/bachelorette party took place (luckily there are no pictures to prove anything from this night... at least not on OUR cameras); toured & walked UP the stairs of the Aztec pyramids...which we learned that the Aztecs didn't actually build, but took over because the place was real nice... at a ridiculously steep incline that burned my lungs (I'd like to blame it on the altitude, which is much higher than home, but I'm not in the best shape right now, so...); crossed the train tracks in our 10 passenger van when a train was coming (MUCH too close, mind you); and FINALLY at the end of a very eventful, tiring, but overall wonderful and exciting week: witnessed one of my best friends marrying the perfect man for her.

Jon and I had a great time practicing our Spanish and were surprised and also delighted to discover how quickly it came back to us over the course of just one week. It encouraged us that maybe, just maybe, we'll be able to get by pretty well in the early stages of our move to Ecuador. We shall see. Viva Mexico!

April and me at the top of one of the pyramids.
(Can you tell we're panting?)

A scene near the Basilica: Aztec Indians bowing to give reverence to the Lady Guadalupe
(an apparition of the Virgin Mary).

Our boat, "Carmelita". Vendors rowed up next to us during the ride to sell flowers, food, drinks, souvenirs, or play mariachi music in full uniform.

Jon and me in front of one of the town square buildings... does it look crooked? That's not our photo taking skills... lots of buildings in M.C. are sinking because the city was built on a lake!

The Palace of Fine Arts. Unfortunately it closes on random days, and the day we walked by, it was closed. There are beautiful murals and pieces of art inside... so I hear.

Look at those steps! We actually had to walk down with our feet sideways. Did the ancient civilization have tiny feet or something?

The new Basilica, where a cloth portraying an image of Mary resides, next to the old one, which is sinking slowly into the ground.

I'm So Tired

There are six days of school left. My little angels who I have immensely enjoyed all year long (besides the occasional need for whipping) have turned into hyper, chatty hellions who obviously have an internal clock telling them just how many minutes they have left in 3rd grade (and how many minutes Mrs. Richert has until her head's going to explode like a volcano). 

As much as I love them, I can't WAIT for this school year to be over. A teacher's first year is a huge hurdle and accomplishment, and I'm so stoked to have made it through. I just need to SLEEP for a couple days straight.