¡Saludos!
Monday and
Tuesday marked our last days of classes with Oliver and Jonathan. In Oliver’s class we reviewed the major
concepts of the course: the history of the economy in Mexico in relation to the
US and the world, the militarization of the US-Mexico
Border, and overall themes of Neoliberalism, activism and social movements. For
the final day of cultural competency, Maximizing the Oaxacan experience, and
ISP Research Methods, we reviewed our class discussions, readings, and
fieldwork experiences. It’s amazing to think that we are halfway through
our program, though it feels as though we are just getting used to life here in
Oaxaca.
While we are all looking forward to starting our track classes in Food
Systems, Global Health, and Music and Botany, it is bittersweet to know that
soon we will be splitting up and heading in our different directions for the
remainder of the program. Before we do, though, we headed to the beach for an amazing "spring break"!
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| Playa Carrizalillo, Puerto Escondido |
Late Tuesday
evening we all left for Puerto Escondido, embarking on the most memorable
van ride most of us will (hopefully) ever experience. Armed with Dramamine
and advice from those who had taken the trip before, we thought
we were prepared for what was to come. We were
wrong. Seven hours, several mountains, and 2,000 curves later, we
realized the futility of trying to sleep on a veritable rollercoaster. We arrived
unscathed in Puerto Escondido at about 6am and walked to our hostel near
Playa Carrizalillo. On the way we stopped at el Cafecito, a
restaurant and bakery that was to provide about 75% of our meals in Puerto. After
a night without sleep, Cafecito was a blessing, serving buns fresh from the oven while we
waited for our French Toast, scrambled eggs, huevos
rancheros, chilaquiles (crispy tortillas with salsa and cheese), and ensalsadas de fruta (fruit
salads).
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| Hostal Vivo Escondido |
Our hostel,
Vivo Escondido, was a beautiful space. It was very clean, comfortable and offered a pool, ping-pong table, ocean-view hammocks, and a 10-minute walk to
the beach. The owner, Ross, was from New Hampshire; the English speaking staff and slightly New
England feel added to the beautiful ambiance. During our stay we met an
array of travelers and backpackers from India, Israel, Australia, Italy and
more.
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| Caroline, Julianna, and Madeleine with their coconuts |
For the next
four days we proceeded to take full advantage of the beaches and beautiful
Pacific Ocean. For many of us New Englanders, it was the first time we had swum
in the Pacific Ocean. Shana, Nina, Heather, Elyse, Kristina, and Spencer
learned to surf, impressing us all with their skills. Others
enjoyed paddle boarding, swimming, and sunbathing. (Yes we wore lots
of sunscreen, and yes, a few people still got sunburned.) Most of us tried our
first fresh coconut, and have developed serious addictions to the taste of fresh coconut water.
On Wednesday
night we walked to a neighboring beach, Bacocho, for Cine en la Playa
(Cinema on the Beach). Taking the drive-in concept to the beach,
Hotel Villasol had erected a giant screen and offered weekly free movie
nights. While the odd French movie itself was perhaps not our first choice,
the setting, with tiki lamps and waves in the background, was lovely.
Towards the end
of our time at the beach, we all celebrated Spencer’s birthday with a trip to a
bio-luminescent lagoon about a 20 minute drive from Puerto Escondido. It was an incredible experience!
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| Mazunte |
The majority of students returned home to the city on Saturday, while a few traveled
to the nearby village of Mazunte to catch a glimpse of a circus festival and visit
some immaculate beaches. By Sunday evening, the whole of the group had reunited
with their host families, and enjoyed the luxury of a hot shower. We're still finding
sand in our shoes and shells in our backpacks. Can we go back yet?
¡Que les vaya bien¡ We hope everyone at home is well!
~Nina and Julianna
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