Flan and Apple Pie Blog

Check out my latest happenings over at Flan & Apple Pie. Enjoy!Read More!

Goodbye, Dear Mexico...I'll Miss You

On my last day in Mexico, Roberto invited me out to lunch with his friends from work. As I have gotten to know both Olga and Ricardo over these passt months, it was definitely hard to say goodbye. They took me to my favorite place in La Condesa, La Buena Tierra, for lunch. This place has the best juices with combinations like mango, strawberry, and orange and limeade with a touch of mint. The three office “fairies”—Olga, Ricardo, and María Laura—bought me several going away gifts. I received a beautiful set of pinky-purple glass earrings and a matching necklace, and I also received a long brown necklace made out of wood. Unfortunately, our delicious lunch came to an end too soon, and I was left to say goodbye.

Afterwards, I planned on meeting up with my wonderful friend, Claudia, but there was a problem with our phones and we were not able to get in contact with one another. Claudia, I’m extremely sorry that we did not get to say goodbye, but you know I will be back to visit. I want to thank you for your continued guidance and friendship throughout my stay in Mexico.
Finally, I want to make a list of the “Top Ten Things I Learned from this Experience.”

1.) It is important to try every salsa on the table. BUT…be sure to start out with a little spoonful first to make sure you like the flavor and can handle the heat.

2.) I still am a terrible dancer. I have tried to learn how to salsa dance numerous times and have failed miserably on all occasions. But, someday I’ll get it down.

3.) Never turn down an opportunity to try new food. I tried grasshoppers, dried crawfish, minnows with their eyeballs still attached, and fried pork skin!

4.) It’s nice to have dark hair, dark eyes, and dark skin. I blended in here and therefore did not get some of the negative attention that blonde-blue eyes get.

5.) The metro can be a nightmare or your best friend. It can get you from Point A to B without the hassle of traffic. But, when it’s raining watch out! You might be stuck on the metro for hours.

6.) Mexican señoras will never give up telling you how things should be done (or rather that things should be done their way). From the “right” way to do laundry to the best route to the local supermarket, they think they know it all.

7.) When asking for directions, ask at least 5 people. Just because they live there does not mean they know where things are located. And, even if they don’t know, they’ll give you their best guess. That’s why you should ask and ask again.

8.) Taxi drivers have a wealth of knowledge. Most have been former policemen, teachers, firefighters, restaurant owners, etc. Just talk to them. They can tell you almost anything about the city.

9.) Mexican people are very proud of their country, and they have every reason to be. The word hospitality was probably invented here as everyone is extremely generous and welcoming.

10.) Friends are made when you least expect it and you need them most. Thank you to the many people who touched my life in Mexico and helped to make my stay memorable.

Click for more pictures! (Lunch with the Gang)

Click for more pictures! (Flying Home)

Abrazos, Nicole

Read More!

Gorgeous Xalapa (ha-LA-pa) and the Beach

During my last weekend in México, Roberto surprised me with a trip to lovely Xalapa, the capital of Veracruz. We traveled there on Saturday morning from his home in Poza Rica. Our ride down the coast was hot and humid, but as we neared Xalapa, which is located in the mountains, the weather cooled off. This city is known as the “Athens of Veracruz” for its culturally-rich environment and its three universities.

Our first stop was the Universidad Veracruzana-Xalapa, where Roberto completed his undergraduate degree. Xalapa is nicknamed the “City of the Flowers,” and the campus did a great job of owing up to that name. USBI stands for the Unidad de Servicios Bibliotecarios y de Información (Unity of Library and Information Services). It is surrounded by magnificent gardens displaying tropical greenery and a myriad of flowers.

We also visited a place called Casa de Artesanías en los Lagos de Xalapa (House of the Arts on the Lakes of Xalapa). This is a place where students and locals come to hang out and enjoy the scenery by the lakes. The colorfully painted sidewalk wraps itself around the lakes. We enjoyed some delicious cheese pizza and homemade yogurt at a place called Pizzeria de los Lagos.

At night, we visited Parque Juárez which offers scenic views of the city from its terrace. On a clear day, you can see the Sierra Madre Oriental mountains in the distance. However at night, a blanket of mist covers the city. It had a slightly eerie, but certainly romantic effect on this picturesque place.

On Sunday morning, we visited the Callejón Diamante (Diamond Alley), a Bohemian like walkway that is lined with many little cafés. Artist line up along the Callejón to sell their goods. My eyes twinkled over the many earrings and bracelets that were for sale here. I couldn’t resist buying several bracelets made out of coffee beans and one made out of bright red seeds. It is supposed to bring good luck :-).

On our way back to Poza Rica, we stopped at Playa Riachuelos, just past Costa Esmeralda. The beach was very calm, as there were relatively few people there. Instead of jumping in the water, we decided to write messages in the sand and take some pictures.

Back in Poza Rica, we celebrated Frida’s 16th birthday with a chocolate cake, and then it was off to Mexico City.

Click for more pictures! (Xalapa)

Click for more pictures! (Beach)

Abrazos, Nicole

Read More!

The Ultimate Adventure in Chiapas State

Before leaving Mexico, there was one more trip that had to be taken. Destination: Chiapas. During my nine months in Mexico, the one place that was most recommended to visit was the state of Chiapas. I would have gone sooner, but unfortunately the lush green state is located 12 hours south of Mexico City. So, during my last week I headed on a grand trip to Chiapas with my friends and fellow ETAs, Cammie and Renee, and with Renee’s awesome sister, Kristi.

Before we could even begin our trip, we had sort of a mishap. There are four bus stations in Mexico City and I had pre-bought our tickets to Chiapas. I told everyone to meet at the North bus station, and when we finally got there, I realized that our bus had already departed from a different station, TAPO. The only thing that the bus line could do for us was to give us new tickets for half the price. Despite this bump in the road, we ended up making it to Chiapas in time to meet our tour guide. By the way, we decided to take an organized tour because of the infrastructure of Chiapas and the scattered locations of the attractions.

When we arrived to Tuxtla Guitierrez (capital of Chiapas), we put our bags in the back of the van and headed directly toward destination #1: El Cañon del Sumidero. This canyon is the result of a geological fault during prehistoric times. The cliffs of the canyon are over half a mile high, and the Grijalva River snakes its way through the rocks. By the way, please don’t judge my looks. I just got off a 12-hour bus ride :-S

The views were fantastic, and I have to tell you that the pictures just don’t do this place justice. I felt like I was in a Jurassic Park movie with the lush green trees and the giant cliffs rising up beside me. Thank goodness there weren’t any dinosaurs! But, we did see lots of different wildlife including an iguana, some monkeys, several crocodiles, and a variety of birds. We also saw a rock formation covered with moss that looked similar to a Christmas tree, and is aptly referred to in Spanish as the Árbol de Navidad.

After our first excursion, we headed to our hotel in beautiful San Cristóbal de las Casas. For anyone that tells you that Chiapas is sweltering hot, they are mostly right except in the case of San Cristóbal. The weather was surprisingly chilly here and definitely required a jacket or pants.
The following day (Sunday) we went on a tour of the surrounding indigenous villages. Our first stop was in Zinacantán. We visited the house of a family that made beautiful textiles and embroidered items. The women showed us how each item is hand-woven. Then, we had a mock wedding using the traditional clothing that is worn in the village. The guy in the middle is Joyce, our crazy tour guide. We were also invited into the kitchen for some quesadillas made right on the comal.

Afterwards, we visited a pueblo called San Juan Chamula and observed an interesting religion being practiced in a very unique church. Because the weather is relatively chilly in this town, the men walk around wearing giant furry jackets and the women wear equally furry skirts. Yes, it kind of looks like Chewbacca took over this town.

From the outside, the church looks like a typical indigenous church, but once inside you will find that there are no pews and no altar. They walls are lined with glass cases each containing a saint, and on the marble floor thousands of candles are burning. In fact there are so many lit candles in this church that it feels warmer when you walk through the doors. Normally, a worshipper will light about twenty candles, placed in three rows. Each row is a different height with the highest candles at the back. These candles are lit first hoping that the three rows will burn out at the same time. The people who come to pray also bring a carbonated beverage, such as Coke or Fanta. The locals feel that burping is a way to release evil spirits in the body, and therefore pop is a very effective way to induce this. We also saw a “sacrifice” take place. This tiny old woman took 5 minutes to break a chicken’s neck and then offered the dead animal to the saint. It was quite interesting to say the least, and unfortunately I don’t have any pictures from the inside of the church as it is strictly prohibited.

Following our tour of the towns, we headed back to San Cristóbal for a quick run about the city. We saw the gorgeous, hand-carved façade of the Convento de Santo Domingo. We also visited an amber museum. The mountains surrounding Chiapas are known to have some of the finest amber in the world that is over 40 million years old. There were many people selling glass or plastic imitations of the amber, but true amber has several unique properties. It is extremely light and will float in saltwater. It is unaffected by nail polish remover, and it will attract a piece of paper when rubbed with fabric. Unfortunately, the amber was very expensive, so I chose to look rather than buy.

On Monday, we headed out past the city of San Cristóbal to see the many natural attractions. Our first stop was at the Grutas de Rancho Nuevo. The caves were discovered in 1947 and are approximately 6 miles long. However, the part of the cave that is open to visitors is only about a half a mile long. The stalagmites and stalactites were quite impressive.

On the way to our next stop, we stretched our legs in a town called Amatenango de Valle. The little town is renowned for its pottery. I also enjoyed seeing the brightly colored traditional dress of the Tzeltal women.

Finally, we made it to the place that would be my favorite of the whole trip: The Cascadas del Chiflón. Unfortunately, the extremely curvy roads and the ridiculous amount of speed bumps made me kind of sick, but I couldn’t pass up a place like this.

Just by looking at the pictures, you can see that these waterfalls are absolutely spectacular. The water has this gorgeous turquoise tinge to it because of the limestone rock the lines the river. There is a path that runs along the river, and as you climb you can see the series of waterfalls. The large waterfall called the Cascada Velo de Novia (Bride’s Veil) plummets nearly 400 feet. We were able to walk up to it, but there was so much spray from the falls that I only have pictures from far away.

It was quite a hike to see the other two waterfalls, but we were definitely up for the challenge. The waterfall at the very top is called the Cascada Quinceañera because it cascades out similar to the dress worn by the quinceañera at her 15th birthday party. Isn’t that teal water stunning?

Our final stop of the day was at the Lagos de Montebello. There are over 50 lakes here, but we saw three different ones. The lakes’ colors range from turquoise blue to emerald green, and they are surrounded by a pine and oak forest. We stopped to see the Lagunas de Colores, which included the Laguna Esmeralda, the Laguna Encantada, and the biggest lake, the Laguna Bosque Azul.

On Tuesday, we left quaint San Cristóbal de las Casas (and scrumptious falafel) behind and headed to the much talked about Agua Azul. While these waterfalls are also turquoise during most of the year, we happened to come during rainy season when the water was brown :-(. Needless to say, the intensity of these massive waterfalls was impressive and the surrounding jungle was also beautiful.

While we were allowed to swim in the waterfalls, we opted not to as the current is deceptively fast and there are many submerged hazards like rocks and dead trees. Instead we chose to eat some freshly sliced mango and cucumber and enjoy the beauty of the falls.

Following Agua Azul, we stopped by another waterfall called Misol-Ha. The main waterfall falls 115 feet over the cliff, and we were able to walk behind it. There was a path that led into a cave that allows further access to the waterfall, but unfortunately we had neither the time nor the money to check that part out. We relaxed on a big rock until it was time to go to our final destination of the day: Palenque.

The Mayan ruins of Palenque spread over 3,700 acres, but only a relatively compact area has been excavated. The temple in the top right picture is called the Tumba de la Reina Roja (Tomb of the Red Queen). In 1994, the remains of a Mayan queen were unearthed here. Her bones were a reddish color due to a cinnabar treatment, and over 1,000 pieces of jade were found with the skeleton. Some suspect that she was King Pakal’s wife.

The tomb of Pakal is nearby in the Templo de las Inscripciones. While visitors could once enter the tomb to see the jewel-bedecked skeleton and jade mosaic death mask, it is now closed due to humidity issues. The remains and treasures were removed from the tomb and moved to the Museo de Antropología.

There were many stone carvings littered around the site, and archaeologists are continuing to make discoveries here. However, they are unsure whether to destroy more jungle in order to uncover the ruins or to preserve the greenery and wildlife and leave the ruins to always remain a secret.

On Wednesday, we headed back out into the humidity and heat for another day of fun. Please don’t judge our looks or outfits in these photos. The heat was well into the upper 90’s with humidity hovering around 70-80%. It kind of felt like we were swimming at all times.

In order to arrive at the next site, we had to travel down the Río Usumacinta. The river is the dividing line between Mexico and Guatemala, so if you look, Guatemala is to the right side of the river. It took us about an hour on the lancha (boat) to get to Yaxchilán.

Once off the boat, we were welcomed by an array of tropical vegetation including guanábana, vanilla orchids, rubber, and pineapples.

Yaxchilán was one of the most important Classic Maya cities due to its location on the river. This gave it an advantage in commerce. It is renowned for its impressive stone lintels carved with conquest and ceremonial scenes. You will notice the original wooden beams that support the doorways. If you hear a crazy roaring sound, it is the howler monkeys that inhabit the trees. They kind of sound like ghostly Ooga-Booga people.

There were also more bugs than I would have liked. Even with bug spray covering my entire body, I was eaten alive. The higo estrangular (strangler fig) is a vine that wraps itself around a tree and eventually kills it. Please, notice the strangler fig that is intricately wrapped around this tree. In addition, the carvings at this site were amazingly detailed and easy to see. It is said that the people of this civilization used hallucinogenic mushrooms in their religious ceremonies. For this reason, there were many weird representations of animals combined with men.

Inside the pyramid on top of the hill, there was a Buddha-like statue. The head and body were separated, and it is said that when they are reunited, this village will once again come to power. While this temple is currently open to the public, it will be closed in a few years to preserve the ruins. Outside the temple, there were carvings of little elf-like characters. The Mayans believed that there were mischievous dwarves living in the surrounding jungle and they would lead people astray. In fact, there have been groups of explorers who ventured into these forests and never returned.

Finally, we visited the archaeological site of Bonampak. Its setting in the dense jungle hid it from the outside world until 1946. While, the site spreads over 590 acres, the main ruins stand around the rectangular Gran Plaza. Until 10 years ago, the only way to arrive at the site was either by airplane or a 2-day trek through the jungle. Fortunately, there is now an unpaved road that winds through the jungle making the site more accessible.

There were two cute little indigenous girls running around the site. I couldn’t resist taking a few pictures of them. But, the stone carvings were also stunning. These particular carvings show women piercing their tongues and men piercing “other” body parts to thank the gods.

But, Bonampak is most famous for its murals. In fact, Bonampak means “Painted Walls” in Yucatecan Maya. The frescoes that adorn the walls of the temple have weathered badly since their discovery in 1946. The scenes of the murals depict several very important events. A local army is getting ready to fight a battle; the warriors are victorious; the royal court is surrounded by musicians to celebrate the victory. Unfortunately, the frescoes were never finished because the site was abandoned when the Mayan civilization mysteriously evaporated.

On Thursday, our final day of the trip, we traveled to Villahermosa in the state of Tabasco. We visited the La Venta Museum. This museum is located outside and houses Olmec heads and replicas of some classic Mayan sculptures. The heat was soaring in the 100s and the humidity was out of control. This excessive combination got to our heads, and we decided to pose with the statues in the park. Afterwards, our tour guide dropped us off at the un-air-conditioned bus station. Then, we hung out at the air-conditioned Chedraui grocery store for 4 hours. We bought some turkey, queso manchego, and bolillos and made some delicious sandwiches. Mmmm. Then it was back to DF.

I must say that this really was the ultimate adventure and was definitely worth every penny. I would highly recommend Chiapas to those adventurous individuals who are traveling to Mexico :-).

Click for more pictures! (Canon del Sumidero)

Click for more pictures! (Indigenous Villages)

Click for more pictures! (Caves, Chiflon, Montebello)

Click for more pictures! (Agua Azul, Misol Ha, Palenque)

Click for more pictures! (Yaxchilan, Bonampak)

Click for more pictures! (Museo La Venta)

Abrazos, Nicole

Read More!

Last Day at CENLEX

It is really hard to believe that today was my last day at CENLEX. Almost 8 months ago, I started working here, getting to know the students and teachers. Now, it is going to be hard to leave the many friends that I have made. In order to make the goodbye more enjoyable, Cammie and I planned several events for the students.

First, we took them on an English scavenger hunt around campus. There were 4 teams of students and each team had to figure out a letter puzzle. Once the puzzle was solved, it determined where they needed to go next.

After that Cammie and I provided some snacks for the students, which included Rice Krispie treats, Rice Krispie treat caramel balls (everything you can make without a stove), and chocolate chip cookies. Our students brought lots of other goodies, including chips, cookies, drinks, and a delicious mango cake. Andy also came for the celebration, and it was nice to have him there. The man wearing the pinkish-white shirt is Alejandro…I will never forget when he acted out the word “sleigh” during a game of charades. He got his hips moving and everything trying to put on his best impression of Santa Claus. Alejandro is doing a recap for us in this picture.

Following snacks, Cammie and I hosted a water balloon toss. Yep, that’s right. We filled over 25 balloons with water in the CENLEX bathroom beforehand. Everything was going great and the students were loving the event, when we were suddenly “shutdown” by the authorities. Apparently, we were making too much noise and it was just too messy. The worst part of the whole deal was that they sent out a custodian to “mop up” the water that was on the pavement. We were outside for heaven’s sake, but oh well. Can’t mess with the big guys.

After spending time with the students, the morning teachers invited us in to the English coordination center for a little goodbye party. They bought pastes de mole for everyone and also provided lots of drinks.

In the afternoon, the other group of teachers did something similar. They bought whole wheat empanadas for us stuffed with a variety of vegetables. There was so much food that by the time I left CENLEX, I felt like I was going to burst. We stopped to pose for a picture with our two wonderful and crazy bosses, Frank and Charlie. It was really hard to say goodbye. I must say that everyone at CENLEX made me feel extremely welcomed not only during my first few days, but throughout my stay.

Thanks to the IPN and CENLEX for hosting me as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant. I truly appreciated it!

Click for more pictures!

Abrazos, Nicole

Read More!

Saying Goodbye in Cuernavaca and a Trip to Guadalajara

My wonderful students in Cuernavaca invited me to town for an afternoon to have lunch and say goodbye. I met them at the good ‘ol CCG and we sat around under the umbrellas for a little and talked. Then we decided to get lunch at a place in town. I ordered a potato and chorizo (sausage)quesadilla which was giant and pretty scrumptious. Afterwards, a smaller group of us headed to the bowling alley for a round of games. My students were so generous and not only treated me to lunch, but also paid for my games at the bowling alley. It was really sad to say goodbye, but I’m hoping to keep in touch. They are a very bright group of young individuals, and I know they will go on to lead successful careers.

On Friday night, Roberto and I took the overnight Primera Plus bus to Guadalajara. Primera Plus happens to be one of the sweetest bus lines going in Mexico. Not only do they offer cushy seats that recline, but they also give you a little snack bag and a drink. That’s a definite plus. The capital city of Jalisco, Guadalajara is the second largest city in all of Mexico. The city itself features a mix of colonial and modern architecture and is surrounded by several quaint neighborhoods, including Zapopan and Tlaquepaque.

For just $100 pesos ($7), Roberto and I opted to see the large city on the Tapatío tour, a double-decker bus that takes you through Guadalajara and the surrounding neighborhoods. There was running commentary on the bus, so we were able to learn about the various historic monuments as we went along. Our first stop was in the town of Tlaquepaque. This suburb of Guadalajara offers a myriad of artesanías (crafts) including, pottery, blown glass, textiles, etc. The buildings were brightly colored, and I enjoyed strolling through the various shops admiring the local handiwork. We stopped at an ice cream store to get an afternoon treat. It was the first time I had ever seen anyone churning ice cream by hand for a big store!

We also passed by the Arcos del Milenio (Millennium Arches), which are approximately 170 ft. high. They were built between the years of 1999-2001 to celebrate the new millennium and to also bring more modern art to Guadalajara. On the recommendation of my students, we stopped by Las 9 Esquinas to eat birria. Birria is a type of shredded beef that is served in a chile broth. Roberto and I successfully polished off our meal and two pitchers of agua de piña (pineapple juice.) Yes, we were officially full and could barely move :-P.

On Sunday morning, we toured the nearby town of Tequila. If you were wondering, this is where tequila is made. We stopped at a tequila farm called Las Tres Mujeres to see what the process involved. Tequila is made from a cactus called the Blue Agave. The jimador is the farmer who harvests the blue agave; Jimador Rafael showed us around the farm.

The agave is planted, tended, and harvested by hand. It takes about 8-12 years for agave to ripen. The jimador uses a coa, which is a flat-bladed knife on the end of a pole in order to harvest the agave. With the coa, he cuts the agave plant from the ground, then begins to hack off the leaves in order to create a piña (pineapple). Each piña usually weighs 40-70 lbs. A skilled jimador can harvest almost one ton of piñas daily and it takes about 15.5 lbs. of agave to produce 1 liter of tequila. I was able to try some of the raw agave which has no flavor and is similar to chewing on thin wood.

Once the piñas are harvested, they are roasted and shredded. During the shredding process the fibers are washed with water to help extract the sugar. I was also able to try a piece of roasted, shredded agave, and I must admit that I did not like the taste.

A few years back a Mexican soap opera about a young woman called "Distilling Love" was filmed on this very farm. The soap opera is well-known throughout Mexico, particularly for the scene when Gaviota’s lover runs out into the field of agave and screams her name. Roberto attempted a remake, but was pricked by one of the spines of the agave. I will admit it was kind of funny, but the swelling afterwards was not very enjoyable.

The shredded agave is transferred to large fermentation vats, and yeast is added to accelerate the process of converting sugars to alcohol. Those giant vats of fermenting agave honestly smelled disgusting. Haha…it looks like I’m smiling, but I’m just trying to hold my breath. Afterwards, the fermented mixture is distilled and put into barrels to age it. There are five types of tequila: blanco, joven, reposado, añejo, and extra añejo. Tequila blanco is not aged at all and is clear while tequila extra añejo is aged for at least three years and has a golden color.

After visiting Las Tres Mujeres, we stopped by José Cuervo’s plantation. We also toured the Tequila Museum which housed a variety of different bottles and brands of tequila.

Back in Guadalajara, we stopped by the Palacio de Gobierno that is adorned with José Clemente Orozco’s murals. The murals celebrate the independence hero, Miguel Hidalgo, who proclaimed the abolition of slavery in Mexico in 1810.

The Palacio de Gobierno is the current house to the state government offices. It was completed in 1774 and Orozco’s mural was added in 1937. The mural located in the former Congress Hall depicts Hidalgo, Benito Juárez, and other important historical figures.

On Sunday afternoon, it was time to say goodbye to Guadalajara. It would have been nice to try a torta ahogada, but there’s always next time.

Click for more pictures! (Cuernavaca)

Click for more pictures! (Guadalajara)

Abrazos, Nicole

Read More!