Day 2

Three days have already gone by! Que loco!! It already feels like time is moving in a blur. I am so busy all of the time that it’s practically impossible to keep up with the blog…but I promise that I am trying my hardest!

The second day in Mexico was the day of our “academic orientation.” We didn’t have class, but we had to be at the school from 9am to 1:30. We sat in the “auditorio” (auditorium) where they talked to us about rules, host families, safety, health issues, planned activities, and of course academics. All of the professors were introduced to us and they described their classes. Then we officially signed up for the classes that we are going to take here in Guanajuato. I am going to take “Contemporary Mexican Politics and Society” as well as “History of Mexcio.” I think that they will complement each other rather well and I’m hoping that it will turn out to be a good schedule. I will have class from 10:00 until 12:15 Monday through Thursday with ony one class a day. I think that this will make it easier to prepare for class each day with only to worry about. At the end of our orientation they took us on a little tour around “el centro” of Guanajuato. We saw “el Teatro Juarez” which is a large theater with fantastic architecture, the main cathedral, and “el jardin de la union” which is the main plaza in Guanajuato.

The top of "Teatro Juarez"

The steps up to the main building of the university

A little plaza in downtown Guanajuato

After that we came home and ate our late lunch (the second meal of the day in Mexico is eaten in the afternoon around 2 or 3 pm). I honestly can’t remember what we ate…I think it was chicken soup and tortillas with “nopales” cactus and avocado on the side, but I just can’t be sure. Already all of the meals are blending together. Then my roommate Jessica and I went back to “el centro” to visit with some of our classmates. We pretty much all just sat on the steps in front of the “Teatro Juarez” and chatted about anything and everything. Then it was time to walk back to the house…again.

The main cathedral in Guanajuato

I don’t think that I have described the absolutely horrific path that we have to take to get home. It is a decent sized “callejon” (which I guess translates to alley, although there are more callejones in Guanajuato than there are real streets, so it is very common to travel on these alleys) that is the steepest pathway ofany sort that I’ve ever seen in a city. Honestly it feels like I’m going for a hike in the middle of the city. I knew that we would have to walk a lot…but I was completely unprepared for the intensity of said walking. The first time that we took this path home was after orientation when our “mom” showed us how to get back to the house from “el centro.” Wow…at 1:30 when the heat is at its peak and you have a backpack on….goodness. I think I learned a lot about myself and what I was capable of. I am not normally one to exercise really at all and I’m definitely out of shape…so when we made it to the top (after stopping 3 times) I was so proud of myself. Then Jess and I went up the path again a second time that day. It was actually a little better the second time because it wasn’t as hot and we didn’t have backpacks on…but it was definitely still more than I would have willingly attempted before coming here. They say that in four or five days that we’ll be used to it…but I’m really not at all sure that that’s the truth. Hopefully by the end of the 2 months I’ll be used to it. Everytime I make it to our room and flop on the bed (which is up 2 flights of stairs after that climb(!) I definitely feel like I accomplished a miracle. Haha…I’m sure it seems like I’m exaggerating and I don’t think that photos can show really well just how steep it is or how far it is since it’s not straight the whole way up…but I’m serious when I say that it’s the steepest climb I ever hope to make!

So…back to Day 2 after my lovely litle rant about the walk home. We ate dinner after getting back (taquitos!) and then it was time to start getting ready for bed. I haven’t gone to bed this early in years…but after long days like this it’s impossible not to be utterly exhausted at the end of the day! I did forget one little aspect about my day that might provide interesting. Jess and I played Jenga with the kids. It was lots of fun especially since the blocks were different colors and there was a die that you rolled that told you which color block you have to pull. The kids really are great!