El Fin y Guanajuato

Our program officially ended last Friday. It felt so good to finally turn all those papers and exams in but it was definitely a little bittersweet, knowing that everyone was leaving the next day. I'm really going to miss everyone.

The group in front of Santo Domingo <3

I have to say this quarter has been one of the best, most educational and truly life changing experiences I’ve ever had.  There's so much I'm going to take away from it and so much I think I can apply to my life in general.  Also, I've finally decided for sure I want to go to med school so I guess that means I'll be studying for the MCAT this summer. (Yipee!)

Right now, I'm with Mom in Guanajuato.  She got in on Saturday morning to Oaxaca. We spent a couple days there just hanging out and doing some shopping.  I took her to El Tule for lunch, which I think she really liked. How could you not? Literally best tlayudas ever. Also, for the very first time I saw the inside of Santo Domingo.  You'd have thought sometime in the last 3 months I would've been curious enough to venture in, but I guess I sort of failed on that front.  As it turns out, the inside is really really gorgeous and definitely worth the time. I'll have to post pics later. On Sunday we had a nice afternoon coffee/snack with Michelle, Jane, and Jane's parents who were also still hanging around in Oaxaca.  

Jane's parents, Mom, Me, Michelle, Jane at Nuevo Mundo

I know we're all going back to Davis in winter but it was actually really hard to say goodbye to them.

Yesterday, Mom and I took a plane to Guanajuato.  Mom had a little panic attack in the Mexico City airport when they said our plane had been canceled but as it turned out there was another flight leaving at the exact same time so no big. We've been here in Guanajuato for a day and a half now.  The city is so different from Oaxaca.  It's much smaller and more cutesy, less street vendors, and the people that live here are definitely a lot better off. Also, it's a lot younger crowd than in Oaxaca, since the university is here.  Yesterday we didn't do too much except walk around and get food.  I was a little disappointed to find that my delicious Oaxacan black beans had been substituted for only mediocre Guanajuato-an(?) pinto beans but I did thoroughly enjoy my enchiladas. ;)

Today, we did a little more exploring. There's a street here called Callejón del Beso which is so narrow the balconies on either side of the street are practically touching. 

Callejón del Beso

As legend has it, two young lovers (the girl from a wealthy family and the boy a poor miner) would exchange kisses in secret across these balconies.  Unfortunately, the girl's father, who did not approve of the boy, found out about their romance and as our guide book put it, "the couple met a tragic end."  I guess a little like a Mexican Romeo and Juliet? 

We also went to go see El Museo de Las Momias.  (Yes, that would be momias as in mummies!) 

¡¡Momias!!

 I thought it was really neat but Mom had to go back and wait for me at the beginning. I don't think it was her thing. Haha.  After that we grabbed lunch in the square across from Teatro Júarez.  Tortas with french fries.  It was a little americanized but the french fries were gladly welcomed on my end. I honestly cannot wait to get home and indulge in real American food!

We finished off the afternoon, visiting Diego Rivera's old home.  This was the house he lived in until he was 6, before his family moved to Mexico City. The first floor was a display of some of the rooms, furnished typical for the time period. The second and third floor housed a bunch of Rivera's works.  I'm not normally big on art museums but I thought it was kind of cool.  I had no idea he had so many different styles. Each painting looked so different from the next; it was hard to believe the same artist did all of them.

Tomorrow morning we leave for San Miguel de Allende. I hope it's warmer there. It's absolutely freezing here. (Okay, maybe not freezing but compared to Oaxaca, it sure feels like it.) Also, our hot water in this hotel works for literally no more than 5 minutes before it shuts off and gets all cold. So unpleasant but I think I'm going to attempt to wash my hair tonight. Eek. Wish me luck!