Interim in Mexico 2008

The day we lost two students

2008-01-20T17:29:00.000-08:00

In front of the museum of Anthropology. We discovered just after this that we had left two students down at the cathedral. Fortunately they were soon found.

TGI Fridays

2008-01-20T17:25:00.000-08:00

food we recognize! yeah!
Desserts

The jarana or La Vaqueria

2008-01-20T17:17:00.000-08:00

This year there were groups of folkloric dancers from many different towns dancing the jarana in the plaza on Monday night.
Usually just one group performs, but this was how it used to be: everyone in their finery coming into town to dance.
This was the Friday before; a different band played on each corner of the plaza and the people danced. It was mostly Tejano music.

The cathedral at night

the cenote Ik'kil

2008-01-20T17:11:00.000-08:00

It looks scary but there is a very wide staircase carved into the earth beside of the cenote
Once down at the bottom there is a stairs from which the daredevils jump (or dive)
Getting to jump as a group

It was great to cool off after a hot day at the Chichen Itza ruins.

Chichen Itza

2008-01-20T17:03:00.000-08:00

Our service project

2008-01-20T16:46:00.000-08:00

The pictures are not in order but you can see we worked hard and they fed us well.
Tyler LOVED these tamales!!
The ladies who brought the food.
It was a very hot day!

working hard with pick-axes digging the trench for the wall
eating tamales for lunch
moving rubble

Sunday, January 20

2008-01-20T08:56:00.000-08:00

Well, we have come to our last day in Merida. On Friday and Saturday we had student presentations on various cultural topics such as dating, weddings, the church, typical observance of the Day of the Dead, Mexican popular music, traditional herbal medicine, tropical fruits eaten in the Yucatan Peninsula, and many more, 34 to be precise! In addition we heard our two final lectures, on the Mexican economy and on suicide among Mexican young people. After one final lunch provided by a local pastor´s wife, we reflected a bit on all the things we have learned in the past two and a half weeks. We agreed that although we can´t really say what Mexico is like we do have a much better idea of what Merida and the Yucatan Peninsula are like. We have visited several historical and archeological sites, seen some natural wonders, read about history, the church, and society, spent a weekend in a village, visited a Christian clinic and the Museum of Anthropology, but, more important, we have broken bread, prayed, and shared everyday life with our Yucatecan brothers and sisters in Christ.

Today we spend a quiet day with our host families and pack our bags, and first thing tomorrow morning we head out by bus for the ruins at Tulum and then the beach at Playa del Carmen. We hope to spend Tuesday at a park called Xcaret (I imagine you could look it up on line). They have various water attractions including snorkeling, as well as a butterfly garden, a zoo, an evening sight-sound show, and much more. We will be just tourists for the day. Then we will have Wednesday to relax, go to the beach or do anything else we like, and on Thursday morning we will board our bus one more time to go the airport in Cancun and head back to the ice and snow.

some more news

2008-01-17T08:03:00.000-08:00

January 14 and 15
The students came back from the pueblos with many stories to share about their adventures, from farming to teaching Sunday School, from soccer games to boat trips. All in all they agreed it was an important and mostly very enjoyable experience. After talking over these experiences we had a lecture Monday and another one Tuesday morning. We also discussed readings and our developing cultural perspectives. We enjoyed an afternoon off Tuesday to explore the city, shop, or relax.
Wednesday, January 16
This has been a wonderful day. We left shortly after 7:30 a.m. for the archeological site of Chichen Itza. This is one of the very biggest sites, occupying 12 square miles, with numerous buildings carefully restored showing an abundance of carvings of both original Mayan and later Mayan-Toltec motifs. Over 300 buildings remain to be restored. We also saw the ball court with the stone rings through which the captain of each team tried to bump a solid rubber ball with shoulders or hips. There is a very large pyramid built on top of another pyramid, along the 90 stairs of which you can see a serpent outlined in light and shadows during both spring and fall equinoxes. We climbed the steps leading to the circular observatory and walked over to the ceremonial well in a sinkhole in the limestone (cenote). It was very hot in the bright midday sun.
We cooled off in an air-conditioned restaurant with a buffet, where we were entertained by folk dancers, and we changed into bathing suits in preparation for our next adventure. On the grounds of a nearby hotel, there is a deep cenote partially covered with rock, out of which falls a cascade of water into the pool below. You can take a set of stairs down to jump into the refreshingly cool water. The hotel has also built some steps up along one side of the cenote’s wall so you can jump off a high platform down into the water. This was great fun and the favorite experience thus far for some of us. We returned to Merida in time for supper, sunburned and worn out.

some pictures

2008-01-12T16:51:00.001-08:00

the Magicians temple...it really is as large as it seems in comparison to the people in the picture

having some fun

Uxmal is located in a very arid part of the Yucatan.We are standing by one of the hundreds of cisterns have been found at Uxmal.

at Uxmal
the structure called the House of Doves

from the top of the pyramid

help!!

sound and light show
The pictures are a bit out order but they show us at Uxmal where we had a very enthusiastic guide and learned many fascinating things about this site. Then we climbed some of the structures. After dinner we went back for a sound and light show.

Two days later we went to Loltun caves and the ruins at Mayapan. We spent relatively little time at Mayapan but it was really fun to have the entire place to ourselves. I´ll get those pictures up soon.

Yesterday after a lecture on the educational system in Mexico, the students left for their weekend in the 'pueblos'. Some are very small towns , even villages , but others are fairly large towns. We have an arrangement with the local Presbiterian Seminary. The seminarians all have a church at which they work on the weekends as part of their training to be pastors. These seminarians agree to watch over the Calvin students for a weekend in their pueblo. This is something we have done since the beginning of this Interim 18 years ago and it is always a wonderful experience. It is still a bit of a scary thing to head off, two by two, into the unknown. Pray that they all have a blessed time. I´m sure they will all have great stories to tell.

some pictures

2008-01-12T16:40:00.001-08:00

Sound and light show at Uxmal
Uxmal
sound and light show

Uxmal: climbing the pyramids

Professor Zandstra at Uxmal

L
Uxmal
A good example of the false arch in maya architecture

Wednesday, January 9

2008-01-09T17:17:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, January 9

After our long day yesterday we convened downtown on the main plaza at 10 a.m. First we took a brief look at the inside of the cathedral, which was completed in 1599 and contains the largest carved wooden Christ figure (a crucifix) in the Americas. Then we walked down to the Paseo de Montejo, which was modeled after the Avenue Champs Elysees in Paris and is lined with beautiful old mansions of the henequen (sisal) barons. One of those contains the Museum of Anthropology, dedicated mostly to Mayan artifacts and information. It is beautifully set up and we were duly impressed. Then we walked back to the Presbiterio and around the corner to a small neighborhood restaurant, where the owners were thrilled but somewhat daunted by the size of our group (36, and yes, we did give them some advance notice). We filled the entire restaurant and enjoyed a generous platter of Yucatecan pork with rice, fried bananas, refried beans, tortillas, and other garnishes. It was delicious and inexpensive. A great find.

This afternoon we spent some time in groups processing some of the plenteous information and experiences we´ve enjoyed thus far. Then we had a lecture on the history of the conquest and colonial times in Mexico, particularly in the Yucatan Peninsula. It was warm, but since the lecture was interesting we managed to concentrate most of the time anyhow. We are looking forward to our trip to various archeological sites tomorrow, including a cave where they found many artifacts used for offerings to the gods of the underworld, and perhaps even a bullfight! More details in the next exciting episode. For now, buenas noches.

Tuesday, Jan 8

2008-01-08T20:23:00.001-08:00

Tuesday, January 8This has been a very full but fascinating day. Those of us who were interested in visiting the Centennial Zoo met at the central plaza and took a bus to the main entrance. We wandered about and enjoyed a variety of Mexican birds and animals, including, of all things, grey squirrels. Who knew the Calvin campus was a wildlife preserve. Some of our favorites were the baby pygmy deer and tiny monkeys clutching their mothers´fur with their hands, feet, and tails as they swung about under the trees, as well as the hippos with their wide, gaping mouths. We rode the kiddie train around the perimeter and then walked all the way back to the Presbiterio. The next activity was a visit to a nearby evangelical maternity clinic founded by Christian doctors and a missionary to serve Christians with limited resources. We were impressed by the fine care lovingly provided for very reasonable costs. Then, after another lunch provided by a local pastor and his wife, we climbed onto the bus to head for Uxmal.Uxmal is probably the oldest and arguably one of the most beautiful Mayan cities in the Yucatan Peninsula. We were privileged to have a very knowledgeably and enthusiastic guide who spoke at great length about the religious symbolism and numerology incorporated into the various building compounds. The detail and artistic quality of the stone carvings as well as the sophisticated knowledge that went into their buildings and educational systems were truly impressive. We had dinner at a nearby restaurant--a Yucatecan recipe, pollo pibil. This was chicken seasoned and wrapped in banana leaves, then slowly baked underneath hot coals. We then hurried back to Uxmal after dark for a light and sound presentation. The ancient buildings came alive in a new way under countless stars. We got back to Merida after 9 p.m. completely tired out but glad for the experiences and new knowledge and understanding.

Monday, January 7

2008-01-08T20:10:00.000-08:00

After a Sunday with our host families and a Monday morning spent catching up on reading, rest, and assignments, we all met after lunch at the main plaza downtown with the goal of becoming better acquainted with the downtown area. First we visited the Palacio de Gobierno, where we saw large paintings and murals depicting the history of the Yucatan Peninsula. Then we divided into two groups to explore nearby churches, plazas, theatres, university buildings, and streets. We ended up in the main square, where we checked out historical buildings such as the oldest cathedral in Mexico, the house built for the founder of Merida, and a former convent. We ended up our walking tour with delicious fruit popsicles at a conveniently located heladeria (ice cream shop).If that weren´t enough, we then hopped the bus to our headquarters at the Presbiterio (church buildings used for education, meetings, etc.), where we heard a lively lecture by a local history teacher about the life and times of the Mayas, including their social classes, educational system, religious practices, and ideas about human beauty (crossed eyes, sharpened and jewel-incrusted teeth, a sloping forehead--America´s next top model, eat your heart out). We headed home after a very active but interesting day

2008-01-08T19:40:00.000-08:00

Some of us went to a mission church that meets in the front of the house of one of the members.
It is a very friendly, happy group.
Old and new<: a lamp post downtown hung with speakers.
In front of city hall.

Walking down the street with this big group is a sight to behold.

Steak at the seafood restaurant.

and flowers at the ruins.

have you seen ...??

2008-01-08T19:25:00.000-08:00

By now, I hope everyone has seen a glimpse of the person you know in at least one picture. In these you{ll see the chapel the Spaniards built when they first came to Dzibilchaltun. The seven small dolls that they found while doing an excavtion that gave the temple it's name, some of the food students ordered at a seafood restaurant (tacos and hamburgers) and the students listening to our guide.

and some more

2008-01-08T08:01:00.001-08:00

nachos
swimming in the cenote

a kapok tree

in class

a few more

2008-01-08T06:35:00.000-08:00

We are also going to the zoo this morning and to a medical clinic.

Everyone is already much more fluent but it does make us tired.

finally some pictures

2008-01-08T06:27:00.001-08:00

This particular computer is pretty slow...let´s see what happens. Today we are heading to Maya site of Uxmal.

Jan 5

2008-01-06T13:16:00.001-08:00

On Saturday almost all of us made our way back to our meeting place without a problem…almost all of us. When we finally had everyone there, we climbed onto the bus and headed for Dzibilchaltún (we challenge you to pronounce that!) a Mayan archeological site. The name means: writing on flat or smooth stones. It is famous for the discovery of many stelae covered with elaborate carvings of Mayan warriors. We saw our Mayan pyramids, roads and ceremonial plazas and also for the observatory called the palace of the seven dolls. There is also a cenote (a deep natural well connected to an underground river) there with crystal clear water in which we were able to swim…with the fish. We thought of all the parents and friends that were in colder climates…
After our swim we headed to the town of Progreso for lunch in a seafood restaurant. Many were brave and ate fish or gambas (jumbo shrimp) stuffed with crab, or cheese stuffed something or other or something with shark, some ordered tacos or nachos Mexican style, a few others got chicken Pibil (Yucatán style, wrapped in banana leaves) and then there was the one steak and the chicken cooked in ways that didn’t seem too threatening (…we won’t mention the few cheeseburgers which is something akin to ordering coffee in a Chinese restaurant in the States). All in all the food is always an adventure.
We spent an hour or so relaxing on the beach but unfortunately it was windy and even a bit too cool for the most adamant sunbathers.
Our last adventure of the day was trying to find our way. The streets were darker than before and they were busy because this is the weekend when Merida celebrates its 466th anniversary. There were tons of people downtown, streets were closed, and stages and rows of folding chairs had been set up at several corners of the main plaza. Later in the evening there was folk dance, an official opening ceremony, and a concert (do any of you parents remember the name Armando Manzanero? He grew up in Merida). But meanwhile students had to remember where to catch their buses and where to get off—always easier by day than by night. Eventually we all made our way home after a tiring but fascinating and satisfying day.

ARRIVAL

2008-01-04T20:00:00.000-08:00

We arrived save and sound last night. The flights went well, the bus was at the airport to pick us up and we slept and talked and worried all the way to Merida. Once we were in Merida, we unloaded the bus and met our families. There was a fair amount of confusion but it was all sorted out and everyone had a place to hang their hammocks last night. It wasn't the best night for a first experience in a hammock because it was very cold but everyone survived and arrived at our meeting place with smiles and stories to tell.
We spent the morning learning about how to survive WELL and so enjoy the time that we have here. We also got to know each other a bit more through various activities. After lunch we all got on a tourist open bus that was painted all the colors of the rainbow and learned about the various sections of this big and beautiful city.
Tomorrow we are going to Dzibilchaltun...an archaeological site just north of the city and then on to the port city of Progreso. We will see the old and then the new. and maybe a few flamingos mixed in as well.
I am using a dial-up connection so I can't post pictures but perhaps tomorrow night ...
until then Buenas noches.

2007-12-22T07:52:00.001-08:00

Monument to the flag
Merida

Merida, a city of about 1 million people, is a wonderful mixture of colonial city and cosmopolitan destination. With Merida as your base, you can visit cathedrals and churches, Mayan ruins, museums, haciendas and cenotes. You'll also find movies, theaters, important hospitals, public and private schools, four universities, shopping malls with such stores as Sear's, and chain stores such as Sam's, Costco and WalMart as well as the Mexican chains of Liverpool, Comercial Mexicana/MEGA, Soriana and Sanborn's.

HISTORY
The Spaniard Francisco de Montejo founded Merida on January 6, 1542. When the Spaniards arrived, Merida was a large Mayan city known as T'ho, situated on what is now the Main Plaza. It was conquered by the Spaniards, who dismantled all the pyramids and used the huge stones as the foundation for the Cathedral of San Idelfonso (1556-1599), the oldest cathedral on the American continent.

The Cathedral, situated on the east side of the Plaza, is only one of Merida's many interesting sites. Directly across the Plaza is the Palacio Municipal (1735), Merida's Town Hall. On the south side is the Casa de Montejo (1542), the former home of the conqueror of Yucatan.The Cathedral

Off Campus Programs

2007-12-21T06:36:00.000-08:00

I received a request from the Off-Campus programs Office.
Please do not contact them about this blog.
Thanks

Merida here we come

2007-12-21T06:18:00.000-08:00

A group of 34 students and two fearless leaders from Calvin College will be spending three weeks in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico. We are excited and a bit nervous. We are staying with host families and we have to actually sleep in hammocks!
We will be posting information and pictures about our experience here in this blog. It's a lot of work and I need encouragement...so I figure that if I don't get any comments, no one is looking at or reading the blog. (ha ha)