La Playa

Classes ended for me last week, but I still had several days before my program ended, so I decided to spend my free time at the beach. My friend Jessica and I went to Zihuatanejo which is on the west coast of Mexico and is close to Ixtapa, a resort town. Our trip had a rocky start. We missed our first bus, so we had to buy a second set of tickets and then when we changed buses, we discovered that our second set of tickets was for a 1:00 am departure. We thought they were for 1:00 pm, so we had to buy new tickets again. It was a hassle, but we made it safely and we are already able to laugh about it. I guess we were due at least one bad travel experience.

The first thing we noticed when we arrived was how hot it was in Zihuatanejo. It was so hot in fact, that it was not a problem to have only cold water at our hotel. I got sunburnt every day even though I put on way more sunscreen that I would have thought I needed.


Those few days were so wonderful! We spent so much time relaxing. We slept for so long every night and then spent all day laying on the beach. We tried several different beaches: Las Gatas, La Ropa, and one on Isla Ixtapa. Our favorite by a long shot was La Ropa. The water was so clear and beautiful. It was perfect for swimming because it got deep gradually and there were no strange creatures. The sand was clean and there were beach chairs to relax in all along the beaches. The waves were a lot of fun too. Jessica and I tried to get out far enough in the ocean that they weren't crashing over our heads, but once this huge wave crashed right on top of us and threw us into the ocean. It was crazy! I was scraped along the bottom for a minute before I was able to regain my footing, but we were okay.


On our second day there we went on a city tour with an awesome taxi driver named Carlos. He took us all around Zihuatanejo and Ixtapa and showed us all the really expensive, exclusive hotels. There is one resort that costs $1000 USD per night! He also took us to a nature reserve and we fed the aligators raw chicken and the iguanas radish leaves. It was really neat to see twenty some iguanas come walking out of the trees.


We ate really well while we were at the beach. The food in Zihuatanejo was cheap and delicious! The last night we were there we ate at a nicer restaurant on the beach. I had grilled shrimp, rice and salad. It was so good, but kind of weird because the shrimp were still intact, heads and all. They were two-tailed shrimp also. It was delicious, but required some maneuvering to avoid eating the heads.


It was a great way to end my time in Mexico. I've had so many experiences and they are all so different. I can't believe that I'm coming home tomorrow. At least I'll be nice and tan. :)

The Homestretch

I can hardly believe it - I have seven more days in Mexico. I have one more whole day in Guanajuato and five days at the beach and then I come home. It's amazing how quickly the time has gone by. It's had its ups and downs, but I am so glad that I was able to have this experience. I've learned so much and had so much fun.



This week has been a little odd. Classes and exams ended on Tuesday, so I've been able to bum around and start thinking about packing up my stuff. Wednesday I went up to El Buen Pastor and had so much fun with the girls there. I can't believe I have to say good-bye to them next week. Speaking of good-byes, I said good-bye to my church this past Sunday. It was really special because they prayed for us and then all the youth kids gave us big hugs. Today I started packing. Partly because I love packing (it's like organizing!) and partly because if I don't then I have to do it all next Wednesday morning when I could be out enjoying my last few hours in Guanajuato. I have so much stuff too. I kinda went crazy on the gift-buying so I might have to get creative to get it all packed.



People keep asking me if I'm ready to leave. I am ready. I've loved my time in Guanajuato, but that time is up. I'm ready to see my family and friends and take up my life again in South Carolina. Someday I hope to be able to bring my own family to Guanajuato and to show them the sights and to eat again at my favorite restaurants and plazas. But for now, it's time to go home.