Journey through Sierra Gorda mountains

SIERRA GORDA, Queretaro--We've been through this kind of harrowing journey before. The kind where in order to get to the destination we've had to drive through hours of sharp twists and turns, climbing higher and higher along Mexico's mountainside. Each time has been an adventure, but this time was definitely the most scenic.

Perhaps the other times (on a bus with a weak stomach and in the back of a truck driven by two cops with machine guns) I was a little distracted to look out the window.

But in the Sierra Gorda region, I was stunned by the beauty of all the ecosystems we passed (desert, jungle, cloud forests, etc.) I kept wanting to stop to take photos, but sometimes the shoulder-less winding roads by the cliffs made it hard to pull over. Whenever we had a chance, though, we jumped out and soaked up the magnificence of the mountains. Each mile became more beautiful, more surreal.





As the sun went down and a fierce rain came, the drive became even more of a challenge. Temperatures dropped and suddenly we were driving through a cloud forest with about 10 feet of visibility (it also didn't help that our rental car had weak headlights!). I kept shrieking to Jeremy, "Don't look to the sides!" If he had looked to the sides like I did, he would have not been able to see anything but a white thickness. The scary part was that I knew we were right by the edge of the mountain.

Just as we thought we couldn't last much longer on the crazy road, a sign announcing our hotel popped up. We made it, and the breathtaking views definitely made the wild trek and my mild motion sickness :( worthwhile.

¡Viva la Revolución!

JALPAN DE SERRA, Queretaro--While Mexico celebrated their Revolution Day on Nov. 20, we watched the revelers from the restaurant balcony of our hotel. There was dancing and parades all around to commemorate the 1910 revolution that put revolutionaries such as Emiliano Zapata and Pancho Villa on the map. It is believed that painter and activist Frida Kahlo, who was actually born in 1907, would tell people she was born with the revolution in 1910.


It's a tradition for children to dress up like revolutionaries and perform dances or skits.

San Miguel de Allende

SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE, Guanajuato--This city is definitely worth a visit for it's amazing cathedral and beautiful architecture. Mariachis hang out in the main plaza and fountains and smaller plazas called plazuelas appear in every other corner. It was reminiscent of one of my favorite cities in Mexico--Guanajuato City. Although I didn't order the best food around town, some good old-fashioned tacos were just fine.


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photos by jeremy

Year-end adventures

I've been so behind in blog posts, but I have a good reason. Jeremy and I haven't stopped moving in weeks. It's been hectic, chaotic, but also amazing and inspiring because we've seen some spectacular things along the way. Before the year 2008 ends, I want to share the adventures we've had in the last couple of weeks.

SANTA JULIA CHILDREN'S SHELTER in GUANAJUATO--The little girls here have been through so much pain in their lives, yet they exude love all around them. They all have powerful stories of suffering and heartache, but at this shelter they are picking up the pieces of their lives--and some aren't even teenagers yet. The girls embraced us with open arms and took us in as if they'd known us all their lives. It was uplifting to see such strong young girls rise from their struggles.


These girls, like all children, were instantly drawn to Jeremy. Here he shows them video of themselves.


Adorable Dulce


This is what happens when dozens of girls live together...shoes, shoes, shoes!!


Cool fruits on the grounds of Santa Julia.


The Virgen watches over the Santa Julia girls.


The girls are blessed to have four nuns who watch over them.