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.


www.skyscraperlife.com

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.

Best Newspaper Office--EVER

When we were in Puebla for Dia de los Muertos we couldn't help but notice how lucky Puebla newspaper reporters are to work in this beautiful historic building.
(Disclaimer: OK, I know there are a million other beautiful things in Puebla but keep in mind that the Flores-Schwartz reporting team joined forces with our friends and media colleagues Brendan and Joy, who have also at one time or another worked at a newspaper. So we can't help it!)

I've worked in some crummy newspaper buildings and some cool ones, and this by far is the nicest I've seen. Check out the individual balconies in each office window. These open up to views of colonial cathedrals, the gardens of the main plaza, cobblestone streets, age-old water fountains...you get the picture.

Obama songs play throughout Caribbean, Latin America

photos by jeremy
Taxi driver outside Belize bus station gives us the "thumbs up."

While in Belize a few weeks ago, the Obama fever was evident across this Central American country. Since Belize's economy heavily depends on American tourists and the Belizean dollar is tied 2-1 to the US dollar, it is no wonder people there also craved a change. We talked to several locals before the election who were as emotionally invested as any American. Though it is unclear how much Obama's victory will actually affect US-Central American ties, people there are keeping hope alive.


Another Belizean Obama supporter shows their love for our new president-elect!

With access to American cable channels, Belizeans were not only able to follow every step of the election, but also see the viciousness of all the TV campaign commercials (thankfully, those of us in Mexico were spared of that). But this long campaign season also brought us some joy and entertainment. Around the world musicians composed Obama-tribute songs ranging from hip-hop to reggae. Though Belizean artists also have their own versions, here's a cool Obama reggae song from Belize's Caribbean neighbors, Jamaica.

Artist Cocoa Tea released this song back in March 2008.

Dia de los Muertos en Puebla

photo by jeremy
For the past two years, we've celebrated Dia de los Muertos at home in the DF. And while the local festivities are beautiful and lively, this time we ventured out to the nearby city of Puebla with some friends to enjoy the awesome food, altars and cemeteries of this colonial city.



photo by jeremy

Puebla is also known for its fabulous Talavera design. Check out this water fountain!

The fate of every writer.

photo by jeremy
This cool and creepy calavera was part of Puebla's many exhibits on the main plaza.

In memory of Mexican icon Pedro Infante and, of course.........

........the actor and beloved comedian Cantiflas.

Island Life

photos by jeremy
The view from the Belize-Caye Caulker ferry.

CAYE CAULKER,Belize--After working hard on the mainland, it was time to discover why most visitors skip Belize City and head straight to the neighboring islands. Our time was limited, so we chose to go to the closest island. After an hour-long ferry ride, we landed in the tiny but lively Caye Caulker.

In the 1960s, a fierce Hurricane Hattie hit Caye Caulker and the rest of Belize head on causing the small island to split in two pieces. The chunk that broke of is now preserved land for plant and animal life--it's appropriately called "The Split."

It's easy to lose track of time around Caye Caulker's residents who have a "no worries" attitude. A special treat is that there are no cars on the island only the hum of golf-carts, which you can rent to zip around and check out the entire area.


Jeremy says he's never seen a better location for a basketball court--along the Caribbean Sea.


Couldn't ask for a better view to transition into the after life.

Belizean Wildlife

SOMEWHERE IN THE BELIZE JUNGLE--After a successful interview with the country's Prime Minister Dean Barrow, we treated ourselves to checking out Belize's incredible jungle animal life at a nearby sanctuary. Just like Belize's people, it's wildlife is full of diversity with exotic animals from spider monkeys to mountain cows.

Seeing a toucan up close had to be one of the most amazing sights on the trip. Jeremy got a special treat when he got to see some monkeys (his favorite). We saw some Black Howler Monkeys, which are endangered and one of the largest monkeys in the Americas. We also got closeups of a jaguar and puma!

But my absolute favorite jungle animal had to be the tapir, or mountain cow. Check out how cute they are in this video I shot:



The mountain cows prefer veggies and are mostly active at night around river banks. They are related to horses and rhinos.

Belize--the Real Melting Pot

image lonelyplanet.com
BELIZE CITY--Before our trip I had read all about the rich ethnic diversity here. Even though I knew what to expect, actually seeing so many people of unique backgrounds come together in a small country of about 300,000 was so refreshing and unlike any other Central American country.
photos by jeremy

Belizeans are mostly made up of: Mestizos, who are people of mixed Spanish and Indian blood. Most of them were refugees from the Caste War of Yucatan in Mexico; Creoles, who are descendants of African slaves who came to Belize to work in the mahogany wood industry; all kinds of different Mayan tribes; the Garifuna, who are also descendants of African slaves mixed with Amerindians of the eastern Caribbean islands

Other notable ethnic groups are the German-speaking Mennonites, who immigrated from Mexico in the late 50s. The Mennonite presence is strong throughout the country, especially in Northern Belize where many of them sell handmade furniture in their stores. Chinese immigrants also began arriving in Belize in the 60s. Their presence is also felt throughout the country. Many of them have become a major part of the economy opening Chinese restaurants and grocery stores.


Walking down the streets of Belize you can easily hear English, Spanish or Creole being spoken. English is the official language, although Spanish is also taught in schools.

When we asked a local guide how all these groups get along, he said "Oh, everyone here is mixed. We don't care what you look like."