Finally - some pics!

Well, I'm safe at home now, although we had quite a ride from Dallas to Fort Wayne last night. We were trying to avoid flying into a thunderstorm, but it grew faster than expected. There was turbulence almost the whole way, and the plane was struck by lightening twice! Yes, I'm serious. I saw it, felt it, and then I smelled it. Everyone was fine and the pilot said that it actually happens fairly often. It was one of those rides where the plane lands and everyone starts clapping. :)

Anyway, here's a sampling of photos from my trip. (You can click on the images for larger views of them.)

Here's a view of Mexico City when we were flying in. The city was huge and the mountains were beautiful. Unfortunately, there's a large amount of smog, so you can't see the mountains as well as you should be able to.

Here's a view of a small portion of Mexico City from our hotel.

Some individuals dressed as traditional Aztecs selling things on the streets in the downtown area.

The Plaza of Three Cultures - Here you can see a portion of an ancient Aztec pyramid, a Spanish church from the colonial period, and a modern building.

The Basilica of Guadelupe - the most famous church in all of Mexico. This is the place where the virgin Guadelupe appeared to a native peasant, which was the turning point for the natives in converting to Christianity. We arrived late on Sunday morning and saw thousands of people leaving the church.

The bed and breakfast in Cuernavaca had an amazing garden. These flowers are called birds-of-paradise.

The village of Buenavista, up in the mountains. Buenavista means "good view" in Spanish, and I think you can see why. In a couple weeks, when the rainy season begins, all of the brown will turn green.

These are some kids at the primary school we visited. This is a private school, which is obviously quite expensive. Mexico has racial discrimination similar to the US. This is a generalization, but overall the lighter skinned individuals are wealthier than the darker skinned individuals. This is likely why many kids in this photo look more "white" than "Mexican" - their parents can afford the private school.

Grinding corn by hand and cooking homemade tortillas. We made tamales, sopes, quesadillas, and more!

"Squatter" settlements up the mountain. There were several miles of mountains that have been covered up completely by individuals who claim the land and build a home. They are packed in so tightly it's difficult to know where one home starts and another begins. (This photo isn't the greatest - I was in a moving bus.)

Here I am a Teotihuacan. I'm on top of the Pyramid of the Moon, with the Pyramid of the Sun behind me. These pyramids and buildings are around 1,500-2,000 years old. It was absolutely amazing. I was in awe. (My legs were pretty sore, too!)