Mérida, Yucatán, México

I've been to Merida a couple of times before, but just for a day or two so I never really got to experience the city like I wanted. This time around, however, I'm really glad I got the chance to stay for a week because it's like I found a whole new side to Mexico that I had no idea existed. The architecture, food, plants and people are all different from anywhere else that I've been in this country.

A lot of the colonial architecture has been preserved which makes it really nice to just walk around and get lost on the quiet streets and tropical tree-lined boulevards.

Because it's hot hear year-round over here, guayabera shirst are really popular as well as other light clothing that just adds to the uniqueness of this part of Mexico. In fact, guayaberas are made here and shipped all over the world.

The food was different from anything I've tried elsewhere in Mexico. There's a dish called "cochinita pibil" which is pork marinated in an orange concentrate and served with a savory red chili pepper sauce and tortillas. Another delicious dish I ate was called "queso relleno" or stuffed cheese. Basically, it was a slice of a cheese roll stuffed with ground meat and spices in a bowl of a creamy flour sauce and tortillas. Besides these dishes, there was fresh seafood everywhere since Merida is right on the Gulf of Mexico. In fact, Merida is pretty much directly south across the Gulf from Bay St. Louis, Mississippi!

Besides the charming colonial mansions and food, right outside of Merida are several Mayan ruin sites-the most famous being Chichen Itza. Over the weekend, I met up with my 10th grade roommate from Stanislaus, Gerardo Gonzales, who lives here in Merida. Since I've already been to Chichen Itza, he took me to some ruins just 10 miles from Merida called Dzibilchaltún (tzee-BEEL-chal-toon). The major draw of this Mayan site is called the Temple of the Seven Dolls. This temple is situated so that every year, on the 21st of March and 22nd of September, the spring and fall equinox, the sun shines directly through the doorways as it rises.

Here are some more facts about Merida and some pictures of my time here:

• Mérida is the capital of the Mexican state of Yucatán.
• Yucatan peninsula is due South of New Orleans and Southwest of Miami.
• Founded January 6, 1542
• Founded by Francisco de Montejo
• Population: 1,658,210
• Climate: Tropical
• Industries: tourism, agriculture, fishing, construction and assemply plants
• Languages: Spanish and Maya
• Religion: 77% Catholic, some Presbyterians, Baptists, Jehovah's Witnesses and others
• Exports: Honey, sisal rope, petroleum products, hammocks, fine jewelry, concentrated orange juice, wood, squash seed, cement, lime, boats, leathers, vegetable coloring, fish, aloe vera, handcrafts and clothing
• Imports: Corn, sorghum, electronics, scrap metal, sisal

Rocky, Gerardo and I visited Dzibilchaltun.


This is Gerardo. He was my 10th grade roommate at St. Stanislaus, and we've kept in touch ever since. He showed me around Merida and introduced me to a lot of schools and language centers so that I could promote St. Stanislaus to their students. Gerardo is starting up his own business in Merida and comes to visit St. Stanislaus every now and then.



This is the temple where the sun shines through the doorways every spring and fall equinox. Mayans were very advanced in astronomy and this building is a centuries-old testament to their knowledge.

Here is a chapel that was built in the center of the ruins by the conquistadors after they conquered Dzibilchaltun in the 1540s. The conquistadors destroyed some of the Mayan buildings to use the materials to build this chapel.

After visiting Dzibilchaltun, we went to Progresso which is a small beach town on the Gulf of directly South from Bay St. Louis.

Every night in Merida, there are cultural events throughout the city. One night, I a caught a showcase of cultural music and "bailes" or "dances" in the town center. It included traditional Yucatean dancers, salsa dancers and (my favorite) mariachis!

El fin

Lima, Peru

Here's the last of the pictures from Peru. I didn't have much time to explore the city, so I just got my driver to give me a quick run through of the place. He took me to see the really beautiful architecture of the government and religious buildings. My favorite characteristic of them were the elaborately carved, wood balconies that oddly protruded from the concrete facades. I didn't catch all of the names of the buildings, but the second to last picture with the guard in front of a huge fence is a picture of the Peruvian equivalent to the U.S. White House.

I've been in Merida, Mexico for the last week. I'll post up those pictures before I head on over to Puebla, Mexico.

Hasta luego!

Peru is known all over South America for its delicious food. Because it's right next to the ocean, there are a lot of seafood dishes. The most famous one is called ceviche which consists of pieces of raw fish soaked in lemong juice, onions and a spices. The acid in the lemon juice penetrates the fish and actually cooks it. The flavors in ceviche are like nothing I've ever tasted before. Each bite is an EXPLOSION of flavors...fresh fish right out of the sea, the sour TANG of lemon juice and the BAM of raw onions, and whatever spice they use to kick things up a notch. That was a fun dish to try out for the first time.

Another fun thing to eat in Peru is....guinea pig. I heard about this traditional Peruvian dish, and though that I might as well try it before I leave. The word for guinea pig is cuy (pronounced cooee). Check out this short video I made as evidence that I actually ate a cute, cuddly, fried animal.

Santiago, Chile

Santiago, Chile was great and now Rocky and I are headed to Lima, Peru. I met a lot of nice teachers and English Department Directors at schools all over the city. I showed them pictures of St. Stanislaus and told them about the ESL Camp that we're starting next year, and they were very impressed. They're going to spread the word to parents.

I also met with two people in government who were interested in the ESL Camp. First, I met with the U.S. Ambassador to Chile, Mr. Paul Simons, at his beautiful house in Santiago. I was there with a delegation of business leaders from Mississippi and all over the world. Ambassador Simons talked to us about trade relations between the U.S. and Chile. He specifically mentioned his two main issues that he wants to work on while Ambassador. First, he is trying to increase business between renewable energy companies in the U.S. and Chile. Second, he wants more English taught in Chilean schools and to encourage more Chilean students to study in the U.S. I spoke with a person on his staff who will keep me in touch with the embassy's efforts to promote ESL Camps like ours.

The other government official that I met with was Carmen Oria, who works in Chile's Ministry of Education. She is in charge of a program called "Programa Inglés Abre Puertas" or "English Opens Doors Program." It's a fairly new initiative in which the Chilean government is requiring all public schools in the country to teach English beginning in 5th grade. This week in Chile, Ms. Oria is promoting English education with events such as debate competitions, radio programs and a festival all in English. She liked hearing about the St. Stanislaus ESL Camp and thinks that she can help us promote the program in Chile!

Between these meetings, I was able to go on a couple of excursions, and the pictures below are from those trips. I went to a vineyard on Sunday called Viña Mar and ate an amazing lunch. During my last full day here, Rocky and I walked around a sculpture park on a cool, sunny day with the snow-capped Andes in the background.

That's all from Santiago, Chile. Now, I'm off to Lima, Peru where I'm told the food is amazing! Can't wait!

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Here are some pics of Rocky and I in Buenos Aires. As you can see, he was very popular among the students at the three Brothers of the Sacred Heart schools that we visited.

Rocky called the window seat, so he stared out at the Earth below the whole time.








This is one of the THOUSANDS of beautiful works of street art that cover the buildings of Buenos Aires.














Rocky and I hit the cobblestone streets looking for future St. Stanislaus students.












We grabbed a bite to eat at a really neat cafe overlooking a park. That sandwich is served in a hollowed-out piece of bamboo!











Here's the key to my room at the Tango Backpackers Hostel.












These are students at the school Sagrado Corazon in Lomas de Zamora, Buenos Aires. I met with Brother Mario Gassmann who is the director of this school. We talked about the St. Stanislaus ESL Camp, ate lunch with the other 5 brothers who worked at the school.









Here is one of the brothers with a group of students and Rocky.












These students LOVED getting their picture taken during recess.












The three people on the left work at another Brothers of the Sacred Heart school called Colegio Manuel Belgrano in Temperley, Buenos Aires. The brother on the left is Brother Eloy Lazaro who is the director of the school. The lady holding Rocky is the English coordinator and the brother to the right is Brother Ricardo Agustin who directs a different school called Colegio Benito Nazar in downtown Buenos Aires.





Here are some English classes at Colegio Benito Nazar.


















































Well, that's all of the pics from Argentina. I met with a lot of students and told them all about our school. They really want to come over and learn English, so maybe you'll be able to meet them in person some day.

Now, Rocky and I are off to Santiago, Chile.

Hasta Pronto!