keeping occupied

We have been keeping ourselves occupied throughout this past weekend and for the beginning of this week while we are still off school. Eloisa (the secretary here) called yesterday to tell us we aren't going back until tomorrow so we have another day off. For Sandy, Mike and I, it is a day of recuperation. On Sunday we went to the Chorros de Varal which are the natural waterfalls about a half hour from here. We set off around noon in a taxi and got dropped off at the top of this cliff. There were 786 steps (yes, I counted them...) down to the bottom. The steps wound down and around this cliff and some of the views on the way down were amazing. We finally reached the bottom to be confronted by this suspension bridge high up over the river to cross. The suspension bridge was very Mexican- wooden boards- some not fully attached on one end or another, others just missing altogether. Needless to say, every movie or cartoon I have ever watched with a wooden suspension bridge over a cliff or river was running through my head as we crossed! We had to climb down some rocks to get to the river and then hike through boulders and more rocks to get over to see the waterfalls. The waterfalls were breathtaking- some were coming out of what seemed like a small hole in the cliff and pouring water in huge amounts down to the bottom (the guide book says the waterfalls were about 120ft. high), other parts of the waterfalls were gentle rain-like that sent mist all the way across the river. We crossed the river to get around to the same side as the waterfall which didn't seem customary- we only saw 3 other people who climbed up the cliff and went around instead of crossing the river. It was difficult to cross, some parts of the river came up to your chest but we helped each other across and it was well worth it. We spent most of the afternoon suntanning on the big boulders and swimming in the pools underneath the waterfalls. The climb back up was no joke- it was like being on a stair stepper for an hour! We were very sore on Monday!!

Yesterday, after leaving only a day to recuperate from the waterfalls we decided to go to Paricutin, the world's youngest volcano. We got up early and headed out as everything we read said it was to be an all day adventure. We arrived at 9am in Angahuan which is the small town near the volcano. This is where you are able to hire a guide and horses to get to the volcano. A little history- Paricutin erupted out of a cornfield in 1943. It is the first time geologists have been able to study a volcano from its birth to eruption. The volcano grew and erupted until 1952, burying towns nearby in volcanic rock and lava. Nobody was killed in the eruptions as it was slow moving lava and over the 9 years of eruptions the cone grew to stand about 1400 feet above the cornfield it erupted out of. It is located about 10,000 feet above sea level.
We took the horses around the miles of volcanic rock, the trip to the base of the volcano from Angahuan was about 2- 2 1/2 hours on horseback. The guides are all natives and interestingly enough, many have very rusty Spanish skills. The native people in this area are indigenous people called the Purhepecha and they all still speak to each other in their native language. It is a village out of old times- cobblestone streets, handmade native clothing and interesting arts and crafts. Our guide was probably only 12 years old and came with us on horseback to the volcano. We reached the base around noon and began the grueling climb up to the crater. The side of the volcano consists of ashes and rocks that make it extremely difficult to climb. Every step you took, you slid down half as far. It is an impressive site to stand at the base of the volcano but far more impressive from the top! We made it up after many breaks and were able to walk around the entire crater. From the top of the volcano you could see the miles and miles of black rock left from the lava. The inside of the crater was impressive as well and around the crater there were little pockets that still eject steam. As far as I understand, this volcano will never erupt again. If there is more activity from this area it would come from another spot. Climbing down the volcano was the most fun- it took maybe 10 minutes to get to the bottom. They have a path that is just ash and you can slide down most of the way. You sink to your calves and it's almost like walking on air or on a pogo stick. I can't really describe the walk down but it was great fun!
We got back on the horses and started back but detoured to go see the church of San Juan Parangaricutiro which was half buried in the lava. The church was built in the 1800s and was quite large at one point. Most of it was destroyed by the volcano but it is considered a holy spot by Mexicans because the altar with the crucifix was absolutely untouched. We were able to climb around on the rocks left by the lava and explore what was left of the church. The entire first floor was filled with boulders and most of the walls were wiped out. The main steeple with an archway was still intact and you were also able to squeeze through some of the rocks to get into a small room that would have been either the basement or first floor. You could hike across what would have been the gathering space of the church to reach the altar and it really was amazing that it wasn't touched. Many of the rocks stood higher than the altar and spilled over near the altar but the crucifix was untouched both by the heat and the devastation.
We are all extremely sore today (sunburn just adds to the aching muscles!) but it was well worth it to see what is categorized as one of the natural wonders of the world.
Tomorrow we are supposed to start up school again, I am not sure how many students will show up for class for just 2 days before the weekend but I am kind of looking forward to going back to work. It has been a little boring sitting around with no place to go and nothing to do!