COSTA RICA, HERE WE COME!

Lotte and me

Lotte and I decided to go to Costa Rica. Why? I can't tell, really - besides a desire for adventure, the exotic taste of the name, the fact that its warmer than Peru this time of year, and a manageable prize of the flights. Then again... Who needs more reasons? :)

3rd of July we took off in the evening, to spend the night in Amsterdam. Luckily, I have many friends in that area, and finding a place to stay proved to be no big challenge. Mahsa and Salmaan hosted us, and I cannot imagine better hosts. As always we were treated with food, drinks, insightful talks, comfortable beds, extraordinary breakfast and even a candy stash for the air plane! Great foundation for holiday for sure.

We left in the morning a bit past 7, intending to fly at 11 AM. Didn't happen - we could see already when we arrived that we would be 1,5 hours late. Our layover in Atlanta was supposed to be 3 hours, so when we were airborne 4 hours later, it was already pretty clear that we were in for a night in Georgia. The flight itself was ok; obviously, I', not the best at sitting still for so long...

It was around 7 PM when we arrived to Atlanta, and then we needed to pass the delightful American security... It was ok though - the problem arose when we needed to figure out what our continued itinerary would look like. There was a HUUUUGE line at the Delta desk, with people waiting for over an hour. They did have some machines though, like the regular check in-thingies, and here I found out that we were booked at a flight to San José the next morning. It printed me some meal vouchers, but nothing for a hotel, which I knew we were entitled to as well. Not being keen on the line, I caught a Delta-person who wasn't behind a counter, just to ask why the machine couldn't print it all. She took me to the counter, managed the hotel, gave me instructions and overnight kits, and boarding passes. "I put you in the front of the plane", she said, and with no clear preference for which end of the plane I was in, I nodded, took the papers, and left for the hotel shuttles with Lotte.

Fireworks in Atlanta, 4th July 2012

And then we realised... We are in the US, and it is the evening of 4th of July. American independence day, so suddenly the talk we had heard about fireworks made sense. Could we sit that one over...? Noooo not really. :) So instead of going straight to the hotel, we took the train ("MARTA") to downtown. We got there just in time, catching a grandiose firework in the crowd of thousands of people, before walking back to the train, reaching the airport around 11 PM.

The hotel was basic, but those two queen beds were the sweetest I had seen for a while - the time difference setting our internal clock to around 6AM. We were hungry though, and ordered some wings from a local grill. And fell asleep before it got to us, 1h later, so we just took a few bites before going back to sleep. Waking up at 6, we quickly packed and were shuttled back to the airport while the sun was rising. We took our vouchers to TGI Fridays, where we had FANTASTIC breakfast... everything we needed, which for Lotte was eggs and bacon, and for me a bagel and yoghurt with granola and fruit. Uhm...

And then we realised what it meant that the Delta-woman booked us in the front of the plane. Business class... I have to say that being met with a mimosa (orange juice with champagne) wasn't at all bad, and the same goes for the size of the seats, amount of snacks, and everything else... It might sound overrated, but it was really a great experience to travel like that! :D I hope I can get used to monkey class on the way home...!

And then, you have to see this one picture from our flight into San José. Our first view of Costa Rica... Quite nice, huh? :) Tomorrow I will tell you about the rest of our 60 hour trip to our first Costa Rican destination, Monteverde, and our trips around the area! Hasta luego!

Arizona revisited

Though I've started writing my thoughts in another blog, I feel like this particular post belongs here, in my Adventures-blog. :)

As you know, I rarely let a chance to go abroad pass, especially when the trip includes the opportunity to meet with important people - you know, those who you have the power to make a difference in your life! So when I realised that it was possible for me to go back to Arizona in November, I had no doubt that it would lead to several great meetings!

After graduating, spending 10 days or so in Birmingham for the EPSA congress and 2 days with Alexandra in Oxford in October, in November I got frustrated with the lack of activity at home. But well, that I already covered in my previous blog post. Luckily, I could spend some true quality time with some of my very best friends at my graduation party - maybe I'll write a bit about that later on. Anyhow... November 16th I was off to Tucson, and I was really excited about more adventure! 

Ernie and Marianne's back yard

I'd planned it so that I would have a couple of days free to recover from the worst jetlag, before I was attending a conference about Interprofessional Education (IPE) - the official purpose of the trip! I was staying with my professor Ernie and his wife Marianne in their beautiful house with a garden, where I could relax and enjoy the sun. 

During these first days I managed to meet up with Hillary and Eden, two of my good friends from last year's exchange. We had dinner at Gentle Ben's, with beer battered fries and all - just like good old days! :D Continuing down that path (the good old one), we met up with Jesús, and he, Hillary, and I got a few drinks on 4th Ave... Starting with a margarita on 4th and continuing to Plush, with such great company, I was having an amazing time! That was Thursday... On Friday I met up with Hillary again, had dinner in an Ethiopian restaurant (highly recommendable), and went to a improv/comedy show in the University. Another exchange-activity revisited, and it was great! 

Hillary, Jesús, and me

Back home not too late, I was ready for the IPE conference Saturday morning. Leaving at 6 AM (!), it was a good opportunity to see the sunrise over the mountains, and have breakfast at the conference hotel. Unfortunately the breakfast consisted only of cakes and a bit of fruit, but at least the program was amazing! I think I have to write a separate post about that actually, 'cause here I want to focus on my trip overall. 

So yeah, a great and highly inspiring, but also really tiring program, so in the evenings, after dinner, I just crashed at Ernie's place. Oh, the stay also included a bit of drama, btw, as Ernie's dog ate all my chocolate, which I'd brought for presents from Denmark. And since chocolate is poison for dogs, the poor creature had to be taken to the hospital. Lesson learned - close the door to your room when there are dogs in the house. Unfortunately it happened again (at least it was not my fault the second time), the dog got into my room, and this time ate my stash of stroopwaffles and (wait for it...) my toothbrush. Or well, half of it. 

Tuesday morning, the conference ending on Monday, I went for breakfast with Ernie in Hotel Congress, where I also had breakfast with Hillary last year. The he dropped me off at Aizhan's place, another one of my friends, who was an essential part of my back-to-Tucson trip! Aizhan lives closer to the campus, so during this day I toured around in my "old world" again. I went shopping in Fry's using one of UA's free bikes, and had lunch with Susan in the Arizona Inn, sitting next to the pool, relaxing. 

Susan

I had dinner with Aizhan in the Afghan place on University, and then went (of course!) to the Charles Darwin Experience improv show in the Gallagher Theatre - as every other Tuesday night in Tucson! Eden joined me, and it was super fun! Next morning I went to the Rec center to go for a swim. I ended up also spending quite some time on a sun bed there, before going to the public library to buy too many cheap books - but well, when you can get seven books for 14$, I believe its a good investment... A challenge to bring them back to Denmark - but still an investment! ;)

For lunch/dinner I got myself a couple of pizza slices from No Anchovies, and went back to Aizhan's place to pack my stuff, and was picked up by Chuck (or handed over rather, as they agreed it was somewhat like a relay race, the way I'm moving around at the moment!) to go to the Sanford's for Thanksgiving. 

It was SO great to see everyone again! Chuck, Janine, Gary, Rachel, all the pets, and extra guests for Thanksgiving dinner. But well, first we spent Wednesday night making pies; pumpkin, coconut, blueberry, and apple. Thursday morning we started out around 9AM with the preparations, and spent the morning and afternoon cooking and relaxing in the kitchen. The dinner was fabulous, with turkey, stuffing, gravy, white and sweet potato mash, creamed corn, and green beens... UHM! Ate too much of course. And then I had pie. We spend some time playing Apples to Apples, and then I went to bed early!

Janine and Gary taking care of the turkey

Next morning I was treated like a princess as Gary made pancakes for me! Real, American, thick, delicious pancakes served with butter, sirup, jam, and whatever else the fridge had to offer! My favorite combo, and my new favorite unhealthy breakfast, is crunchy peanut butter, raspberry jam, and banana. Try it, and be amazed! 

Then I was off. Janine gave me a ride to the Greyhound station, from where I caught a bus to Glendale (Phoenix) and two city busses to reach Jesús' place. He wouldn't arrive till Sunday, but had given me the key. Today is Monday, and I have spent the last couple of days doing... not much. And its been great! I've been reading and sleeping and watching some TV, talking with Jesús when he's home, baking brownies, walking around the neighborhood, and regained the urge to be productive! I'm getting some EPSA stuff done, and sketched a career action plan... Time to go home soon! :)

EPSA team skype meeting, 8 PM CET = noon for me!

Back in Copenhagen

Apparently I left my blogging skills somewhere in Mesoamerica... A shame really, 'cause I still feel like I have a lot to tell! Better late than never, I guess!

Remember the comment in my previous blog post, that I was home though not quite? It took me a while to get out of the bubble, and still now, 2 months later, I often feel how I have changed during my stay in America. It really is hard to explain, though by now I have tried several times! My best attempt is as follows:

When I took off to US I knew pretty well who I was. I left with a feeling that I was finding myself, and that I knew how I fitted into my environment. Getting settled in Arizona with that feeling was easy, since I was on a blank page - nothing to fit into. While being away I learned more about myself, independently from my original surroundings, and this is where it gets tricky. When I was back home, I felt like my home and I had developed in different directions, so I could not rely on old habits and experiences. Instead I had (and still have) to reconsider many aspects of my life in the light of these changes. I'm lucky to have friends who can assure me that what Im going through is normal!

Actually, I thought of another way to explain why it is hard to come back home. Its like taking up an old knitting-project, after having learned more techniques and acquired new types of yarn... One has to reconsider the pattern to make it all fit together, old and new, to continue the work in a way that makes sense!

Anyway, to "settle back in" in Denmark would hardly be possible, since I have never been "settled" in Copenhagen. Before US (and in Tucson as well) I was always restless, wanting to make things happen all the time! Whether I have shed the restlessness by now is hard to tell, since I have been away from Denmark more than 15 of the 65 days I have been back in Europe.

I spent the first days sleeping a lot, as far as I remember. And finishing the book I had been reading during my Mexico-trip, which actually served as a nice transition-facilitator! :) Then slowly I started finding a way back to life, with work-out, dinners with friends, and 2 weeks after arriving I started writing my master thesis. Very interesting topic, though still I haven't quite found the read thread through it. We will see how it goes! In the beginning somehow challenged by the fact that I could not wake up till at least 10 AM, I have improved a bit lately.

There has been a lot of things to come back to, luckily, so I haven't sat around being bored. I held two trainings already in Copenhagen, one about Personal Time Management and one in Presentation skills, the latter encouraged by the study board in my faculty. Several others have taken my time lately, but I will tell you about those in my next posts. :)

All in all, its good to be back, though I miss Arizona, and not least the people there!

Mexico revisited

A month and a half. That has been the time it took for me to land firmly enough to go back to my blog - and even now it is a weird feeling. Before I dive more into that, let me tell you the story i owe you about our last two days in Mexico.

See the cacti?

Leaving Oaxaca early early (out of the hostel little before 6 AM) we took a bus back to Mexico City, from where we had left 2 weeks earlier. Beautiful trip with the landscape changing several times, from mountainous to flat agricultural land. Some spots almost resembled the Sonoran dessert in Arizona, with vast areas of huge cacti. Only here it was a bit greener.

We were going to stay at Emmanuel's house, my Mexican friend I met in Russia, whom also guided us around during our first days in the city two weeks before. He picked us up and took us home, where we waited a bit for his parents to come home. Then we had a big lunch served by the maid (!), and afterwards Emmanuel had to go to work for the rest of the evening. Instead we spent some time with his mom and brother, Juan Diego, who wanted to take us to Frida Kahlo's house. Unfortunately it was closed. Instead we went to see the University, as big as a city it has 306.000 students!

Considering to go out with Juan Diego, we ended up deciding to stay in. Not because of lack of sleep as such, but at this point we were so exhausted after the travels that we needed to rest. The next morning Emmanuel's mom served us quesadillas with beans for breakfast, and then was so kind to take us to the metro station so we could explore the city on our own! We walked from the station to Frida Kahlo's house, not far but challenging because we didn't have a proper map! However, we managed with a few directions from people who couldn't bare to see us looking lost, and our joined map-skills. :)

For those of you who don't know who Frida Kahlo is, I can briefly summarize that she is one of the most popular Mexican painters, who lived from 1907-1954, if I remember correctly. The one with the mono-brow... Google her. ;) Her house where she lived during parts of her life with her husband Diego Rivera has this incredible blue color, which I have felt like taking into my living room since I was there. Maybe not so suitable, but anyway... The house is equipped with paintings, photos, and letters by Frida and Diego, and it was a really nice experience to be there.

From the house we went through a big park eating ice cream and watching squirrels in our attempt to find a metro station on the other side of the part. Always hard, as they are well hidden, but I have figure out this little trick: Look for a market place. Do to the large amount of people entering and exiting the station, a lot of vendors are attracted to sell their stuff around the stairs, which are then hidden. In the end we found it and went to see the Anthropology Museum.

A very cool "Tree of life"

A huge place, one could spend days exploring the exhibitions of the museum. It is divided in cultures, and hence gives great impressions of the development of Mexico - though slightly hard to get an overview of. We left when it closed, taking a taxi back to Emmanuel's house. That was however harder than expected - the driver knew the area where we were going, but not the street. Without GPSs in the cars, one can imagine the challenges of taxi drivers in Mexico City! With my fractured Spanish I understood that he was asking us if we knew the street, but obviously we didn't. It took quuuuiite some time for him, and several stops to ask for directions, before FINALLY, cold, tired, and hungry, we made it back. Sigh.

Juan Diego and Emmanuel

A little while later we left the house again, this time with the expert guides Emmanuel and Juan Diego! First stop was a favorite restaurant of theirs, where I tasted Tacos al pastor for the first time. And what a shame that I didn't discover those before! Delicious meat served with onions on a taco with pineapple, it was super good! After squeezing lime in my eye and eating too many tacos we went to a salsa club to get some exercise! We had to wait for a while till the music changed to salsa, but enjoyed beer and the good company in the meantime.

Too early the next morning Sofie was flying home, and Emmanuel took her to the airport while I slept... Sorry for being not sympathetic and joining, but like mentioned before at this stage I was exhausted. I spent the rest of the day with Emmanuel, after packing my things. We went to get tamales (UHM!) for breakfast/lunch, and then took off to see some areas of the city, where I hadn't been before. First an area where artists exhibit their art and vendors sell souvenirs and stuff. Really a nice walk around! With the help of the GPS on Emmanuel's phone we took a side leap to another house of Frida Kahlo's, where she and Diego worked and lived in periods.

Our next stop was yet another cute area of the city, of course with the usual vendors. Here I spent my last Mexican money on earrings to my dear sister, and then had dinner in a very Mexican restaurant! Remember that I got this incredible mango dressing for my salad, a shame that we can't get that kind of mangos in Denmark! :)

And then I was off to the airport. 11 hours later Helene and mom picked me up in the airport, took me home and cooked me dinner. I was in a bubble. Six months and four days of adventure was over. Just like that - though not quite...

Oaxaca's surroundings - Day 29

Though neither Sofie or I am big fans of the tours where you see the most touristic things in the area with other tourists stuffed into a minivan, frequently including stops at shops and an overly expensive restaurant, in this case we decided it would be our best solution. We wanted to see various things around Oaxaca, and it would be hard and time consuming to get around on our own. 

So we had breakfast (just what I felt like: scrambled eggs with ham and beans) and then went out to bring some sandwiched on the tour, avoiding the above mentioned restaurant. Arrived back to the hotel just in time to catch the minivan that was there to pick us up, and spend an hour driving around the city picking up other guests... 

Arbol del Tule

At least on this tour we had an English guide. Not that we got so much information from her, but she was there which was nice. :) First stop was at Árbol del Tule, the worlds biggest tree, considering its circumference. The tree is 36.2 m around and 11 m in diameter. Pretty big, and very beautifully located next to a church. 

Tasting mezcal

Second stop was "an indigenous town, which has specialised in handcrafted rugs". Read: a rug-shop on a lonely dirt road. We got an introduction to their weaving and coloring techniques, and were then offered the opportunity to look at their products... As always when noone buys anything both shop owners and guides look a little disappointed, both due to missing out on profits from the sales. Next stop was a mezcal distillery, very different from the tequila distillery I saw in Tequila. This one was much smaller and less automatized, but the sweet smell of agave and the samples were the same. Not liking mezcal I stayed away from them, while Sofie tasted the different version, though avoided the larvas we were offered with the drink...

Mitla

Finally we reached one of the attraction we wanted to see - the archaeologic site Mitla. As in so many other places the Spaniards decided to build a catholic church on top of ancient ruins, and here we saw a different kind of buildings than in the other sites we have visited. Though still pyramids, the buildings resembled actual houses more, and were decorated with interesting patterns. Of course there is a market surrounding the site, but in this case we just bought water before continuing. The day was really warm, and we needed the fluid to remain standing! After Mitla we were taken to the "mandatory" restaurant; mandatory in the sense that there is nothing else around. So we were very happy with the sandwiches we had brought, filled with salad, chicken, avocado and much more, and for dessert mango and pineapple. Yum! That even gave us time to rest a bit in the sun before the rest of the party left the restaurant. :)

Hierve el Agua

The most amazing part of the day was a visit to Hierve el Agua, the petrified waterfalls. Before leaving the highway I noticed a sign showing 13 km to the destination - I had no idea that it would take almost an hour to cover the distance! The road turned into a dirt road full of holes, making the ride quite bumpy. Then we got into the mountains and started driving up through a loooot of hairpin bends, improving the view of the terrain every time we increased the hight. Incredible... We reached the waterfalls and, had an hour before departure to enjoy the area. Some people were swimming in the ponds at the top of the falls, but we wanted to walk down to get a better view of the falls themselves. Check the pictures - its hard to explain! We stayed down for a while taking in the incredible mountainous landscape around us, then walked back up to rejoin the party. 

Back in the city we wanted to get a real Oaxacan dinner meal, and the guide suggested a restaurant around the corner from where we were dropped off. We both had tasajo and mole, with lots of tortillas of course, and then went back to pack our bags before leaving Oaxaca the next day with a bus 6.30. 

First day in Oaxaca - Day 28

The bus trip to Oaxaca ([Wahaka]) took 11,5 hours, and we had high expectations to the trip, since the bus was supposed to be even more comfortable than the one we took to Palenque. Unfortunately, it wasn't. The important difference was the space to the next seat, significantly bigger than in regular busses - however, the footrest was mounted on the seat in front, thus practically unreachable. Combine that with driving in the mountains, and imagine how we were literally sliding down from our seats trying to fall asleep. Sigh...

We arrived in Oaxaca around 7.30 (Wed 9/2), and easily found our way to the hostel close to the bus station. We waited a while till an English speaking receptionist arrived (don't know why the Spanish speaking one didn't just check us in), and he showed us to the room, despite the early hour. Here we met our two room mates, 50-year old English Sara and 27-year old Swiss Laura. Both nice and talkative, giving us suggestions on what to do during our two days in Oaxaca. For this first day we decided to stay around the city, while we would take a tour to surrounding areas the next.

Fruit in the sun

Convincing the reception that it would be fair to have the hostels breakfast on our arrival day as we wouldn't have time before departure two days later, we continued our day with quesadillas and beans with juice. Then headed out in the city, which turned our to be somewhat warmer than San Cristobal - nice! Our stops during the morning included Santo Domingo, a church pretty much covered with gold inside, and a break on a plaza for eating strawberries and mango. :)

Oaxaca is a pretty and sunny city, and we enjoyed walking around taking in all the impressions. We reached the Zócalo (central square), and found it to be in connection with another square, and together they formed a beautiful space with trees and benches, vendors, a marimba band, and lots of people around. Again, on a regular weekday... A beautiful atmosphere! We continued our walk to the markets slightly more south, and found probably the biggest assembly of vendors I have yet encountered in Mexico. One of the markets inspired me of the ones I have seen in China, with loads of little shops squeezed into a large, flat building. All sorts of smells and colors can be found here. In opposition to the food market in San Cristobal, where we had the doubtful pleasure of finding cows heads and hooves lying on the counters with the meat and heaps of dried fish intoxicating the air, here the meet looked delicious, the fish were fresh and on ice, and yellow corn-chicken were sold from every other stand. Together with the fruits and vegetables available, I had only one wish in that moment: To move to Mexico to try it ALL!

Chilis at the market

Detaching myself from daydreaming, we went around the market a bit more to get chocolate and mole paste (a chocolaty sauce used for chicken and other dishes). Sofie also looked for mescal (similar to tequila), and we had tastes of all three on our way through the stands. When we had had enough, we somehow found a way out past the chapulina-ladies, selling fried grasshoppers in various sizes from their big baskets. We were love on cash anyway, so left the market to find some lunch. Found a cheap menu with the local tasajo, relatively thin slices of beef. For a starter we got chips with the best mole I've ever had, perfect! :)

After lunch we headed back towards the hostel, while checking out local shops. When back,Sofie went to take a nap, while I sat on the roof terrace blogging. In the evening we went back to the center of the city, during the walk experiencing the city in its evening colors. Beautifully lit like so many other Mexican cities! For dinner we had an ice cream (!), which we enjoyed in the main square. Back home around 10 we passed out in our beds after the previous night's lack of rest.

Shopping in the mountains - 3 nights in San Cristobal

With my book and a dog in the sun.

It was like waking up a 100 years back in time, considering the environment our first morning in San Cristobal. The room was freezing cold, but we were tucked in nicely with a stack of blankets in our beds. Outside a rooster was galling, dogs barking, and vendors walking the streets calling for costumers. Oh, and our French neighbors decided that they didn't care how loud they were, and kept us awake despite our urge to go back to sleep. Through our rooftop window we could see that the sun had not quite burned its way through the clouds, so we dressed warmly as we went down for breakfast.

After breakfast Sofie spend 3 hours skyping with people at home, while I sat in the sun reading a book. At one point of of the hostel's two dogs joined me, very cosy. In the hostel there are also 4 or 5 cats, some of which prefer to hang out in our room. So always when we opened the door we would have to consider if we wanted visitors, and remember to check when we left if we locked anyone inside.

Around 1 we were finally ready to explore the town. We went to look for a museum with Mayan medicine, but as we figured out later on it was marked wrongly on the map, and we never found it. We did however come across the market. And pretty much, that was all we got to see that day! :D San Cristobal is in the state of Chiapas, the poorest and cheapest and one of the most colorful in Mexico, so we went shop-amok in scarfs, necklaces, and other little things. For lunch we had some tacos in a nice restaurant in one of the pedestrian streets. In the evening we got back to the hotel, where Sofie spent some time at the bonfire in the yard, while I wrote my blog (and sorry for being a little behind and posting a lot when I get to it, its just really hard to find time!).

Sumidero

Ok, so... Monday morning we were up fairly early, going on a tour to the gorgeous Sumidero Canyon. One of those trips that starts with you being in a van for an hour picking up people in other hotels... Finally we got to the canyon, and was equipped with life vests and packed with 35 others into a motor boat on the river. So far so good, though we ended up on the seats in the very back, right next to the engines. Noisy and smelly. But we went into the canyon with high expectations, and they were not let down for the amazing scenery there. Incredible to sail in between such high mountain sides around you... Another fun element was the crocodiles, which we saw lying around on rocks and the shore. Never seen a live, wild one before! :) What was not so fun though was that suddenly water washed over the side of the boat, and in a second I was completely soaked... Not too cold fortunately, but the water kept coming in as we continued down, and in the end I was so annoyed that I complained and got to sit next to the driver of the boat, 2 m above my first seat. Much less wet, though much more windy. In the end we got back rather cold, slightly disappointed with the trip, but happy to have seen the amazing nature! Then we spent an hour in Chiapa del Corzo, where we had lunch before resting a bit in the sun.

Back in the hostel I took a shower to get all the river water-dirt off, then spent some more time on the blog while Sofie talked with her boyfriend online. Later in the evening we went out to find some dinner, and ended up in an Austrian restaurant, where I had a wiener schnitzel with potato salad - so good! Also quite fun to hear the story of the owner of the restaurant, who was also cooking for us, and told us her impression of Mexico and the city. Oh, and the fact that the minimum wage in Mexico is 55 pesos for 8 hours work. Interesting perspective! Back on the street we went to the Zócalo square, where a marimba band was playing and people dancing around the kiosk. Keep in mind that this is a regular Monday night. :) As all the other cities I have visited in Mexico, the buildings are beautifully lit during the evenings, and it is a different experience to walk through it at night and at day time. However, we were tired, so we didn't spend too much time out in the end.

Tuesday the 8th we had actually planned to go on a horseback riding trip into the jungle to an indigenous village, but decided not to, as the hostel owner told us that the horses were not being taken good care of. Instead we spent the time until we had a night bus at 8 PM exploring the city, which frankly we had done poorly the first day, ending up in the market! So this day we started out by walking to the bus station in the other end of the city, as far from the market as possible. We bought our tickets, and then walked to the coffee museum where we learned a bit about the story of coffee in Mexico, and then had lunch in their café. Some rather boring Enchiladas Suizas, so I guess I have to try them again when we get back to Mexico City, after a personal recommendation! We continued our trip to Na Bolom, which is a museum started by the Danish explorer Frans Blom. He and his wife worked in many years to preserve the culture of the indigenous tribes, and the work continues through their house. The museum depicted their activities and life, and also told the story of the current activities, now years after their death.

Back across the market we got a few more presents for people at home before leaving Chiapas, and spent some time enjoying the sun taking a break on a fountain in cute part of town! Then back to a restaurant close to the hostel where we had an amazing vegetarian buffet, got some focaccia bread to go to eat on the trip, and then picked up our backpacks in the hostel. A taxi to the camionera (bus station), and then we were off to new adventures in yet another Mexican state...! :)