Hogar Ifantil

Today was a rest day. But I did do some more small repairs had to fix a leak in the drains for the gray water. Then walked around and tried to talk to some of the children boy I need to learn Spanish. Lara is getting better every day but I find I can understand more than I can speak it I guess with time it will sink in.We ended up with 2 of the girls staying for dinner. Laura and Baola. They insisted on doing dishes they wouldn't take no for an answer.On Monday they are going to cook us dinner.2 sweet kids one was 15 and one was 16 and they are learning to be cooks. 

For some reason they thought my name was to funny. I wonder if in Spanish it means something that I don't know. 

So tomorrow its off to the Canyon.We invited them but they said they could not get permission to go.

Hogar Infantil

We left San Cristabal this morning after we did some grocery shopping. We only traveled about 60 kilometers. So it was an easy day and it felt like we were going down hill most of the time. It was so easy that all we did today was cleaning some repairs and I drove to town for some water. The girls never even left the trailer it was cool out but not as bad as San Cristabal. Hogar Infantil is a Childerens home just outside the town of Ocozocoautla. They have 4 pull thru site's.and they will not take any money they do hope if you enjoy your stay you will support them thru there charity in the US.

It seams to me to be a well kept place with lots of happy children. 

This is our spot and next to us is a family from Quebec have not talked to them much.

This building had a bunch of young boys maybe 5 to 8 years old.

This building was all girls.

Didn't see any one at this building

This little one kept asking to have his photo taken cute little guy.

They have a barn with pigs I guess they all have chores there was some older boys working in here.

Then a teacher came in showing the pigs to the Quebec kids and the friends they have made here.

The chicken and duck building.

And there own church

Tomorrow we are driving the Tracker to Sumidero Canyon to take a boat trip it is said to be pretty nice with the towering cliffs on both sides. Wait and see let you know tomorrow.

San Cristobel day 3

Today we decided to do a walking tour of town. First we had to go get the license plate back from the Police station it was the same as usual go to this window then to another one than back to the first when he tried to send me away again I just said no aqui so the guy went and got it then said it was 500 pesos I said no way I would give him 200 and he said 300 and we agreed so that was pretty simple. We drove to Centro again and parked on the same street as last time but closer to centro. And walked up the hill to the Church that was about 10 blocks. checked out the church and then looked out over the city nice views but to many trees for a good picture. 

Brenda looking out over the city and she spoted a humming bird but we could not get a picture.

On the way back down to centro we stopped for an early lunch and coffee. This was the neatest coffee maker I have ever seen.

In the coffee shop we got directions to a museum and on the way the girl said we had to go past the market. This was the church in the middle of the market. There was hundreds of vendors around the church they went on for ever and sold every thing.

This was a couple of blocks from the church people were every place selling there goods. And this is where we found that we had the wrong directions but we were only over one street so not bad. Also the girl at the coffee shop said it would be 3 k and we found out from here it would still be over 3 k so we just kept walking. What a booming city this is. 

After that long walk we were here.

The Museum  of Maya Medicine 

They did a real good job for a place with not much money. This made me laugh showing how a Maya woman has a babe. the husband sits on a chair while the woman kneels and the midwife catches the babe.

You could touch any thing it was alright with them.

Then out side the had gardens with a lot of the plants that there medicine is made from. They had a lot of different ones for diarrhea

 

Parasites  

And for your nerves 

Then they had the drug store.They had a list in English from coughs to sore stomachaches even bad eyes. There was a room where they chopped up the different leaves and had drying racks and pots where they made liquid syrups. There was even a bunch of locals buying different things just like a regular drug store. This was a fun place to see worth the trip to see it.  

Then we were off to the Orchid Botanical Garden. Orquideas Moxviquil  

It is one of the best places to see by Trip Adviser.

They are trying to save the Orchids of Mexico

Every place you look they are growing

And they tell you to touch every one if you want.

They have over 400 different ones.

Every size 

Some were so small that you could hold 10 flowers between your finger tips.

This is one that I have seen before at home

Some so big this flower was about 6 feet long. You see these in a lot of churches they use it for ceremonies  

And all different colors

This is a picture of Genaro nick name B'alam which means guardian of the Jungle. He was our guide at the Orchid garden. He invited us to an Art exhibition. Where he had a bunch of really good pictures he had taken. We got to know him pretty good  he told us about many things he had done and done to him I bought his book and Lara bought a picture. Then he gave us a shot of Posh that's the Mayan moon shine. And that is what his book is about. He wants us to stay for a week so he can take us to see his family but we just got to get going no electricity and way to cold but I am sure it would be a great adventure. We had a good time getting to know him.

This is the book 

We got back to the car and no ticket so I guess it was a good day. We walked way over 10 kilometers And did I say we all had soar butts and soar legs from the Horse back riding yesterday. Well there sure was a lot of talk about Butts today. 

San Cristabel

Today we decided to go to Chumul every one said it was a must do and to take the horse ride to it. So we wanted the hole experience so we drove down town and went to a tour operator and bought tickets. 540 pesos for the 3 of us. First they said the bus would come and pick us up yes this is the picture of the bus. we ended up with another couple from Brazil who spoke perfect english they were Gabby and Otavio. They are now working in Dubai. 2 fun people glad we meet them. 

here is the 3 girls.

It was a nice ride part threw the country and other parts on roads.

And of coarse threw the bush.

All the women wear the traditional dress. The skirts were a black sheep skin with the wool still attached and some strange top with large scarves. This women was beating corn or beans not sure which one because one pile was beans and the other was corn.

That's Otavio in front of me and our guide in front of him.

Here is a better picture of what they wear.

The 2 cow girls.

No one here is going to starve these people know how to farm see how the fields are tiered like Japanese rice fields. That's cabbage in the top field.

A hand loom there are a lot of sheep around here.

This little girl taking the sheep to the pasture field they all had rope tied to one leg.

How many kinds of beans are there.

Heading into the court yard of the church.

This is why you come to this town this is one strange place. They well not allow any cameras which is to bad it is really some thing to see. First they have pine needles all over the floor. Then there is candles every place And the local family's are on the floor with 50 to 100 candles burning in front of them and they had 3 eggs a live chicken some vodka or some kind of booze and 1 at a time would do this chanting one might pour some booze in a glass and spread it around the candles then another one would hold the chicken over the candles more chanting. Some one said they would sacrifice the chickens but we never saw that. Brenda estimated that there was 13000 candles burning in there plus all the ones on the floor with all the family's  The heat in the church was amazing.

this is our friends from Brazil.

Loved this entrance to this home.

After we walked around town we then got to ride back. After that we went and picked up our Laundry and of coarse we had a ticket and the plate was gone again. I found a police man and we got directions to the police station but we never went yet instead we went for diner and ran into our friends so we all had diner together it was helpful because they speak Portuguese which is very close to Spanish. We had a wonderful evening with them and like all good things it ended to soon.  Did I tell you how cold this place gets at night time it is going down to 4c tonight it is so cold we have the furnace on we are going to spend one more day here. Not sure what we are doing yet but getting the plate back.