The Big Catch-up Part 3

Days in México: 294

After the eventful week of partying to finish October and start November.

For my host mum's birthday, we went to Mount Marlintzi which is the mountain that sits between Tlaxcala and Puebla. The date also corresponded to exactly 9 months in Mexico for me! The peak is the sixth highest in Mexico and I reached the 4000 metres above sea level mark before having to turn back because of difficulties with the pressure. We took two horses with us up the mountain and I rode one most of the way up because I had troubles breathing in the thin air but I walked almost the whole way back down. I had to wear 10 layers of clothing because it was freezing cold. The view was amazing and we were looking down at the clouds, it was breathtaking! We went with the grandparents and some family friends so Papá continued up the mountain with the friends and brought us back a mountain rose, a special type of flower that only be found growing above the altitude of 4000 metres!

4000m above sea level

Jazmín on a horse

The peak from the camp. The top isn't visible because it is covered in clouds

Keeping warm

The mountain rose

The weekend after was the beginning of the Central American and Caribbean games. All the schools in Veracruz were given the afternoon of Friday off to avoid the traffic of the opening ceremony. I didn’t go to the opening ceremony but friends who went to the event said it was really good.

On the Saturday I caught up with Carla. I met Carla when she went on exchange to Australia last year and I haven’t seen her since she arrived back in Mexico four months ago. Since coming back, her family has moved to Veracruz (the same city as me!) We went to her family’s restaurant which serves traditional food from Oaxaca (the state to the south of Veracruz.) I ate grasshoppers which are commonly found in Oaxaca and taste kind of like salted cashews with a bit of chili. It wasn't a bad experience and I would happily eat them again.

Grasshoppers

Carla and I

The Central American and Caribbean games finished last night and Mexico ended in second place behind Cuba. In the past two weeks I have been to the swimming, synchronised swimming, artistic gymnastics, woman’s basketball, men’s basketball and water polo. Most of the events I went to with my family except for the men’s basketball which I went to with my exchange friends. I was able to go to a lot of events because the Governor of Veracruz cancelled school for everyone in the state for a week because of the weather and because of the games. It has been a great opportunity to see live sports and meet people from all over the world. When I went to the movies to watch the latest Hunger Games, I talked to the people sitting behind me who were participating in judo and were from the Bahamas. And last week I went out with some friends for dinner at the same restaurant as the men's basketball team from Puerto Rico, so I got a photo with them. 

Mexico vs Panama in basketball

With the exchange students at the basketball

With the team from Puerto Rico

Because I had time off school, I was able to cook for my family. I cooked a spaghetti bolognese which is a recipe my biological mum has been cooking for almost two decades. It has lots of vegetables in it and is really filling. At first Roberto said he didn't like it because he could see some vegetables but then I said 'how can you say that you don't like it when you haven't even tried it yet!' So after about 5 minutes of staring at the food, he ate a bit and then didn't stop until it was finished. I then asked him if he like it and he said 'no, I love it!' So I was really happy that a seven year old boy who hates vegetables loved the vegetable packed meal that I made.

Lots of vegetables

Roberto loved it

On the 19th of November I had my presentation for my Rotary club. It was a combined meeting with the Veracruz South Club. It was really important because they haven't hosted or sponsored any exchange students before. My presentation was about my life in Australia and my experience on exchange. It went really well I received lots of compliments. It was my last Rotary meeting that I will have in Mexico because I will be travelling a lot in my last month and a half.  

My last Rotary meeting in Mexico

Tacometre (taco count): 261!! 

I’m aiming to reach at least 300 by the time I leave Mexico. I went to a taco buffet the other day. I have been there before in May and ate 7 tacos the first time I went but this time I managed to eat 14! They were small and I didn't eat anything else for the rest of the day.