EIL Intercultural Learning

Where to begin my friends since I last rambled on, so much has happened! I spent another great week in Oaxaca. Highlights included a trip to a cookery school on a ranch, we cooked a 5 course Mexican dinner that I will never forget, can't wait to hunt down squash flowers in Ireland for the soup....it might be difficult!! Also went on a trip to a nearby town, Teotitlan del Valle, with a micro-finance organisation from the school, called Envia. The idea is that all the money from the trip goes in the form of micro loans to the women of the village to fund their businesses. We went to the homes of 6 women who had to present their businesses and explain what they would use the loan for. It was fantastic to see this side of life here. From tamales to textiles we got a real insight into every product from start to finish. We will be keep updated with the businesses and it was great to support people in this way.

So after 2 great weeks in Oaxaca I said my goodbyes and I took the overnight bus to get to La Ventanilla. It said it would arrive in the nearby town at 9, it arrived at 7 meaning after the taxi I arrived in the village at 7:30a.m. Arriving anywhere at that hour of the morning is going to be funny. Hola? Hola? Buenos dias! After a while I got started on introductions! It turns out they thought I was coming the night before! Never asked where they thought I was!

Got settled into my cabin which is like living in Swiss Family Robinson! I looked back at a photo I took of a lizard in my room in Oaxaca and laughed, here lizards are two a penny among other creatures! My mosquito net is now my best friend! La Ventanilla is easy to describe, it's like paradise. The Pacific Ocean, the waves, the beach, the lagoon and all that goes with it are a sight to behold. The locals were all very welcoming to me but I have to admit I find it hard to understand some of them! Hopefully that will improve with time. 

It turns out that the lagoon burst open the previous week because of all the rain so my first sight of it was not the usual tourist one. Tours were cancelled because the current from the two rivers was too strong, however the animals on the island still needed to be fed so 3 locals and myself went up in a boat. I think they wondered if I'd go with them but when you are ignorant of danger it helps! It took us around 40 minutes to go direct to the island, normal it takes 5-10! I got to see the animals and feed them, there are deer, a fox, a monkey called Juppy, kind of racoons and of course baby salt-water turtules and crocs! Not forgetting Susana the big croc. On the way back the current was with us so not too bad!

After my first day of settling in the next two days were the heaviest rain I have seen, even for an Irish person! So that meant not many tourists came. I continued to chat to the locals, eat lovely food and help out in anything people were doing so they could stay out of the rain!

Now onto what has been my life for the past week....well I woke up one day sick as anything, WARNING! I'll share it with you if you care to read on. I was never as sick in my whole life! Looking back on it now it's funny but at the time it was pretty rough. These are the realities of travelling and you have got to take the rough (vomitting, diarreohea, fever, headaches, nausea) with the smooth (in my case paradise). I took medication and it was no good, the locals said what works in Ireland won't be the same here due to the climate, then it was onto the natural remedy of Trinny in the restaurant, she boiled a plant with some Mezcal (an Oaxacan tipple) and wrapped it in kitchen paper and put it all over my body, sorry to say that had no effect. By now I knew I needed a doctor so it was off to Pochutla. It was an interesting cultural experience to visit the doctor here, he typed my prescription out on his typewriter and only charged me 3 euro!! Turns out I had gastroenteritis, that's not fun in any country! The 3 medications he gave me all made me sick for 24 hours but then finally I turned a corner and started to get better. I can't thank the locals here enough for looking after me. I have to say I found it quite hard to be sick so early in the trip because it interrupted my intro into life here and also my vocabulary was limited to "worse, better, doctor!" for 5 days. I hope that my stomach is stronger because of it, as getting sick in an eco-toilet is not fun! 

However now all that is over and I am totally better and having a great time, everyday is different really, collecting plastic on the beach, going on the tours, chatting to the tourists, helping in the restaurant and of course our daily turtle liberations, the other day we had 90 released, what a sight! Then on a turtle egg patrol one night but no turtles sadly! I'm hoping to start English lessons with some of the kids soon but like everything here it may or may not happen soon! I'm really enjoying life here and getting a true experience of Mexico and the culture living in the community that is La Ventanilla, sickness aside it's been fun and I look forward to telling you more about it again.

For those of you who have made it to the end of reading, congrats! Sorry no pics, no connection here. Will try get one in the bigger town soon.

P.S Hello to my Nana Elizabeth who wonders am I ok all the way over the otherside of the world, don't worry Nana they are looking after me well and I ate some potatoes today so I'll be grand!