Day
8, we awoke and once again made out way to the busses after a breakfast
in the Convention Centre. We headed off (relatively on time) for
yet another undisclosed location. Well, it was probably disclosed
in Spanish. Anyway, it was a good day!
First, we went to see a couple of cathedrals
in the historic part of Tzintzuntzan. This is a photo of an outdoor
alter at the Cathedral of the Risen Christ. It is strange, because
the Catholic religion doesn't use outdoor alters... but the natives
did. So an outdoor alter was built to make the native peoples feel
less threatened.
Adjacent to the Cathedral of the Risen
Christ, was this monestary. Its kind of difficult to see, but one
of the stones in the row just below the flower pots contains Aztec drawings...
because after the Spaniards decimated the settlement's pyramids, the monks
used the stones in their own construction.
This carving was hanging in the monestary...
it dates from the 16th Century. "Don't touch please!"
This is the Cathedral of the Burried Christ,
across the square from the other Cathedral and the Monestary. The
Burried Christ was constructed using wood, where the Risen Christ was built
out of stone.
After visiting the Cathedrals, we went
to a small garage, and learned how to make traditional Mexican pottery!
We made all kinds of things, including bowls, cups and woggles!
Next, we went to the pyramids at Tzintzuntzan
(which were ruined during the Spanish Conquest.) An impressive view
of the largest lake of Mexico, and 5 small pyramids in a row.
At the pyramids, we played a native Mexican
game of field hockey! Except that we used tree branches as sticks
and a leather ball (as the natives did.) I'll tell ya, I did pretty
good. Then again, most of the other player had never picked up a
hockey stick before in their lives...
Just as it started to rain, we left Tzintzuntzan
for the ride home. On the way back to camp, we stopped in downtown
Morelia - where the historic district is a UNESCO World Heritage Site,
for its role as the main headquarters of the Spanish Conquest. This
is a picture of the carvings on the doors of the Morelia Cathedral.
Back at camp, a fiesta was brewing...
lots of activities to do! This is a picture of Jonas, from Victoria
BC on the mechanical bull! It isn't as easy as it looks, but neither
of us fell off!
Of course, no fiesta is complete without
a lot of dancing! This song was called "follow the leader."
