when i last wrote to you we were planning on taking a 4 hour bus ride with our friends ruben and anna to visit anna´s grandma in vera cruz. well . . . that´s not what happened! we met them at the bus terminal (anna, ruben, vanessa, rubenito, gabriel, miguel, and margarieta), and headed off for what we thought was vera cruz. 10 minutes before our arrival, after whipping around curving mountain roads, swerving to miss cows, pigs, dogs, and children, ana told me "we are staying at my aunt and uncles house tonight and we will go to vera cruz tomorrow". to stay with grandma? "oh no, that´s too far away, but we´ll go to la playa tomorrow . . .it´s close." how close? "maybe 1 hour" translation . . .3 hours!
that night we climbed off the bus in a pueblo called ayotoxco de guerrero, puebla. the family greeted us with amazing generosity. the teenagers were especially fascinated by their cousins friends from america. you can only imagine how much i stood out :) the food was fabulous, but it was so hot and humid we had to sit outside just to breath.
the next day after sleeping in a room with a fan brought in just for us, we drank rich coffee and headed off for la playa. everyone had their bathing suites on and shorts.
i wondered how we would take this big group. apparently tio (uncle) hired a chauffer to drive us in his big truck, so that he could describe in great detail (as only a man of his age and stature can) the countryside. this description took place while standing in the bed of the truck hanging on to the roll bar while driving through the country (the scenic route . . . do any of you ladies recognize a pattern here). they were 11 of us in this truck, but joe and i had the place of honor next to tio and the roll bar.
sadly enough, it decided to rain and turn cold! we were soaked and freezing by the time we arrived at la playa 3 hours later. swimming turned out to be a kid thing, because the water was dirty and it was cold with a stiff breeze . . . no way was i getting in that water!
the return trip was much the same with a stop at el taco loco. we fed the entire family (all you can eat) for 35 bucks! they though we were pretty generous :)
the next day tio decided to take us to another village where the bus back to puebla would be more direct (only 2 hours). unfortunately, this village was 2 hours away and the fast bus wasn´t available. the village was called cuetzalan puebla paseo. all of the mountain people walk down, or up, on sunday to trade goods for the week. it was absolutely crazy. tia bought a bird for her home, to go along with the other 10 birds on her patio.
2 hours later we climbed on the slow bus and headed back to puebla (the city). 4 hours later we arrived, exhausted.
talk to you all soon, my class is starting.
love heidi and joe
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