These photos never made it to the web site back when they were new.  Today I had a snow day with nothing to do so I had lots of time to play with the photos.  -Cookie

We traveled to Mexico, and stayed at the Hostel Moneda, a block from the Zocolo, the Metropolitan Cathedral and the Palaces of the Mexican government .  After spending a couple of days touring Mexico City, seeing the ballet Foklorico at the Bellas Artes, Mariachis, museums, some of Diego Rivera murals, and the Teotihuacan pyramids, we took a bus to the pueblo of San Luis Coyotzingo. We changed buses and picked up 35 teenagers from the village and headed off to an ecology camp in Tlaxco, in the state of Tlaxcala for two days.  This was a chance for the Young Friends & the Coyotzingo group to get to know each other and learn the ecology of reclaiming eroded land and reforestation.  

Back in Coyotzingo our work project was planting trees, playing games with primary school children, and gathering basura (trash) from the streets.  Almost every night the  home where we stayed became fiesta central, with music, dancing, and eating.  One day a bus load of us went to see the pyramid at Cholula, and the recently excavated pyramid at Cacaxtla (state of Tlaxcala).  Another day we went for a picnic and swimming at at a water park near Puebla.  The volcano Popocatepetl was within sight of the village, and was was erupting and belching smoke off and on each day.  Six months after we left there was a major eruption and villages surrounding the volcano were evacuated.  Coyotzingo was blanketed with ash much like a snow fall.  After a wonderful despedida (farewell party) we planned to leave early for the 2 hour bus ride to Mexico City.  In the morning the Coyotzingo teens came to see us off and then climbed on the bus to accompany us back to Mexico City.   The group photo on the roof of the Hostel Moneda was followed by a teary farewell as the Coyotzingo teens left to return home. 

Our group settled into the hostal and then split up to take in a few last minute visit museum of Anthropology and shopping in craft markets.

		Angelina on the Pyramid of the Sun, Teotihuacan, Mexico	Caitlin & Alice Pyramid of the Sun	At the ecology camp in Tlaxco
			Casey, Alejandro, Citlali.
Making liquid compost fertilizer	Nate lends a hand				Angelina, Eben, Leah & Jessica
Audrey on el cerro	Caitlin washing clothes at the pila	Roasting marshmallows at the fogata (camp fire)
Cali, John, Isreal, and the town President picking up the trees.	Back in Coyotzingo planting trees at the jaguay.	A "jaguay" is a small irrigation pond.	Beth & John planting a tree.