Update # 1: Exploring Zacatecas

Bridge Mexico Families and Friends,

Greetings from Windsor Mountain!
Bridge Mexico 2008 has been an adventure right from the beginning, so much so, that I think Windsor Mountain Student Travel should adopt a new creed, which reads:

"Neither snow nor rain nor [midtown traffic] nor [baggage transfer glitches] nor [three day baggage delays] will stay these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds."

Seriously, though, the trip is off to a great start! The families that met at JFK on Tuesday can attest that the group began forming the moment they met--they sat in a circle and started talking, waiting patiently while the adults collected the last of the students and then sent the whole group through security, down to the gate, and off to Monterrey. After a smooth flight, the JFK group met up with the final four-- students Rachel and Kaytie, and leaders Rebecca Carberg and Darren Ovitsky. But alas! Two pieces of luggage never made it to Monterrey. True to our new creed, though, the group came up with a plan, and kept moving: they got settled in at the Los Reyes Inn, went out for a nice dinner in Monterrey, then got a good night's sleep before an early start the next morning.

The 7 hour van ride across high desert plateau of Mexico the next day went off without a hitch, and then the group got down to the business at hand--serious fun and learning in the beautiful city of Zacatecas. Founded in the 1550's by the Spanish as a mining town, Zacatecas is an historical treasure. The silver mine in Zacatecas, Mina El Eden, was active until the 20th century (over 400 years!) and during the revolution of 1914, "Pancho" Villa made a famous stand at Cero de la Bufa, a strategic high point overlooking the city. Just this afternoon, the Windsor group walked up La Bufa, where they staged there own stand-off: Leader Darren and student Youngsan rented caballero costumes and performed a mock-duel, to the total delight of the while group. Then everyone got dressed up, took pictures in front of General Villa's statue, and rode a gondola over to Mina El Eden. The view was spectacular! The whole town was laid out before them, and they could even see the rooftop of their hostal. The group then took the tour of the mine, descending several levels and taking a short train ride to the lower exit of the mine--right in the middle of Zacatecas! Our leaders tried to distract the students from the fact that part of the mine has been converted into a high class late-night dance club, but the tour guide ruined everything and told them!

The group is now enjoying their last night in Zacatecas, and tomorrow they will be in transition. Orientation is done, and now they are now getting focused on the upcoming service project in Agua Puerca. But enough of this report! Here are some specific notes on what each student has been up to:

Paige is up for everything and is super-helpful to the group at all times. She volunteered to head up the cooking crew the first night at the Hostal Villa Colonial in Zacatecas, and made a tasty meal of beans, rice, chicken, and salad!

Kaytie has totally impressed our leaders with her willingness to learn Spanish. According to Darren, she really "puts herself out there". She partnered with our Mexican leader, Osiris, on a couple of Orientation activities, and spoke Spanish the entire time.

Zoe wowed the group with her dancing skills last night at a live outdoor music performance in a public square around the corner from the Hostal. She and Osiris tore up the cobbles as the group played traditional Mexican music for the enthusiastic crowd.

Emma was a bit timid about the gondola ride high across the city of Zacatecas, but she soldiered on, and loved it!

Rachel is great about sharing her views and opinions during group meetings and discussions. Darren and Becky say she gets along well with everyone in the group, and everyone really likes her.

Youngsan defeated Darren in the duel atop La Bufa mentioned above. Pistols at twenty paces have earned him the respect of the entire group, not to mention giving them a great laugh and a memorable story to tell.

Rebecca was a little shy at first, but is coming out of her shell, and starting to try out her Spanish and make meaningful connections with the other students on the trip.

Elkema has been a leader from the start. Darren has two words for her: SO AWESOME!! She volunteers first for everything, and has shown maturity and grace in the face of adversity--her bag was one that was delayed, and she has not let it bother her one bit.

Julian has likewise been a super-trooper despite missing baggage. The leaders say he has been "nothing but happy", throwing himself fully into everything and having a great time.

Gideon is a quiet guy who steps up when the group most needs it. Darren and Becky are impressed with his initiative and his ability to recognize when and where his effort can be most effective.

Nicole is really going for it with her Spanish. She took a leadership role during the group MMT on Thursday in Zacatecas, stepping out of her comfort zone to practice her practical language skills with native speakers. Everyone in her group said she rocked it!

One thing most of you might be asking yourself is " What is an MMT?" An MMT is Windsor Mountain tradition: the leaders split the group into smaller groups of no less than three, give them very firm parameters, and send them off on missions. Last year the group MMT was a Zacatecas map-making competition (judged by the owner of the Hostal), and this year the group the MMT was a fun cultural scavenger hunt.

All Bridge Mexico students will call home this Sunday, July 13th before noon (eastern time), and everyone at home should look for another email update next Thursday, July 18th.