On Saturday night I went camping on Popocatépetl, a volcano an hour's drive from Puebla. It's a very classic-looking volcano: conical, snow-capped, and still active, so it continuously spits ash and smoke. The base of the volcano is pine forest, which is littered with kitschy little cabins owned by very wealthy folks.
Popocatépetl, affectionately known as Popo. This is a photo from this summer showing the view from the highway, quite a while before actually arriving in Puebla.
This is the view of the volcano from the cabin. Note that by this time of year there is significantly more snow on the peak, and the smoke and steam are especially visible.
It was in one of these cabins that we stayed, as it was owned by the family of a friend of a friend of a friend. Slightly sketchy: we had to enter through a window the whole trip because no one had the keys. My guess is that it truly was owned by that friend's family, it was just that the family had no idea we were there. Woot!
But seriously, apart from what might have been breaking and entering, we had a great time! There was neither heat nor electricity nor running water in the cabin, so apart from the fireplace the cabin served as little more than a shelter from the wind. I should note here that it is COLD there, as in below freezing. All of us, that is myself and my friends from biology classes, huddled together while sleeping to keep from freezing.
Our visit was relatively short, consisting of an after-dark arrival, a nice long hike through the woods, a few glasses of wine, sleeping in, quick breakfast, and off to a program obligation at noon.
The program obligation? Our goodbye party.
As part of our folkloric dance class, several of the program girls had to do a final dance presentation at the party. We were, to put it delicately, rather skeptical about our ability to perform well. We had never really managed to dance any of the three numbers well, we were dancing in heels for only the second time, and we were wearing costumes we had never even tried on before. Luckily, however, the party involved an open bar, so we worked up a little tequila-related courage beforehand. As it turned out, we beat the odds and did really well. Everyone was impressed, even our harshest critics: ourselves.
After the little performance, we ate a nice meal (impressive considering the program's record when it comes to feeding people) with our families and then hit the dance floor for the obligatory Village People + cumbia mix that pervades every party.
This is us getting reading for picotas. We were also skeptical about the outfit, but it works, doesn't it?
The Boda, an interpretation of a wedding. I got to be the bride! This is me with my "family." The group in white and red is the family of my groom. Funny, I didn't catch his name...
Finally, the dance from Sinaloa. Big skirts!!
note: all the pictures from the party are stolen from my friends on Facebook. My camera battery died on the volcano so I didn't get any shots of my own.
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