A lot of my job as the blogmaster is to chase our many staff members around the world for blog posts. I am sure they dread getting emails from me thinking that they are being hounded into writing something for the blog. It’s ironic, nay hypocritical, that I was lucky to visit our programs in Mexico in early February and I haven’t put up a blog post until today. Whoops! But since there has been some time between being in Guadalajara and coming home, I think I was able to process everything a little better.

I must admit that after reading in a guidebook that Guadalajara was the home to mariachi music, tequila, and rodeo riders, I rolled my eyes thinking I would be walking into a living stereotype, but boy was I wrong! So instead of a post about what I did in Mexico I am going to write about some of my favorite memories.

Tom with baby turtle, Tecoman, Mexico

The turtle camp by the Pacific Ocean: It’s hard to describe the feeling of scooping up baby turtles as the sun sets behind the expansive Pacific Ocean and then releasing them into the sea, it’s incredible. Although only one in a hundred make it to adulthood, you can’t but help to root these little guys on as they try their hardest to make it into the sea. Coming from New York City where it is basically impossible to see the stars, I saw the clearest stars I have ever seen while gazing up at the sky around 1:30 AM after patrolling the beach for turtles with the crashing surf lulling me to sleep.

Some more memories after the jump

Daniel with kids, Guadalajara, Mexico

The Staff: As a former volunteer and now an employee, I have always known that Projects Abroad staff members are one of our greatest resources but it was great to finally meet all of the staff in Mexico (Marco, Daniel, Jonatan, Jery Lee, Chava and Carlos) and they couldn’t have been more hospitable. It is no wonder that there are so many happy volunteers in Mexico since the staff does such a great job of showing everyone around and making you feel welcome and comfortable in Guadalajara. Gracias, amigos!

The Tacos!: Anyone who thinks that the slop they serve at Taco Bell are real tacos, you need to get down to Guadalajara or anywhere in Mexico stat! I have never had tastier tacos than the ones I have had in Guadalajara. On every street corner you can find a taco stand that will serve you up a warm, soft corn taco(s) with different fillings and topped with whatever kind of salsa you would like and a little squeezed lime if you want it. The fillings range from carne asada to more exotic ones like cactus and cow’s tongue. It’s a little taste of heaven.

Orozco Murals: One of Mexico’s best known artists, Jose Orozco, has some of his most famous murals in Guadalajara. Walking into the neoclassical buildings of the Hospicio Cabanas, you expect to see the paintings typical of a chapel but instead you see the dark, fiery and arresting images of a modern world soaring above you. It is definitely real interesting stuff and every volunteer gets to see them at least once since a visit to the Cabanas is included in the volunteer’s induction.