Xochicalco and Taxco

Well, it was a beautifully sunny day but not nearly warm enough for me (however everyone else was happy) as we headed off to the pyramid and the Museum of the pyramids. These pyramids were ravaged by every group that came through (the Mayans, the Spanish...everyone) before they were preserved so what we saw (which was amazing) was only what was left. We hiked around the whole area, visited a living space, the space where they played the sacred ball game (which girls all recognized from Disney's El Dorado), and visited the pyramid of the sacred "plumed serpent". By the time we were done, they were ready for shopping in Taxco!

Taxco is "silver town" and had been a ghost town until revived by an American Robert Spratling who invested in it as a mining and silver town. Now known for its fine silver work and silver jewelry, it took our girls no time at all to employ their Spanish for finding bargains and negotiating deals (this is why you wanted them to learn Spanish, right?) The really sweet pat was that most of the girls were buying presents for you or their siblings (although I did hear a few say, "of course, I'll borrow it...")! By days end, although many wanted to continue shopping, we needed to meet our bus at 6:30 and head home, watching Shrek in Spanish on the 2 hour trip.

Today we head over to a local middle school to be paired with a host student, perhaps play football (the REAL football), and following that, tour our neighborhood and the Jardin Etnobotanico. We will head home to our host families for comida and then be back at school for a salsa lesson this evening!