I haven't written for a while and a lot has happened. I am now living with my host family in Coatzacoalcos. I had a orientation camp in Mexioc and I've met a lot of new people and even tasted iguana.

My journey to Mexico began on the 19th of July at 7 o'clock when I met all other Finnish exchange students in the airport in Helsinki. It was nice to meet all others because finally others could understand exactly what I ment by how hard it is to fill papers, get business cards etc.

We flew to Frankfurt where we ate at McDonalds. I took a picture from the window. Looks so Germany like.

And then next was the 12 hour flight. :( I hate flying and 12 hours is pure torture I'm glad I had good company so it wasn't as terrible as it could be. When we arrived to airport I was totally exhausted and I looked at the floor realized how the sims feel when they fell asleep on the floor. Believe me the floor looked really tempting at tht moment After sitting in a moving plane for 12 hours the still floor under my feet felt like it was moving.

When we finally got pass the document and luggage check I bought some water. Cheap - 15 pesos. Though the salesman tried to charge more from my friends but they were too clever. After that I did check that I got enough change. ;D

We stayed in the Majestic hotel. It was beautiful building with great view. I lived in The same room with N. She is a great girl. :) I hope that I will see her again at least in the Ruta Maya tour.

The view from our hotel room

20.7

 

We started day with a walking tour. We saw the catedral, the building where the president works and ruins of an  Aztech pyramide. Mexican history is really interesting but it's also really sad. Spaniards who came here destroyed all important buildings of Aztechs and built their own churches on them.

In the evening we went to eat in a restaurant but before that I met my e-mail-friend. I admire her because she changed religion to budhism because she didn't like the history that catholic religion has in this country. Still 95% of Mexicans are catholic.( Though my host family is not. my grandma here is Jehova and I didn't really get full certainty about the rest of the family.) I gave my friend a Finland-moose and "salmiakki". I got some Mexican candy it was good but really sweet like everything here. I haven't eaten as much as in Finland because all food contains lots of sugar of fat and I'm not hungry as often as in Finland.

21.7

We visited old pyramids. Nobody knows about the people who built them but the pyramids are absolutely beautiful. Before climbing there we visited a place where we tasted some wines: Tequila, Something that had a worm there in the bottle ( tasted bad) (( one boy ate the worm)), something that tasted actually good and something really Mexican but I can't remeber the name. :DD

the view from the top of the pyramide

Unfortunatelly though it was hard work climbing the pyramids. Nobody was too drunk and fell like Rotarians had planned. Maybe next year better luck. ;)

In the evening I had wonderful dinner in a restaurant with 4 other exchange students. We found the place by asking 2 locals.

22.7

After just 5 hours of sleep I had to woke up and we had the last breakfast in the hotels reastaurant. The restaurant has a beautiful view.

It was a sad morning because we had to say good bye to every one. In Finland I had no idea how hard it would be to leave these people after just 3 days of being together.  

I was the last person leaving from that terminal and I felt a bit depressed and angstios. I was sure that my host family had just forgotten me and when I would arrive there they would come late or never show up. The fact that both exchange students that were picked up from Mexico city were picked up an hour late but I guess that's just Mexico.  I bought cosmopolitan in Spanish and read it restlessly without being able to concentrate on anything. I could also feel all the eyes on me now that I was the blond girl alone.

Still I survived to the airplane and I noticed that I was very tired I was half awake for the whole flight and when the plane hit the ground a huge butterfly appeared in the plane. It made me smile. I had never seen such a big butterfly before.

I walked out of the airplane and I felt the hot, humid air surrounding me. It felt good and I smiled as I walked to get my luggage. I saw some hands behind the glass window waving at my direction. I couldn't see proparly but it sure looked like that. "Did they come in time after all?"I thought. As one passanger had got his luggage the glass door opened and I saw a huge growld of people shouting my name and clapping their hands. They had "welcome"-signs and even  balloons with my name. I couldn't believe my eyes. Then started the introduction round and I just smiled foolishly, Then we took many group photos. I should ask for one from mama but I haven't done that yet because I'm lazy.

When we drove home I was till smiling. I talked a bit with my cousin who can speak a bit of English. My parents cannot. He asked me if I wanted to have my party today or tomorrow and I said today.

So the party "began" at 7 o'clock but because that is the Mexican time just 2 guests arrived at that time. The rest showed up later. I talked a lot with Mexican youngsters and I had a good time with them. After I cut the cake with my name on it we youngsters went driving to the malecon. I still thought that I was dreaming.

I couldn't have had a better first day

After that I have lot a lot of stuff like eating coconut, iguana and chicharron but maybe I'll write about that later. I've also spent some time on the beach and in a pool, I love this place. (though I know I'm in the first stage of culture shock.. but let me enjoy it.)