My Weekend Trip to Cuetzalan!

So this past weekend I went to Cuetzalan with other exchange students. There were about 28 of us in 2 vans and it was about 4 hours away. It's a really small, beautiful town with many waterfalls, 2 of which we visitied. On Friday when we arrived, we walked around a little and took some pictures of al center (the center) and then had a late lunch at a resturant that overlooked the town. After we ate, we all got up and starting dancing with all the people from Cuetzalan who were also eating in the resturant. There were about 30 of us in a huge circle and at one point this Mexican woman pulled me into the middle of the circle and we danced together. It was a lot of fun.
On Saturday we hiked through a huge cave and afterward we went to one of the waterfalls and I had the chance to repel down the side. It was unlike anything I have ever done before (pictures below). We went to eat all together at another resturant which was delicious and really cheap ($3) for a meal of soup, potatoes and chicken. At around 8 we went to watch the voldadores (flyers) which is a traditional dance in which 5 voldadores climb up a really high pole and swing in a circle by their legs until they reach the ground. I suggest you look it up online because it was dark and I could not take good pictures but it was absolutely amazing. It's very similar to that swing ride at an amusement park except its only 4 people and they are swinging around by their legs.
On Sunday, we went to another waterfall which was very different from the one we saw on Saturday because it was much bigger and there were no rocks behind it so we could stand behind it and watch it. We also had a chance to go swimming in the pool there. In the morning, I went to the market where there were people selling everything from shoes and clothes to food and jewelry. But I didn't eat anything off the streets our of precaution.
Tomorrow, I am going to Mexico City with my Estetica class to see what I hear is an amazing art exhibition so I will take pictures and put them up for everyone to see. I am feeling much much better and am able to eat again. I think it just took some time for me to get used to the food here.
I am meeting soo many new people and almost everyone I meet here is just so welcoming. They kiss you on the cheek to greet you, unlike in the United States where it is a simple handshake. I am making a lot of friends not only from Mexico but from all over the world. This past weekend I roomed with a girl named Jill who is in one of my classes and is from Germany. She studies in England and it is mandatory that all the students there go abroad for a year. There are also people in our group from Sweden, Argentina, Germany, Holland, and of course the United States and it is so interesting to hear all the languages being spoken. Even though Spanish and English are the common languages, sometimes I catch the two Swedish girls speaking amongst themselves in their language or the German students speaking German to eachother. I think it's a shame that the United States doesn't starting teaching other languages until high school which is so late to start learning a language. In Europe, they start learning other languages from kindergarten. But other than that, I really miss everyone. I am trying to send out postcards to everyone at some point so look out for them. Be safe and stay warm. I love you!!!!