getting free

When I finally got my TESOL teaching certificate in hand a week and a half ago, I had mixed feelings about the program ending. I couldn't imagine continuing on without seeing any serious altercations breaking out among the ladies; but at the same time, we'd spent about 50 hours a week together for a whole month, and it seemed hard to let go into the vast, unstructured world of Oaxaca.

So I decided to go to the beach. Even though the Pacific coast is only about 200 km to the south, it takes nearly 6 hours of nausea-inducing S-curves to get there. The views are beautiful, though, and you know at the end of it there's a coconut with a straw stuck in it waiting for you. Actually, I didn't know that (I thought "coco" was "cocoa" without the "a"), but I found out.

The first place we stayed at Mazunte, the sound of the waves crashing made my bed shake. I was traveling with our trainer for the course, Annie, and two of the other girls who participated in the class. The highlight of our time together was definitely the three-hour boat tour during which I FINALLY SAW A WHALE! Yes, a whole whale jumping out of the water and crashing back in again. Later we also saw a whale tail (presumably attached to a whale) and some tortugas.

I have to say that I don't know what to do with myself now that I've seen a whale. It presents a certain existential dilemma. What else is there to look for in the wild? What will my next wildlife viewing ambition be? If you have any suggestions, please let me know.

In the meantime, enjoy the new pictures (none of the whale, unfortunately. I didn't have my camera with me...) and if you want to hear any other juicy details of my trip to the beach, you'll just have to email me ;)

p.s. - There are also a few new pictures of one of our practice teaching student, Jesus, who is a wood carver - and of his carvings - at his home in San Martin de Tilcajete. You can see all the photos directly on the Flickr site as well.