Swimming with whale sharks!!!

I had an amazing day swimming wth whale sharks in the La Paz Bay!  Diane and I went off on a boat tour looking for whale sharks and we were not disappointed.  We saw three very large ones and had the added bonus of observing sting rays at close range too since they feed on krill at the same time! With the hand (literally) of Arthur, the guide, I snorkeled near the whale sharks and are they ever big...the lenght of a pick up truck....and they suck the krill on the surface of the water with an oval-shaped mouth.  We also met a cool guy named, John from LA who took some great pictures!  It was a bit scary to be next to such large animals but they just ignored us and gulped up the krill....when you swim near them the krill hits your body like mosquitos hitting a moving car!!!  The rays feed near the whale sharks so it was wonderfull to see them swooping around with their shiny metalic under-wings...they are so graceful.  It was also interesting to note that the whale sharks have 3-4 other fish with fins a bit like wings that are constantly grooming them. On the boat ride back we saw three dolphins who played around the boat and followed us for awhile. What an experience!!!!

After that, Diane and I went of snokeling in a nearby coral reef and saw such beautiful fish.  In the La Paz area, all you have to do to swim in a coral reef is go to a nearby beach, walk out the the rocky point and jump in, there is so much to see. We finished off this magical day by going for my final visit to Tecolote Beach to enjoy a special drink while watching the tide come in.  We drove back home in the large vintage car as the sun set...I will never forget that day as long as I live!

What a beautiful animal1

Feeding time for whale shark and ray!

Here I am looking at the beast!

Our captain on the boat.

We all sat for over an hour enjoying the show...this is John taking some great pictures.

A ray swimming right over a whale shark.

A view of the underside of the ray's "wings".

That is one big whale shark...I was just mustering the courage for another close up look.

What a perfect end to an amazing day!

Digging for clams gets me a sting from a ray!

This is our clam stash....it was worth the pain in my foot!

Soaking in hot water admiring the clams.

Right after the sting...a bit painful, I must say!

View of the mangrove trees near the beach.

I'm cured!

On a lovely Saturday, I headed off with friends to my favorite beach, Bahia Balandra.  This was my last chance to go to this beach before heading home and I enjoyed the day....watching the tide go out and chatting with my friends Pam, Rob and Benjamin.  We got the idea to go digging for clams and it was hard work...it was a lot of walking and not a lot of clams until the end.  We dug up about 10 altogether and were happily walking back when I was stung by a ray. Ouch!  It really hurt and boy did it bleed!  I limped back to the beach where my Mexican friend, Benjamin, boiled water and soaked my sore foot. The ray sting is painful but not deadly and it is really an enzyme that is injected into your foot...the hot water dillutes the toxins.  I had a few asprins, a stiff drink offered by some neighbours on the beach and I was good as new in 45 minutes thanks to the help of my friend!

Graduating from Se Habla Language School!

I enjoyed every minute that I was at Se Habla Language School in La Paz.  The teachers were great and taught me so much- thanks Merit, Orlando, and Marco!  I worked hard for two hours a day in private classes and then went out in the town and practiced Spanish every chance I got.  I lived with a Mexican family so I got practice speaking Spanish at home too.  I had lots of homework and did my best to finish all my work.  Studying the verbs was the biggest challenge! In addition to great language training, the school offered lots of cultural talks, outings, special events, and helped organise my volunteer placement (mentioned in an earlier post).  The person behind it all is Juli Goeff, the owner and director of the school- she is a marvel!

The school offered weekly talks on cultural events such as the Day of the Dead (already discusssed), the Mexican Revolution (100th Anniversary this year), areas of Mexico and the customs, etc...There were also some field trips that were offered and they were well attended.  Juli, the school's director was also helpful to show me around the city in my first week and help me to make some friends.

One of the most amazing field trips organized by the school  was a star-gazing night at Las Dunes, Desert Retreat.  It was an amazing Eco-Lodge with with little cabins and a central area for yoga and discussions.  Up on the sand dunes was a platform for drumming sessions/dances and for us, star-gazing!  They had several high powered telescopes set up and we enjoyed a talk by a Mexican star expert.  Then we gazed at the heavens- a highlight was seeing Jupiter and its rings and all the craters on the Moon!  The Milky Way really showed up in the night sky, as we nibbled on French bread and goat cheese and listened to the ocean waves lapping onto the shore below.  It was a magical experience!  It was dark, and all light was discouraged, so I did not take any photos.  I have amazing memories forever in my heart!

So, here are some pictures of the school, the teachers, other students, and my graduation after a month of intensive Spanish classes! Adios amigos!

The sign!

Se Habla Spanish Language School.

Juli and I in the kitchen.  She runs a great school!

Relaxing after class on the front porch.

Visiting with other students in the livingroom before class.

Here is my second teacher, Orlando!  He draws great illustrations!

The back view of the school  near the pool.

My third teacher, Marco and I on the back porch.  He cured me of saying "en" the French way...I'm supposed to pronouce it like "n"! Ha!

Graduation in the dining room with all students and teachers- my first teacher, Merit, is in the front row in white.  I said a short speech and got a bit choked up.  It was such an amazing experience! I will continue learning Spanish on Skype and practice on future travels this coming year.

Road Trip to Cabo Airport in a Ralphie Mobile!

In week three, I went on a fun road trip with my friend Diane and her sick friend, Clayton. Her friend has lived in La Paz for years but decided to go home to the USA given the seriousness of his illness. He may not have been healty but he drove at a rapid pace and we arrived at our destination in record time!

I laughed when I saw his car, it was a vintage Caprice!  It reminded me of the first road trip I ever took with my best friend, Liz in grade 12.  We borrowed a car much like this one, which was owned by an eccentric used book store owner from rural New Brunswick named Ralphie.  We drove this big boat of a car down to Halifax from Fredericton and had the time of our lives!

Once we had dropped him off at the airport, we headed back to La Paz at a leisurely pace.  We saw some interesting mining towns along the way and beautiful mountains covered with forests of green trees and cacti.  There were also some lovely towns tucked in along the coast called Las Palmas and Los Barriles.  We ate lunch at Los Barriles- this town name is funny, it translates as "The Barrels".  Apparently, many years ago, during the days of  large sailing ships I would think, some barrels rolled up on shore after a ship wreck and voila, the place got its name!

We enjoyed our meandering trip back to La Paz, avoiding cattle and even a tarantula on the road! We had lots of compliments and offers to buy the car.  Mexican's love an old car. The views along the way were magnificent!

The Ralphie Mobile!

Diane on the edge of a cliff.

Nice View!

Amazing place!

Valley below with some towns.

Volunteering at Comedor Laguna Azul

For the past two week, I have really enjoyed volunteering two afternoons a week at  Comedor Laguna Azul (translation: Blue Lagoon community lunch program). The  neighbourhood is anything but an idyllic blue lagoon setting! It is a place for children of all ages to get a nutricious free lunch six days a week.  The children in this area are from Colonia Col. Marquez, a comunity with dirt roads and modest dwellings/small  houses  made of assembled materials.  The children walk to El  Comedor from the nearby school which finishes at 12 noon.  This neighbourhood is a half an hour drive outside of downtown La Paz.  It is very different from the paved streets of the city.  The area is poor and most of the citizens get around on the small local busses or walk on the dusty roads.. With the help of the librarian at the Comedor, I was able to figure out how to get to and from this location on the local bus.  It is an interesting experience!

The building is funded by local donors and is a great success! The idea started a few years back as a after- school lunch program and over time the large libary, classroom space, and computer lab were added.  The building employs about six local women in the kitchen, a librarian, a teacher, and there is a volunteer English teacher.  The place is very well maintained and clean.  It is buzzing with activity all afternoon and into the evening. The high school students come later to eat and hang out here between afternoon and evening classes (These older students have a few hours off in the afternoon when it is hot- their day is 9 am - 1 pm and then 4- 7pm, I believe.).  Often mothers stop by to make sure their youngsters eat all their food and even bring younger brothers and sisters in strollers that eat lunch there too.  The mothers do not eat at the Comedor; only the children.  The children line up to receive a nutricious lunch and get their named checked off a list.

After the children have been fed, they can stay all afernoon! Many students stay on to get help with homework, receive important information about their health, sex education is taught to the teenagers, extra classes are given in math and Spanish grammar, English classes are taught, students AND parents come there to read the books, chidren play board games, and/or occasionally use the computer.  It is a very positive place!

 I have been doing little presentations with pictures of my life in the Yukon.  Last week, I did a short presentation on the bison hunt- unusual even by Canadian stardards.  Peter Harms, the grade 6/7 teacher in my school will chuckle when he sees the photos!   I have also taught them about basic Canadian geography and they have even labeled and colored a map of Canada!  I have one more week left. The children seem to be enjoying learning about a new place and it has been a learning experience for me.  I do all of my presentations in Spanish!  What a great way to put my verbs into action! Luckily, the children are very patient with me. These kids are well behaved and eager to learn!  What a joy they are to work with!

The teachers having lunch before the students arrive.

The kitchen staff doing some needlework for an upcoming fund-raiser.

This is the Comedor, the cafeteria and English classroom are on the bottom floor and the library is on the top.

The children are picking up their food from the kitchen.

The boy on the left is Jesus (pronounced Hayzeus): he has been my shadow since I started at the Comedor and he ALWAYS sits right beside me.  He is such a great boy!

I visit with the children before going up to the libary to work with them for an hour.

They are so cute!

These girls join my presention every time!

Children eating and public notices on the board.

Children line up to get their name checked off a list before receiving food.

This is the libary/computer lab/classroom!

Here I am doing one of my presentatios- this one was on the bison hunt.

Geography time.

Yes, these are maps of Canada!

Students helping the teacher to make crafts to sell at the upcoming fund-raiser (N.B.- This teacher was raised in this neighbourhood and now teaches others!_

The neighbourhood.

Housing in the area.

If there was a bad storm, this place would not hold up!

The spot where I catch the bus.

This place must be hot to live in!

Weekend fun on the water (with ALL photos)

Over the weekend, I was on the Sea of Cortez the whole time.  On Friday night I went off to visit my American friend, Andrea, at La Concha Condos.  We took out her kayaks and kayaked all around the area close to the condo. 

On the following day, I went on a boat tour of Isla Espiritu Santo.  It was amazing- the island is a nature preserve with lots of birds, sea lions, seals and coral reefs teeming with fish. On the way to the island, we saw a group of dolphins jumping in the water.  What an amazing sight! I got out snorkeling and saw fish of all different colors and swam with seals  One small seal was very friendly, and I petted him on a rock!  We all had a picnic on one of the beaches after snorkeling two times.



FRIDAY- Brenda kayaking near La Paz.



FRIDAY-Andrea in full kayaking gear!

SATURDAY DAY TRIP -Dolphin jumping in La Paz Bay.

Sea- lion colony on Los Isolotes.

I had fun snorkeling with fish, seals, and birds (they dove in to catch fish).

On Sunday, I met with Andrea again and we kayaked from Playa Tecolote to Playa Bandaras.  It was amazing.  We met up with another Mexican friend, Benjamin who runs a Kayak renting business. We explored the beach as the tide slowly went out. It was also exciting to take the kayaks through the mangrove trees near the bay.  It is amazing how these trees can live in salty water! When Andrea and I  finally paddled back to Playa Tecolote, at the end of the day, I almost stepped on a ray!  Those things can sting you and give you great pain.  After that, we all enjoyed a nice drink on the beach together ( I had to calm down first..I did scream at the time and hop around a bit trying to get that darn ray off my sandals...lucky for me I had them on!) After the delicious and theraputic large lime drink (of the adult variety-this is a blog for all ages after all), I happily ended an eventful weekend!

A beautiful arch along the way.

Nice view along our jouneey in the boat around Isla Espiritu Santo.

Swiming and  a picnic on the beach after snorkeling.

Another puffer fish- this one is healthy (p.s. the eyes are on the sides) being shown off by the captain of the boat.

Sea-lions basking in the sun.

Interesting birds along the way.

I am a happy sailor!

Enjoying the beach and a delicous lunch of ceviche (our boat is in the background).

SUNDAY AFTERNOON-Kayaking near Mushroom Rock (right) on Bahia Balandra.

Andrea next to Mushroom Rock.

Friends, Benjamin and Andrea picnicing on the beach (next to Benjamin's Kayak rental business).

Brenda and Benjamin at Bahia Balandra.

Andrea and Brenda looking out at the water.