there was "nun fun" to be had

Sorry for this being a long one, but I meant to write after going out Sunday, but decided to wait until mid week. I got busy and forgot to write until Friday when I forgot to post the blog I wrote, now after another weekend there is a lot to write about. (The posts title will make sense when you read about yesterday.)

First let me start with last Sunday. I went with 4 friends to the Planetarium. They have an IMAX and some other stuff. We took the bus to a park downtown which had a free shuttle to the Planetarium. We got there and started eating our Subway, a worker told us we couldn’t have outside food so we walked out the front gate and out our sandwiches on the sidewalk. We went back in and had a half hour until our show. We walked through the first level of the museum. It was a short little Children’s Science Museum. It was then on to the movie. We watched one on the Tour de France and the mind of a winner. It was a pretty interesting movie, and really cool videos. We then walked around the rest of the museum. All the floors had a different theme and were short. The second floor was on space, the third on the environment, the forth on the senses and brain, mainly optical illusions. There we were also greeted, by a girl who would tell you a story and shock you at the exciting/scary parts. The top floor was on Pre-Colombian Indians. Next we went outside and played in the outdoor science garden, walked through a botanical garden, and then watched a presentation on stars. Last we explored the bird sanctuary. They had lots of parrots in aviaries, ones you walked underneath. There were also a bunch of geese, swans, and peacocks running around. Unlike at school they had peahens. One was even an albino peahen. Too bad it wasn’t a male albino, they are really cool. There was also a black swan. It was then back home to eat with my roommates.

The school week went by fast, a little too fast I feel. Nothing exciting happened except I bought the tickets and hotel for Mexico City. It turns out just one other friend and I are going. The other two backed out. The flights were $130 round trip and we are staying at the YWCA ¾ mile from the central square for $9.30 a person a night each having a private room. So expect a really exciting blog on the 14th. Then Friday I went with a few friends to see a show called Raices, meaning roots (cultural) in Spanish. We got front and center seat since another friend was in the show. The first half was all Traditional dances from Arabian countries, this year’s theme. The other half was a Ballet Folklorico de Mexico. This part was much more exciting and had 3 dances each from 15 of the States. I really enjoyed it and always love the Ballet Folklorico.

Now for yesterday’s. I have wanted to go to this Safari Park/Zoo, Bioparque Estrella, an hour away for a while now, and finally picked a day to go. Three friends and I meet at school and headed to the same park as last weekend to board the bus. It was $150 pesos for the bus ride, park entrance, the safari, and lunch. We got there and arriving at the same time was a bus full of Nuns most in full habit. It made me laugh and I took some pictures for Suzanne. The four of us headed in and decided to do the Safari first. One friend and I bought food; yes you can feed the animals. We loaded the bus and it was the four of us and the Nuns. The bus started and we all got real excited. We headed toward the entrance. On the other side of the gate was a flock (this is the correct collective noun) of camels. There were both Dromedary and Bactrian too. I thought how nice we get see some stuff right away, but in the back of mind I thought they know we have food. We pulled in the gates and the carnage started. The camels being the perfect height to stick their heads in the bus and then some started looking for food at the front of the bus, and slowly worked their way toward us in the back corner. The flock of 15 had soon surrounded the stopped bus and were coming in the bus from every angle. With their dirty spilt dripping faces and smelly breath. My friend and I were in particular danger having food. All you could hear was screams and grunts from the camels. I watched as Nuns screamed, threw their cups of food at the camels and made the sign of the cross. I was trying to take pictures of the carnage and hide my food at the same time. Meanwhile my friend has a camel eating out of her cup. She lets go with one hand and while taking a picture the camel steals the cup, throws back his neck, drinks the food, and proceeds to eat the cup. The bus’ engine starts back up and we are all relieved to finally escape, but the camels chase the bus, until they hear the gate open for a new bus with new victims and fresh food. I then turn to my friends and say, “I don’t really like camels anymore.” After the attack the rest of the safari seemed tame, I having successfully guarded my food had some for all the rest of the animals. We saw zebras, giraffes, buffalo, bison, dear, gazelles, monkeys, hippos, ostriches, and other birds. The Giraffes unfortunately didn’t come near to eat and show off their blue tongues. The zebras came close and I got to touch and feed one, but they were short and hard to feed from the bus. The ostriches came close and didn’t attack but ate out of my cup. The monkeys were on islands so not to come on the bus, and the hippos were in the water. Then there were other birds all over. After the Safari we headed back to the gate, a few camels returned, but most were busy ransacking another bus. We got off and I found out the sisters were Augustinians, and the ones I talked to were all real nice. It was then time to explore. We walked passed a bunch of areas were you could take pictures with animals: snakes, monkeys, lions, goats, parrots, etc. We went to the bat exhibit, which was 5 pesos extra to help save bats in Mexico. It was then off to the free Paddle Boats. We paddled around saw koi and another black swan. We then decided to cross a lake on raised platforms, some rotating trying not to fall. I then crossed back using the two rope bridge, one for your hands, one for your feet. No falls for any of us. We then walked to the back of the park and saw a small pen with birds, turtles and prairie dogs. Next to that was a pen, we were expecting alligators, but it turned out to be raccoon. Who would have guessed a zoo would have raccoons? There was a bug exhibit, a medical garden and a desert plant garden. All really cool, we saw a hike to waterfalls and decided to save it for later if there was time. It was then off to the Zip Line. I was the only one to get to go down, since you needed shoes, and surprisingly I was the only one with shoes. So I then lent my shoes out to the three girls and we laughed and how big they were on everyone else. Next was a really late lunch. Our included lunch, that made the ticked 150 pesos instead of 130. Was a hot dog, chips, and a bottle of Pepsi. Two of us bought that and the other two decided to find something else and we soon found out that nothing could beat our lunch pricewise. Next stop was the grass slide. Here is where the Nun Fun really picked up. We were walking toward the grass slide and stopped in the play ground, while in there we watched Nuns cross the lake, go down the Zip Line, and play on the play ground with us, all in full habit. The play ground had a rolling log, which we joined two Nuns on. We finally made it to the slide and again the Nuns were there too. The grass slide was about 150 yards long and had sprinklers all down the sides. The nuns didn’t care and were just there to have fun. Two were racing and one was going so fast she lost her veil. After this I got a snow cone, I told them to give me the best flavor, which was Mango Loco: A combo of mango and chamoy juices, topped with a heaping spoonful of chili powder. I spooned out the chili, and none of us could remember what chamoy was. It was okay, but a really weird flavor. Once I got home I found out chamoy is plum and apricot pickled with chilies, salt and chili powder. This is a prime example of how much Mexicans love chili. So much it is in all their sweets. Back to the day’s events, we then went to the bird show, and finished the day looking at a gray whale skeleton, and mammoth tusks. We now had 20 minutes until the bus left not enough time to walk the 2 km path to the waterfalls and decided instead to check out the gift store. We all got glasses with a camel on the front to memorialize the cup lost in the mugging. It was then back home after a great day.

Again sorry for the length. Pictures will be up real soon from both weekends. I will try to post before I leave on Thursday, and will defiantly post after the trip. Hope all is going well with everyone at home. Today we had to spring forward and are now once again even with Kansas City. Until next time.