Alzar School in Mexico

Well, we have just one day before our group of US students arrive in Mexico. We have been scouting out the rivers around our main basecamp here in Jalcomulco. They are incredible! Today we paddle the Rio Actopan, which is a continuous Class II-III rollercoaster. You start at a small waterfall, which you can choose to run or not run, then encounter three fun rapids in a tight canyon. At one point, a HUGE waterfall dumps into the river. Plus, the water on this river is exceptionally clear, with a slight blue tinge.

Our hotel here is SWEET, one of the nicest places for the Alzar School yet. Plus, we have the new van, which is a great ride, comfy. Plus, we have been eating excellent food... two 'paletas' each day (awesome popsicles).

One of the most exciting developments is that we are going to have not one, but TWO local students join us for the trip. They are named Mayan and Marisol. Kristin and I met with them yesterday and they are SO cool. They are both 15 and are excited to share Mexico with our students from the US. We can't wait. Their tuition is covered thanks to all the generous donations to the Jean Bierle Scholarship Initiative, so a big THANK YOU to those who helped with that!

You would all be happy to know that Pebbles (the Alzar School puppy) is adapting very well on her first trip out of the US... She made the drive down easily, napping most of the way. We were awed by how well she did in the car. And, she has finally discovered that she can swim and loves it. Today we played fetch in the river and she was having a blast. She still needs to work on her technique a little before hitting the main current, but she is now leaping into the river instead of reluctantly treading out, which is great. She also really enjoys all the new sites, sounds, and especially smells. Today on my jog with her, she chased after a burro for a little bit, and later tried to eat a gecko.