Mexico City

I visited the ruins of Temple Mayor. Roberto brough me everywhere, I tried mangoes which I felt in love with, tacos which I eat for the rest of my trip and typical local naranjada made out of flower which name I can not recall.

My friend Roberto dedicated part of his life to the National Autonomous University of Mexico. After visiting the center of Mexico City, we went to see also the university. The main campus is in Coyoacan and is actually a small town on its own, the area is huge and very nice, somewhere you can see rests of the lava flows from the nearby volcano. I was astonished by the amazing library which is decorated with Aztec and Spanish motives. This is how it looks from both inside and outside.

Mexico City

I stayed in Mexico City for 3 days. I saw religious rituals at the Zocalo, I saw the Zocalo from the roof of the cathedral, I saw the daily flag ceremonial at 6pm in front of the National Palace,

As I said Mexico City was original build on a lake. Thus, many historical buildings are under reconstruction these days, these are floating. You can feel it even in the main cathedral.. you are actually going down the hill.

Coyoacan

While spreading, Mexico City absorbed many small cities in its neighborhood. One of these is Coyoacan, city which became one of 16 federal districts of Mexico City in 1950. Coyoacan is a place definitely worth visiting because of its museums and cultural events on the main Zocalo on weekends.

TENOTIHUACAN

Teotihuacan (the birthplace of the gods or the place of those who have the road of the gods)

The history of Teotihuacan has never been really revealed. There are evidences of Olmecs, Zapotecs, Mixtecs and Maya civilizations. The earliest building was constructed 200 BCE. The main epoch of this city came 300 years later, though. Around 150 – 450 CE. Comparable to ancient Rome, this city expanded over 30 km2 and was home for more than 150 000 people. I am just thinking what would Romans do knowing about these cultures growing in other part of this world.

CHIAPAS (CS)

Lets go to Chiapas (btw the shortcut of the state is CS, like former Czechoslovakia)

If you don’t have a car, I know about two cheap ways how to get to Chiapas from Mexico City. A) fly with INTERJET, that is very very cheap with, sometimes so low as $40 (do have to go to Toluca and take a bus to Mexico City (around $8), though) or B) take a bus – i.e. ADO (around $80) from Mexico City east bus terminal (TAPO) to Tuxla. The buses can be searched and reserved through www.ticketbus.com.mx.

Tuxla on its own was nothing special, but I saw some amazing changes in landscape on the way there. One of these were the beautiful vies of the jungle. First in my life.

Canyon Sumidero

There is a famous canyon on the Grijalva river just 40 km from Tuxla. There is a story related to this canyon. When the Spaniards came to this area, the locals better jumped to the canyon than get defeated by the intruders.

San Cristobal

My trip followed in the city typical with its Spaniard architecture – San Cristobal de las Casas. Named by the Dominican monk Cristobal de las Casas who came to this region in th e16th centrury and defended the rights of local people against the Spaniard government. This area high in the mountains was continuously inhabited by Tzotzils and Tzeltat peoples, but was given the title of city in 1536. In my opinion, really tourist place, but in just an amazing location. The sunsets are incredible!

Zinacantan

In its neighborhoods I also visited some of the small villages. We visited a local family, tried their typical dresses and saw the home prepared tortillas.

Chamula

I also visited Chamula. Chamula is the only city not defeated by Spaniards and has an unique status of autonomies different from other parts of Mexico. Mexican government has to ask them for permission whenever it wants to somehow interfere into local affairs. In the church, you can see amazing combination of Christianity and peagan traditions – sacrifizing, shamans (its not allowed to take picture in the church).

Pleas follow the short Woman Revenge story which occured in front of the main church :-) Women are strong!

Chamula

The old church in Chamula and cemetery. Its a tradition that relatives bring items which were close to the death hobbies or are somehow related with the way tehy died. You can see empty bottles, cans of food, books.. Do Not Think this is a garbage!

Tonina

Tonina – first Mayan ruins on my way. Far out of reach of tourists, this place is great for meditation and thinking about what was here 13 centuries ago.

Temple of Inscription with Pakal's Tomb and view from the temple on the main Palace

Palenque during and after the rain (temple of the Sun)

Misol-ha and Palenque (the templa of the Cross and the Palace)

Traveling in between small cities on this way is very fast and cheap. You just have to find out a bus station in every small town and within 20-30 minuts you are on your way with local minivan. This is how I traveled to Palenque and Misol-ha as well. I was really amazed by these ruins. Even more when I visited them for the second time, early in the morning after rain. The water was evaporating from the forest, the monkeys were screaming and tourists were hidden. Great to walk in the rain and think about this town 13^th centuries ago. Parts of Palenque are still in the forest. It takes a while to excavate everything. Each building has its purpose – military, residential, administration.

Comitan

I also visited Roberto’s home town – Comitan. Stayed at his very generous mum and saw a nearby waterfalls. I also swimmed there, crazy crazy… cold.

Leaving Tuxla

Leaving Tuxla.. have you ever got a goodbye from the whole crew..?

Mexico City one more time

On my way back I stayed in Mexico City for one more day. Visited the Chapultepec castle built at the end of 18^th century by Spanish. Amazing to see this type of architecture after visiting many Aztek and Maya ruins down in Chiapas. Maxmilian and Charlote lived here at the end of 19^th century during the very short occupation by France. I also saw the Frida Kahlo museum, but was really amazed by this. Little commercial, I do think..

Anyway, this was end of my trip. ADIOS Mexico.

Leaving US soon

Is not this beautiful ??!! This is in Wien, Austria. And why do I post it here? Because I will be there in 2 months, working at the Technical University.

YES, I decided to leave US and go back to Europe. I am looking forward. But I am sad to leave here lot of people who I love and will miss them a lot and a lot, especially one of them.

The life changes and you can never know what will happen next and thats what I really like about it. You can never know when will you again meet people you thought you left for a long time or even for good.

See you soon again..

Czech sweets

Old Czech Christmas tradition says you should bake a lot of small sweet cakes and buiscuits similar to those on the picture. My grandma and my mum spent many hours preparing these (on the picture you see only 1% of the final amount). Its delicious!!

Old town square

I brough the first snow. Since early November, people here have not seen a snow. Yesterday, we saw a few inches, though. Our old town square looks just adorable, dont you think?

I came home on 23rd late evening. The day after, my parents, sister and her boyfriend took a walk in a newly reconstructed area along the Ohre river in my hometown. In the background , you can see our castle from 13th century and the fort. I was nicely surprised by all changes which have been made her within only a year.

Mirela at the London airport

Then I flought back to Chicago, and London. There was a fog emergency issued at the London airport. I stayed here for almost 10 hours. Fortnutaly, everything run really fast since I met here my good friend Mirela from South Dakota. She was waiting for a next flight to Bukurest, her booked flight was cancelled two days before. I felt worry for her but I was glad I could stayed and talked to her

I left Brookings on 20th of December and headed to Pensilvania to visit my old friend Vipin after more than 1.5 years. Pensilvania really remind me of the Czech Republic with its sligh hilly landscape. We went to Philadelphia and also to New York.

For me, this was the first time in New York. Times Square, Rockefeller center.. just in few hours we saw most of the places which make New York famous. I really liked the caleidoscop show at the main station.

My two new friends

These are my two vey good friends. Mirela who introduced me to a great Rumanian musica and "crazy Eric" whose website you can visit if you scroll upper right and click on the Erics\'s link.

Makovy Strudl, Poppyseed Sttrudel

Happy Thanksgiving!
Some poppyseed for thanksgiving? My mum provided me with a good recipe. Here we are..

250 g of flour (the smoother the better)
1 egg
2 spoons of vineger
3 spoons of water
50 g of butter
little salt
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Mix everything together so that you have one complex piece and let the dough rest for an hour in the refrugirator. Then use the rolling pin to do make a thin layer as on pict. 1
******************
and the filling? Boil poppyseed with little of milk for 2o minuts, graze apples, mix both with razins and seeve for the liquids. Put onto prepared strudel layer and roll. Bake for aprox. 30 minuts on 450 F. DOBROU CHUT!!

Brazilian COOL Music

Hello my friends, My friend from Columbia introduced me to some cool music. If you would be interested listen to:
Elis Regina & Tom Jobim

Carlos is fixed

Seems that Carlos is OK by now. Doesnt look as pretty as before, but has its own shape again..Happy Thanksgiving my friends

Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan

Am I so conservative? Maybe, let me know

I saw this movie last friday, thought about the gags and jokes over weekend and tried to evaluated everything. Did not change my first impression, though. How can Sacha Cohen publish rude and irritating jokes about nation most of the Americans do not have any clue about.

In my opinion, these types of jokes are not suppose to be presented as a "blockbuster" movie. Why? I will give you an example. I saw this movie with my friend and 30 American teenagers (the only audience which came) in a movie theater in South Dakota. Most of them never heard about this state and think actually that its a part of Russia. This was their first impression about the ninth largest country in the world.

I like Sacha's type of humor. To some extent this reminds me of Monty Python. They however make fun of things people are familiar with. Borat is the type of movie which nations do about themselves, but in most cases do not allow to go abroad, especially not to the US.

Birthday

My mum is always saying.."I dont beleive that the girl (meanim me) is in America, when we call each other, its like her calling from Prague".. and y see, another proof, czech bread, czech cabbage soup, everything in czech, even the flovours look czech...

Thank you!

Thanks for all the concerns. Beleive me, I am allright. I just put the picture here in order to warn any potential drivers who do think that nothing can happen on a small road..

Macek

Deer hunting season in the Midwest

uph.. a good advice, dont hunt from your car!!

State Farm estimates that 1.5 million vehicles collide with deer every year, resulting in $1.1 billion in vehicle damages.

So..in a nutshell...I was really lucky.

Comment on CO2

I heard about the possibility to sell your CO2 surplus before and agreed with that. What, however, surprised me recently was to such extent did this trade developed. This whole thing was first inniciated as an action which should support CO2 reduction in future. Yet it dramatically increased the number of companies which are spending more time searching for cheap CO2 rates than trying to decrease the actual CO2 production. The european CO2 carbon exchange program has its own websites, the whole process takes place online. Clean, without any emission. Companies may not even realize what is really being traded.
Some inspiration??
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmnTLKHtKnA

7 Steps to HABANA

This group was full of musical surprises, but Viviana Pintado (piano) was just amazing

Trip to Minneapolis&St. Paul, the home of SNOOPY

My new roommate in my new apartment

SOFIA is my new roommate. After a 3 year experience of sharing appartment with my friends from Iran, Armenia and Turkey, I decided that I already know enough about middle East :-) .. Sofia is from Columbia, lets practise little spanish now..

Back to Brookings

Our trip is over. For a while we will be living in our memories. We had a great time, saw amazing sites and concluded the whole journey in a very friendly atmosphere with some of my best friends..
below you see a) some of my friends from Selleck Hall and newcoming czech students in Lincoln, b) Mr. Vosoba and Mrs. Callehan... Mr. Vosoba almost and Anicka fluent in czech, c) at the bottom GO BIG RED, Larry and Caroline Ruth

Ruby Beach, Olympic Nat. Park

Honestly, I have never seen something like that before. Here you really feel the strength of the ocean and get to know who is leading this planet.