Today is my last day in the field and I am packing everything and getting ready to come back home after 2 months of great moments in this wonderful country.

It is a mixture of feelings what I feel about Mexico. I hate it and love it at the same time. The main reasons to hate it are security issues and the situation of women. However, after travelling to different countries one get used to deal with this problems: be home before it gets dark, don’t go to dangerous areas in the city, control the time when you move around the city, you can feel safe as long as you see women and kids around you, don’t wear anything flamboyant, if somebody bothers you don’t start a fight (just avoid that person and try to leave the situation in th better way you can)… The situation of women is complicated, there is a lot of “machismo”, but at the same time you can find the most polite people in the word. I have been lucky to find always the right people and had no problem.

Travelling by bus around the country has been pretty nice. Companies usually offer good prices for students and the buses were very comfortable. At the beginning I wasn’t sure this was going to be like this. I mean, everyone knows about the insecurity problems of this country, but it was okay. You just have to keep an eye on the time you get the bus and the time you arrive to your destination (preferably during the day).

Leaving this apart, I want to focus on the good things I hve been able to see and live. Mexico has very bad reputation, but it is like any other country You will be safe as long as you don’t get in troubles. Also, you can have a different view from this country depending on where you are living. When I go abroad, I always try to live in the student area of the city, close to universities. Because you will always find a good atmosphere there, with transportation and other services. And it is also a good way of living the real life of the country. For example, here there is a world between the live in the center and univerity area (although Coyoacan area is wonderful). And I don’t need to tell you if we compare it with other marginal places in the city, you can imagine. Some friends of mine had been working in Mexico City in the past and living in other areas, but we have very different opinions about this country. Mine is good.

Out of Mexico things always are focused in drugs and kidnapings. What is a reallity that I won’t deny, but it makes us blind and doesn’t let us see how rich and wonderful this country is:

THE FOOD: Mexican food is my favorite one from now onwards. And what I like most is that I have been able to learn how to cook it. Cheap, delicious and 100% natural food, with no additives. In fact, I have been eating properly and doing some execise during the fellowship and now I feel much more healthier. And another good thing is that I finally got used to spicy!

THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT: Mexico and Latin America in general are the lungs of the world. I have read about it in the past, but being able to watch those amazing natural spaces with my eyes has been delightful. However, when we visited El Salto (Jalisco) and Tlaxcala to see how industries threw toxic substances into the rivers, it was disgusting. I want to mention one of the most hurtful truths Enrique (from “Un Salto de Vida” organization) told me when we were in El Salto: “Nature does not charge interest to companies”.

THE PEOPLE: before comming here I was told “although you find people so so kind, do not trust anybody at all”. I think that suggestion could be applied to every trip around the world and I have been cautious with the people I met and the information I shared. But what I have found here is extremely polite people, in any context. That’s why it’s crazy to see that at the same time you know how women situation is here. Anyway, it’s a place full of contrasts. I don’t know in the US, but unfortunately in Spain Mexican people have bad reputation for being lazy people. I want to take this opportunity to say it is a huge and false prejudice. Mexican people are the most hard-working people I have ever seen. Waking up at 4 am to work endless hours, earn too low wages and come back home to take after your family. Whoever thinks mexicans are lazy people is deeply wrong.

THE CULTURAL ENVIRONMENT: I feel I have addapted well to living here because Mexican culture has a lot of influence from the Spanish. Some places I have visited reminded me of Spain. For example, Guadalajara was very similar to Zaragoza (a city in Spain). Apart from the similarities, I love Mexico City because it is easy to find any cultural activity. There is so much live in the place! Theatres, book markets in the streets, free concerts, choirs, people playing music in the streets, orchestras, art galleries, museums … My favourite ones were Rivera paintings and the Antropology Museum. You cannot leave Mexico City without visiting them.

THE ARTS AND CRAFTS: walking throught the street “mercados” was really nice. You could talk to local people and watch all kind of handmade crafts. I am bringing with me some of them to Spain, but if I could I would have bought everything there, hehe, it was beautiful.

I hope next year the fellowship continues and other fellows are sent to Mexico again. I will be happy to talk to them and give a lot of suggestions.

I want to show you some pics from our best moments here:

This is the “mercado” in the center f Coyoacan. Our favourite place to eat and have a big orange juice.

With my “ranchero” hat in the “plaza” of Villa Guerrero (Jalisco).

Arts & Crafts

The 3 “Constructoras de paz”. I will miss you girls. You know you have a friend in Spain.

It was easy and funny to find good street art.

We are at the bottom of “El Ahogado” waterfall, in El Salto (Jalisco). You can see toxic substances on the right part of the picture. The strong smell was horrible.

In Tlaxcala, when we went to visit River Xochiac, a red river because of companies’ toxic substances. The mountain behind us is the Iztaccihuatl volcano.

Visiting Taxco, a magic village in the state of Guerrero.

I found this man in the streets of Taxco.

Sightseeing with Dr. Iyer in Mexico City. This is the monument to the revolution.

This is my favorite moment. We found a lot of families in a park during a warm weekend day. Kids were playing in the fountains. I wanted to jump in. I have named it “the joy of water”.

In a few hours I will be taking my flight back home. I hope I am able to meet all of you in november at Monterey, I’m sure we have a lot to talk about. I was already aware of environmental issues and water conflicts, but this experience has helped me to understand better the problem and go beyond the books. Being able to make visible these water problems and help such nice people has been truly enriching.

I want to thank Amy and Jessica for being such wonderful mates and Dr. Iyer for her suggestions and her talk about trusting ourselves and our work. I really feel we all are peacebuilders.

I still have some good stories to share, but next time I will be sharing them with you from Spain.

See you soon Mexico. I will come back.

These last days I have been feeling a little bit sick because of the lack of oxigen in the air and the altitude at which is located Mexico City. After calling my insurance service and visiting the doctor, I am feeling much more better now that I have taken the proper medicines.

The problem is that I usually live in a city located at the sea level and Mexico City is about 2,300 meters (7,500 ft) above that level. The higher the city is located, the less pressure is in the atmosphere. Because of that, there is less oxigen in the air and each person reacts in a different way. For example Amy came from Colorado, which is located in a higher altitude from the sea level than Mexico City, so she is doing well.

Mexico City is located in the Valley of Mexico, in the central-southern area of the country. In addition, there are 2 volcanos close to the city.

But what is most characteristic of this area is the fact that inside the city you can go from zero level (sea level) to the highest:

In this map you can see the different “Delegaciones” of Mexico city and their altitude above the sea level. “Delegaciones” are the different districts among the city.

And I wouldn’t be telling you all these facts if it had nothing to do with water conflicts. The altitude of the whole city and the different altitudes where the “Delegaciones” are located do affect the water problems of the city. It is all about water pressure. If the “Delegación” is located in a medium level where water reaches without the need of machinery, you will probably have no problem with water supply. However, if it is located in a higher level machinery will have to push it to the top, which generates a huge cost and does not always work properly.

For example, Jessica, Amy and I are living in “Delegación Coyoacán”. Inside Coyoacán there are different levels and as a result of that, you can find great water conflicts or the best water supply at the same time in the same area. If you had read Jessica’s last post on the blog, you will note she’s been having some problems with water at home, whereas I have no water supply problems at home because there is a lot of pressure in the water that enables it to reach homes.

Last day we were visiting the craft market of Coyoacán and had the opportunity to talk to the people working there. We met Mrs. Mónica Robles there, a woman who was selling incense, natural products and tiny zen gardens at her market stall and who, for our surprise, was majored in Antropology. She told us people living in “Colonia El Rosedal” (a neighborhood just next to us in Coyoacán) were having some water problems.

We will plan to gather stories in El Rosedal area for the next week. Meanwhile, the Doctor told me to stay in bed and take my medicines for the next 3 days and Jessica and Amy are also looking after me (thanks Constructoras de paz!). I will be totally recovered for the weekend, when Jessica and I are visiting a house where the family members are suffering from water supply and sanitation problems. I cannot wait to see what we find there!