Alyssum goes to Mexico, 1988

When I was eight years old, my parents took my sister and I down to Mexico for 8 days. It was sort of a trial run to see how we traveled--to see if they still wanted to take a year off down the road to travel (which we did, sailing on Feather). If my memory serves me correctly, we traveled through Mexico City, to Oaxaca, Ocatlan, Puerto Escondido, and Puerto Angel. We endured a heinous 8 hr bus ride through the mountains during which we stopped on the side of the road to pray that our bus would not tumble down the embankment (no guardrails). We ate sugarcane for lunch one day, saw Mayan ruins, and amazing artists in the Zocolo (town center) in Oaxaca. It was my first trip to the 3rd world, and made a big impression on me. The trip was made during the school year, though, and my teacher okayed us leaving only under the stipulation that I keep a journal. I recently found that journal, and am sharing it with you today. I wish it were a little more descriptive about the experience!!!

Day 1
9:30--I saw a few rainbows. I saw a bunch of rivers, one of them looked like this: [drawing of a Y-shaped river with the caption "Damed up river"]. Chelsea was going to take a nap but a bell rang and a person said "We are landing so buckle yor seat belts securely"
10:00--I went up to the cockpit.

Daddy called me his Hijo. (son)

I saw a lizard, and it went- Hipitty hop, Hipitty hop on its back legs. It climbed a tree, too.

You can see oh, about 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10 Punch Bugys a day in lexington, but in Mexico you can see abot 500 or 1,000 of them a day.

I saw an Ox drawn cart being used.

Day 2
I saw a donkey carring food or/and luggage on his back.

Two little pumkins haning out your nose
One was hot and one was froze
go away hot, go away froze
come back hot come back froze

Day 3
I saw 15 donkeys, 8 oxen and 3 horses, 2 turkey, a herd of goats, with a few sheep, a bunch of cows and cactie.

Day 4
I saw 32 donkeys, 41 oxen, 30 turkeys, 52 cows, 4 horses (and I rode one of them), 2 sheep, My first cat and I sat in the very front of the bus.
My family's breakfast was only 75 cents.

[drawing of a Mayan brooch]

Day 5
There is no seatbelts in the cars

I saw a donkey, 2 dogs, a bunch of crabs, 2 jellyfish, chickens (and thier chicks.) and that is about all right now

Day 6

Day 7
Everybody got a sun burn. Last night I dreamed that mommy bought twenty five kittens, and 10 teny tiny chickens, and 3 bags of cat food. and three bags of chicken food for only $1.00

Day 8
[grammar exercise where each word has a symbol denoting whether it is a noun, adjective, adverb, verb, conjunction, pronoun or artical above it]
1.I miss school.
2. I am giving Elise a necklace because we didn't let her take care of our animals.
3. I got a bad sunburn.
4. We got some new dolls.