One year later.

Well it's been a while, I know... It's just my busy lifestyle has kept me from blogging lately.  That's a lie, I have no excuse.  But I hope you'll forgive me because I have lots of pictures to make up for it!  We've spent a good chunk of time this past month or so in Tres Valles with Octavio's family.  I love it because it's nice to be surrounded by everyone and it's also really good practice for my Spanish!  We spent a week in February there for the year anniversary of Octavio's mom's death.  It doesn't seem like it's been a year but I guess it has.  It was an incredibly sad occasion but we managed to enjoy the time we all got to spend together as well.

 I learned how to make tamales for one thing.  I think I did a pretty good job.  Octavio's sister helped teach me along with other family and friends I hadn't met.  They got a greak kick out of the little American girl dropping spoonfuls of masa on the banana leaves.  I struggled a little to get everything wrapped all nicely in the banana leaf but I'm pretty much a pro now! Well, I think so at least... We had to make over 200 tamales!  On the year anniversary of a death it's a tradition to have people over to pray for the days leading up to the anniversary and then on the actual day the family builds an alter for the deceased family member and everyone comes and says rosaries all night long.  Let me tell you, no one knows how to build an alter better than a Mexican.  Every time I see one I'm astonished by how beautiful and intricate they are!  Between Day of the Dead and the alter for Octavio's mom I've seen my fair share and they're always amazing.  So much detail goes into it!  It's also a tradition to feed all the people who come over hence the 200+ tamales.  The next day we took the cross from the alter and all the flowers to the cemetery to decorate his moms grave site.  It was a sad, sad day but everyone was kept busy preparing for the day, which was good and perhaps part of what the tradition is all about.

The next day after we left the cemetery a few of us went to a nearby town.  It was a ton of fun.  We went to a church that had a famous black Jesus.  Apparently, according to the story (as much as I understood it) a church burned but the Jesus on the crucifix didn't burn, just turned black.  The indigenous people (or maybe it was the Spaniards?) found it and thought it was a bad omen so they tied it to a raft and sent it out on the nearby river but no matter how much they sent it out it kept coming back.  Someone important in the town ordered the head cut off.  Finally, they realized it wasn't bad luck after all and now the statue is proudly displayed in the church.  (head and body seperate still.)  Then we enjoyed a really nice lunch and some surprisingly tasty crab tostadas (I usually am not a seafood fan but these were delicious!) before taking a barge and a bus back home to Tres Valles.

Waiting for the bus to get to the other town.  I got pretty sunburned and I think this was the moment right here.

The church.

Everyone (minus Octavio who was taking the picture) before we went into the church. Octavio's Aunt, Alma, her son, Jesus (aka Chucho), his aunt Lulu, me, his aunt Carmen, his uncle Salvador, his aunt Estella, and his grandma.

Octavio & I in the courtyard outside the church.

inside the church.

Add caption

a picture explaining the events surrounding the black Jesus.

The head of Jesus.

I found Jesus in the church!!  (or Jesus aka Chucho)

I took Octavio's aunts hat & sunglasses.

In the bike cab on the way to lunch.

the boat to cross the river to get to the bus station

everyone on the boat.

a crocodile at the place where we ate lunch.

everyone before we got on the boat.

the river.

the boat.

Horses, Waterfalls, and Rings

We FINALLY got to go horseback riding.  And it was great!  It was probably the last time Octavio will go horseback riding but I thouroughly enjoyed it.  Octavio swore he had fun and enjoyed the views and everything but is just not a fan of being on a horse.  I, on the other hand, would have stayed on my horse, Bonanza, all day long if I could have.  At one point during our hour long ride through the mountains of Xico we reached a flat, smooth, straight rode and our guide asked me "quieres correr?"  and I thought heck yeah I want to run!  So I gave my horse a little kick and we took off at a good trot but the guy was behind me yelling "mas duro, mas duro!"  so I followed instructions and kicked it harder.  We sped up a little but still weren't at a full run and I could still hear "mas duro, mas duro!" so I kicked again harder and we took off!  It was so much fun!  I galloped to the end of the road then turned around and galloped back.  Octavio's first words to me were "just take it easy ok?"  Apparently it made him extremely nervous to see me galloping.  But I was holding on tight so it was fine! 

After horseback riding Octavio's friend Miguel (his uncle was our guide) picked us up on his fourwheeler and took us to see the waterfalls of Xico.  It had begun to rain a little bit but they were still beautiful!

Oh yeah, and before all this happened Octavio proposed. It was in the morning and we were getting ready to go I was freaking out because I thought we were going to be late and miss horseback riding for the THIRD time in a row!  Octavio asked me to sit down for a minute, of course I'm worried we're going to be late so I yell we don't have time! We have to go! and he tries to convince me some more to sit down so finally I do and he has me close my eyes and then he gives me this rose that opens up and the ring was inside it then he popped the question. Then we hugged and I said yes of course, and then I was like ok, but really, we've got to go. I'm such a romantic.

Thought I'd get that out of the way since everyone's first question has been ooh, how'd he propose?  Usually followed by, you're still coming back in April right?  (The answer to that is yes!)  Actually, that is everyone's usual first response except for my mom.  Her response when I told her Octavio had proposed was "Oh.  I thought that was just kind of assumed by now."  (We're all a big bunch of romantics in the Burlbaw household apparantly!)


Now, on to the pictures.

This is the view from Lola's fall.  That tin roof is what caught the poor kitties fall!

Octavio was nervous about riding the horse but not nervous about this!  There were 4 of us on this 4 wheeler!

In the drizzling rain trying to take a picture from atop the bridge as we walked.  It took a couple of tries, this was as good as it got.

One of the waterfalls in Xico.

Octavio & I with his friend Miguel and his nephew Franco.

On a giant rock by the waterfall.

We climbed a little closer.

Coffee.

the pond around the waterfall.

The path to the waterfalls.

Area around the waterfalls.

Another waterfall in Xico.

Bridge to the waterfalls.

With our 4wheeling guide for the day Miguel and his nephew.

Octavio and I at the overlook for one of the waterfalls.

View from my horse, Bonanza.

Octavio on his horse.

view of Xico from the mountains during our ride.

more views.

Giant horn on my saddle.

Our guide leading the way.

Octavio trying to keep up.

Rearview.

Farms we passed on our ride.

They're building a new road.

Passing some local kids on the half built road.

More views.

Another butt shot.

Octavio's horse before the ride.

Excited to get going.

One of the churches in Xico.

A street in Xico before the rain started.  They're filming a telenovela here and this street was in a scene.  The decorations were part of the telenovela.

Saddling up.

Part of the farm we started out on.

Even though it was kind of a gross day it was still so much fun!