MattaBrown

So one day Auston and I were taking the train in Mexico City and we saw that it was coming so we quickly ran toward it. Auston barely made it into the train in time and the doors closed on his foot. I was right behind him but didn’t make it in. We both just stared at each other through the window and quickly gestured that we would meet at the next stop.

So I waited for the next train, found him at the next stop and we continued on our way. However, this scenario prompted us to come up with a plan should it happen again. We decided that if one person makes it on the train, he should get off at the next stop and that’s where we’ll meet since it worked out fine that first time.

And wouldn’t you know it, the same thing happened again last week while Auston’s brother Robert was visiting. All three of us tried to cram ourselves into a packed bus and once again I didn’t make it on. My backpack was getting caught in the doors and I had to step out. Luckily I found Robert and Auston waiting for me at the next bus stop!

So meeting spots aren’t just for when you’re in a crowded tourist spot. It’s also a great idea when taking public transit in a big city!

We’ve added a new page to the blog for photos! I think this will make it easier (and faster) for us to share them with everyone. The layout is still a work in progress, but you’ll be able to check out all our photos as we add them by clicking the Photos link at the top of the page.

Anyway, the first set of photos are from our trip to view some amazing Aztec ruins about an hour outside of Mexico City last Sunday with Auston’s brother Rob. He was visiting us for 9 days and taking Spanish classes with us at Frida Spanish School. Here are the pics: Teotihuacan Photos. Here you can read a little more about the ruins: Teotihuacán. Incredibly interesting place!

We’ve finally updated the volunteer page of our blog with the the programs we will be participating in. Over the past few weeks, we have received confirmation that we have been accepted to three specific volunteer programs. First, one week in Guatemala working at an orphanage. A few months later we’ll spend four weeks in Ghana working with Volunteer Partnerships for West Africa. Lastly, we’ll be off to Nepal for two weeks to teach English at a Buddhist Monastery. Check out the details and links on our volunteer page!

Countries visited: 1
Miles traveled: 1250

On Saturday, we met a friend from class at a world festival (I don’t remember the exact name) that had tons of great food, entertainment and products from countries all of the world.

We enjoyed some pupusas de queso from El Salvador…

…viewed some political demonstrations for the upcoming presidential election in Mexico…

…and checked out a ton of booths with food to be enjoyed.

I’m also fairly certain that this may be the only place you will find Mexicans wearing kilts and playing bagpipes (this was near the United Kingdom booth obviously).

Even though we cancelled our phone services with Verizon and AT&T, Auston and I both wanted to bring our iPhones with us while we traveled. I assumed it would be to listen to music, snap a picture if our regular camera wasn’t handy, or to go online while connected to wi-fi.

I did not expect to find so much more use out of them though. I was very pleased to find that the GPS function on the iPhone still works without cellular data and without wi-fi. This means you can use it for free. A phone service connection and/or wi-fi would help the GPS location to be a little quicker, but it is not necessary to be connected to any service or wi-fi.

This is when I found an awesome iPhone app called OffMaps 2. For $0.99, you can buy a map of the city you’re in and OffMaps 2 will show you where on the map you are located. The problem with Google Maps is that it does need to be connected to wi-fi or a phone service to load the map. But OffMaps preloads the map and saves it to your phone. (You must be connected to wi-fi or cellular data to get the app and a map of course.)

Anyway, we purchased the map for Mexico City and it has been extremely helpful in getting us around. It even has the train lines on the map. It’s definitely traveling in the 21st century and I’m ok with that. We’ll see how the other cities we visit work out.

Note: This app could also be used when traveling in the US if you don’t have unlimited data and you need to save the total usage. I believe there are also similar apps to this one. So you don’t have to go with OffMaps 2

This of course means that the Compass app will also work on your phone with GPS only.


The next app I’ve found helpful is XE Currency. This will give you the most current exchange rate between multiple currencies. You have to have service or be connected to wi-fi when first choosing which currencies you want to convert between. But after that, the app works independently of any type of connection.

Before we left for our trip, some people expressed to me that they didn’t know how to leave a comment on the blog. So I thought in case there were others, I’d explain quickly.

First of all, you don’t have to have a WordPress account to comment. Secondly, what I love about WordPress is that you can comment with your Facebook (or Twitter) profile.

If you just want to leave a comment without any sort of WordPress, Facebook or Twitter account, type in the comment first. Then type in your name and an email address as shown below. Lastly, click “Post Comment”.

You can also check or uncheck whether or not you want to receive emails when we post new blogs or reply to your specific comment. To my knowledge you shouldn’t get spammed, but let me know if I’m wrong about that.

If you want to comment with your Facebook or Twitter account (a feature that I particularly love), type the comment first. Then select the Facebook icon as shown below and press “Post Comment”. (You don’t need to fill in your name or an email address)

Next you will see the screen below asking permission access your Facebook profile. Just click “Allow”.

Finally, it will state that you are commenting with your profile. If you do not want to make any changes to your comment, just click “Post Comment”. Voilà you’re done! It’s not too difficult, but I can see how it’s a little unclear if you haven’t commented on blogs before.

Countries visited: 1
Miles traveled: 1250

We’ve been taking classes at Frida Spanish School for a week and I can happily say we’re fluent now. Yes, we’re that smart.

Ok… Not really. But it has been going really well for both of us. We took a test the first day and were placed into classes according to our appropriate levels. Auston and I are in different classes but we both have excellent teachers. Our classmates are from all over the world (France, Germany, Brazil, Korea, Japan, etc). It definitely makes for an interesting four hours of class.

We’re also staying with a host family while at the school. We live with a wonderful woman named Araceli or Ara as we call her. She has been very helpful giving us advice on how to get around in the city and what to do around the area. She’s also very patient with us as we attempt to speak our butchered Spanish to her. She has a 3 bedroom home and we each have our own room.

Auston’s room

David’s room

Anyway, this is what a typical day looks like for us while we’re in Mexico City studying Spanish for 2 weeks.

Every morning we wake up and Ara has a delicious (and healthy) breakfast waiting for us on the table.

After we wash our dishes, we finish getting ready and head to class.

We catch a small bus a couple blocks away. It usually takes us about 40 min to get there. Traffic is terrible!

Auston forgot to do his homework one day and quickly finished it on the bus. Reminds me of high school!

Then we have 4 hours of Spanish class.

In the evenings we’ll either do homework, hand wash some clothes and/or go out to eat if we don’t feel like cooking.

And of course we also spend some time sterilizing a few bottles of water for the day. Auston bought us an awesome sterilizer that uses UV light so we don’t have to buy bottled water every day.

Packing for a year long trip around the world is not an easy task. Imagine trying to fit all the stuff you use on a daily basis into one small bag that you carry on your back. Although it wasn’t easy, we found a way to do it.

The first step for us was chosing a backpack and then deciding what to cram inside. We wanted to choose a bag with enough space for our items but nothing too large or heavy that would prevent us from being mobile. The comprimse was a 55L backpack. After months of planning and debating, here is the list of what we packed.

Note: This may change since both of our backs were sore after an hour of walking around the airport in Mexico City!

Clothing / Apparel

• 3-4 t-shirts & 1 collar shirt
• 1 pair each of pants, shorts, & swimsuit
• 4 pairs of underwear & socks
• Light jacket
• Running shoes / sandals
• Sunglasses

Electronics

• Camera
• iPad & netbook
• Global cell phone
• iPhones (can still be used with wi-fi)
• Power adapters & extension cord

Security / Safety Items

• Money belt
• Padlock (for lockers)
• Wire lock (for backpacks)
• First aid kit

Misc Travel Items

• Flashlight
• Pocket knife
• Water bottle
• Travel pillow
• Backpacking towel
• Small mess kit
• Drying line
• Sewing kit
• Duct tape
• Lighter
• Ear plugs / eye mask
• Playing cards
• Travel umbrella
• Half a squash ball (to plug sinks)
• Small travel mirror
• Toiletries

Packing Equipment

• Ziplock bags
• Daypack
• Compression sacks

Documents & Money

• Passport / ID
• Student ID – for discounts, though we aren’t students anymore
• Travel insurance policy
• Vaccination certificates
• 2 Credits cards & 1 Debit card

And don’t forget the ridiculous amount of pills you’ll have to take with you!

After two long nights of organizing, we managed to pack all this stuff and still have room to spare. I’m taking bets on how long David can go with such a small choice of outfits!

Eso es todo por hoy.

Jogging in Bosque de Chapultepec

Visiting Plaza de la Constitución and Catedral Metropolitana de la Asunción de María