So after a very busy and difficult at times (but really rewarding) month of work we wrapped up the project in San Miguel. We did last minute meetings and filming and then took some time afterwards to see San Miguel in a more relaxed sense before all moving on, myself to Mexico City, Laura to London and Gaby to Veracruz.
I'd like to take time to thank each and every person who helped support our project in the run up to it, we did lots of fund-raising events to make it possible and although our idea sounded a bit far-fetched you still supported us and despite it being a great project it wasn't easy and we are happy to say that we got the job done. Big thanks to our friends and family who donated to the project, you know who you are and thank you for supporting us. Also huge thanks to UCL, the Beacons Bursary grant, the Chadwick Trust grant and the department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering for their support for which without the project wouldn't have been possible.
Us looking a bit crazy on one of our first fund-raisers (maybe it's the cow fancy dress)
Another big thanks to Ilan Adler (pictured on the right), the person who started this project and our supervisor. Also to Iwona Bisaga, thank you for all of your time and effort you dedicated to us and all the other project teams! So.. on with the usual mountain of pictures that accompany my blog posts.. First some pictures from our time seeing San Miguel whilst not working.
After a few days extra in San Miguel and before moving to Mexico City to start working with Isla Urbana, I went on a weekend trip to the city of Oaxaca and its surrounding sites with Eric, who we met on the IRRI summer school. Here we arrived at 6am and were checking out the city in the early morning.
Monte Alban, an archaelogical site/city/civilization from 500bc
Back in the city
This (above) is a flyer for an Isla Urbana conference, the same organisation I'm working with now in Mexico City.
Crazy Oaxacan food
Mitla
Hierve el agua, one of the prettiest sites I've ever seen. Natural (and larger artificial) pools overlooking a petrified waterfall.
Making Oaxacan chocolate (above)
We arrived in the city while their carnaval was on which was great fun. It was called guelaguetza which means share, they were throwing locally made products into the crowds in spirit.
So after the weekend in Oaxaca I went back to Mexico City and properly moved in, for the next 7 months I'll be here doing a placement with Isla Urbana to work on some of their projects and help out in general. I went on a site visit with Jen from the organisation to get to know one of the communities that they work with and the work they do.
View from the window at home on the first morning
Arriving in Iztapalapa to install a system in one of the resident's houses.
Their equipment was very different than what we were doing in San Miguel!
The system nearly finished
I've just had my first day literally today and I'm excited as it looks as if I'll be working on some cool projects, I'll explain more when it's all sorted. Here's some pictures from Mexico City, I have also at the same time been working on my masters dissertation pretty heavily so there are some pictures from the local university that I went to study at, which has some amazing murals.
The UNAM (national autonomous university of Mexico) and its murals, (incidentally the campus is a unesco world heritage site).
Despite working on my dissertation intensively as the draft deadline approached, I couldn't resist the invitation from my housemate to climb the Ajusco hill in the outskirts of the city one morning at the weekend. It was definitely worth it and an amazing climb.
These are my two new housemates, David and Mestli (above). They're a crazy bunch and it's really fun being with them, also the first time I've lived with a dog! It's lucky that I like dogs as when I turned up I had no idea there'd be a dog in the house :). David also set up Isla Urbana with Enrique in 2009 so I'm getting to know everyone involved pretty quickly!
Almost at the top of Ajusco - I couldn't believe that this was on the outskirts of a city of more than 20 million people. It's so nice there!
Relaxing at the top after climing to 3,900m
New housemates and their/our friend Carmen
Back at the bottom with the peak that we climbed up in the background!
And that just about brings me up to date..
