Mexico Vacation Part 2: El Oro

 

After visiting my dad’s side of the family in Cuernavaca, we headed over to my mom’s hometown: El Oro. We went from humid tropical weather to cool overcast days and rainy nights. What I love about El Oro is that even after so many years, everything has stayed pretty much the same. The city hall in the photo above seems especially unchanging, always painted in its signature bright red.

 

 

One thing that has changed is the size of the family. While its always been pretty big, many recent additions have made it even bigger. Its still a bit strange to think that several of the cousins I used to go out and get into trouble with are now settled, married, and have kids.

 

 

My brother, born on July 4th, got to celebrate his birthday with the family. We headed out to a nearby historic town full of rustic buildings and beautiful 16th century landmarks.

I can’t help but laugh at the photo above! So typical of 13-year-olds!

Mexico Vacation, Part 1: Cuernavaca

 

Today was our first day back from a short Mexico vacation and I wish we could have stayed another week or year.

 

Our first stop was in Cuernavaca, my dad’s hometown. It had been eight whole years since my last visit, but everything was just as beautiful as I remembered.

 Cuernavaca is a busy fast-paced town with a tropical climate. Beautiful foliage and wildlife gets mixed into every corner of the urban landscape, adorning each apartment tower, tall stone wall, and tile façade with bright greens, pinks, and yellows.  

My dad told us stories about Chapultepec, a huge park around the corner from my grandparents’ house. At its peak, the park even housed lions and other exotic animals. Strolling through it felt like being on safari in a very small, very tame rainforest.

The best part of the trip was spending time with family I hadn’t seen in so long.