11-23 through 12-6-09 (pics of Zig-Zag and Rafael Coronel museums)

11-26-09: We were invited to Zack, Miriam, and Heidi's house for Thanksgiving dinner with Fenix school students and teachers. I made the turkey which everyone said was moist and delicious. I had entertained some doubts during cooking since the thermometer failed to pop out but Mike put in several calls to his mom and niece, Aiyana several times during cooking for reassurances (thanks again!).

11-28-09: The family went to an interactive, kid's science museum in Zacatecas called Zig-Zag. There were individual buildings on the grounds that featured different principles such as alternative energy, electricity, water, wind, magnetism, how gears make work easier, etc. You can see in one of the pictures how Gaby is exploring electricity lol. Their main attraction though was the new astronomy building. We learned about the big bang theory, how ancient civilizations used the sun to mark passage of the seasons, constellations, black holes, the solar system, etc. It took about 3 hours to get through the museum; there were guides available to assist/explain the displays too.

11-29-09: We went to the Rafael Coronel museum which is in the beautiful Convent of San Francisco (built in 1567). It showcases a staggering private collection of over 5,000 masks and 19th-century marionettes donated by Rafael Coronel. It is the largest collection of masks in all of Mexico. There were also pottery artifacts from different areas of Mexico.

12-6-09: We took a little train into La Mina Eden for a tour. I (Patty) had visited the mine many years ago but it has been physically enhanced since then (e.g. figures of Indian slaves working the mine, improved walkways, a vast collection of precious rocks and minerals on display, and even hard hats were provided for each guest). When you get off the train, the first thing you notice on you left is a cave housing the rock display as well as a small souvenir shop. To the right there is a disco/bar that opens up to the public on weekends (how unique is that?). For the tour, a guide leads you through the vast, dimly lit tunnels which were hand-hewn by Indian slaves. Along the way you cross suspension bridges over cavernous drop-offs where water has collected. You look around in amazement at this seven tier mine (the tour walkway is on level 4, levels 1-3 below are flooded, and levels 5-7 are seen as you look up) as you realize that all levels of the mine were accessed with a system of ropes during its operation. You cannot also help being saddened when you see the horrific conditions in which the slaves—men and young boys—worked and died (average life span: 35 years). And all the riches of the mine went to the Spaniard masters! Overall it was an interesting tour although Mike commented that the guide spoke Spanish too quickly to allow him to understand everything sans some translation. Unfortunately, we forgot our camera for this one so we don't have pics to share.