These last two weeks of the trip flew by so, so fast. I am so grateful to have been a part of this experience and definitely want to go back to Mexico in the future. It was bittersweet to say goodbye to all of the friends we made over the course of the past month, but I guess, in a sense, now we have people to visit from all over the world to make more memories with later on!
A particular highlight in Leon was the fair that was within walking distance of our hotel. A group of us met a lovely local family who invited us out for dinner the next day. They were so hospitable and nice, and they made us some authentic Mexican food – I will never forget that experience. The fair was also a lot of fun as it was huge and unlike anything we have in NZ. There was a concert arena, a Lucha Libre wrestling match, a live band, restaurants, bars, clubs, markets, and a copious amount of food stalls, all within the confines of the fair. They had some super fun extreme rides also that some of us went on.
Another thing I really enjoyed in León was getting to visit Guanajuato. It was a really beautiful small town, and the panoramic view at the top was amazing. Like last week, I will just insert some photos to show the place off, as I don’t think any words can do it much justice.
The following week in Monterrey was also great. Although we were working on the final project for most of the week and couldn’t really explore the city much, it was still a lot of fun. I especially enjoyed the proximity of the Tec Residences to Taqueria Orinoco – which served some of the best tacos I had all trip (I may or may not have gone four times). Even within the campus, there was so much to see – the facilities were all so nice, especially the wellness centre, and they also had animals roaming around the campus, which was so interesting to see.
My favourite day in Monterrey, however, was the last full day we spent there. We got to roam around the Plaza and buy some last-minute souvenirs, went to some museums, and then we walked from Parque Santa Lucia to Parque Fundidora. We also met some of the incoming international students that were gonna study the semester at Tec, whom I admit I was quite jealous of because I would have loved to stay longer in Mexico as well. We rode some bikes for an hour in the park, which was super chill and fun and was a great end to a fantastic month in Mexico.
Overall, this was a fantastic experience that I feel so lucky to have done. I had absolutely no expectations for Mexico, but I honestly really had such a great time. I would definitely love to come back – but I for sure have to brush up on my Spanish before I go again.