This past weekend, I finally climbed el Cerro Colorado, a small mountain outside Tehuacan. I had previously planned to climb el cerro three times, but my ambitions were thwarted by a hurricane, a cold, and the lack of transportation. Needless to say, I was looking forward to the climb excitedly.

I awoke at 6:40am on Saturday, as the cerro is a cactus covered mound of dry dirt and rock, hardly offering the shade of a cactus flower. To avoid the heat, my goal was to start the climb before 8am. At 8:10, I started trekking across a wide plain of donkeys and crops, towards the base of the mountain. I had to jump across a literal river of shit before reaching the bottom of the trail. It was disgusting, more so than anything I have ever seen before.

But anyway, the climb started with a steep incline, but then leveled off for several kilometers. I expected the hike to take three hours, but I reached the peak in two. I think I actually could have done it faster, but knowing that coming back down can be as exhausting as the climb up, I figured there was no point in pushing it. Out of my group of four, I was actually the first to the top. It was a liberating experience to stand at the edge of the upper plateau and look down on my city. I am really proud that I was first to the top, as I ever never been the fastest at anything except, well, reading. But I guess all the walking I do to and from school has really helped out my little legs muscles.

At the top of this mountain, there is a big cross that sort of overlooks the whole Tehuacan valley. There is a ladder inside, so I -- of course -- climbed to the top of the cross. For about ten minutes, I was the tallest thing in the Tehuacan valley, which was very cool. I had three peanut butter and jelly sandwiches while at the peak, and took a few pictures. There were lots of butterflies everywhere, and one actually landed on my hand! It stayed there for almost 3 minutes, and I was luckily able to snap a few photos. Coupled with the rainbow earlier in the week, I was feeling showered in good omens.

I certainly am lucky. I have had a great time here in Tehuacan, and although I am really excited to travel east to Chiapas and Guatemala and then south to Nicaragua, I am a bit sad about leaving this place. So many great people have touched my life here, and I have rarely felt as loved as I have felt the past few months. I hope this is not the last time I walk the streets of this town.