After lecture tonight we went on a night hike. Our attempt began without using light, trying to use the moon's light and our own senses to guide ourselves down the trail. As you could imagine, this worked about as well as it would with third graders. Someone would jump at any noise and be too loud to hear anything.
But overall, the experience shows the independence and power each of us has. An independence I feel we lose through our reliance on constant technology and hyper media. After sitting around a small camp fire, we had a moment to reflect on the greater purpose of our class: the ideas and possibilities of sustainable living. Much like the forest canopy in the Yucatan, there are many levels and kinds of sustainable living. We are gaining an introduction to many ideas, seeing the successes and the failures.
After the campfire, Dr. Galicki asked if someone would walk down the trail and see what he or she say. Krista and I excitedly jumped up and began walking. What we discovered was difficult to identify at first. The wideness looked like a river bed in the faint moon light but it was a haltune. These are depression made through breakdown in the limestone bedrock. We have been learning about these through out the week. Through the acids in rain and other water, the carbonate making up limestone breaks down and creates pools. This haltune was about 4 feet deep and 8 or 9 feet wide. I was absolutely amazed something like this could happen. It looks man-made, like some sort of swanky backyard pool, but natural processes created it. Its moments like this that remind us of the majesty, power and awe that nature brings.
I sat beside the haltune in a sort of daze. I am sure Dr. Galcki was concerned I wanted to walk around in it, it was waterless, but I controlled myself. I honestly had never seen anything so beautiful, and I felt an extreme spiritual presence.
Walking back with Dr. Galicki, Lizzie and Heather, I looked up at the moon. Our entire trip in the Yucatan, the moon has been full or almost completely full. Also at this latitude, it feels closer. I watched the clouds move over the moon thinking about the speed of the Earth and the movement of Earth in respect to the greater solar system and universe. Its an amazing idea, the concept of life. The connections through our living nature and our living selves should not be underestimated.
- wish this was less blury but diagrams of water collection from today's discussion
The concrete structure is a hurricane shelter the Mexican government built for locals to have a safe shelter during storms. Because of the lack of monetary resources in some families, many are living in these shelters full time. I have other pictures of modifications but this is an empty one. 
As a field trip we went to the market at Oxkutzcab this afternoon. This small village is about an hour from the Reserve. Its the nearest large city. The market was different that we thought it would be. It had more modern things that we would have at our shopping mall but with fresh fruit, vegetables and some meat. The whole place was extremely colorful. 
These men work at a fruteria in the market. Only a few years older than I am, each of these men have worked in the United States and are not back. They sell produce grown outside of Mexico City and work for another man.
These are some of their tomatoes. These are grown using pesticides, which the produce grown around Oxkutzcab, most likely does not because it would be too expensive or unavaliable. These tomatoes are more expensive than the local tomatoes but are supposed to be "better". There seems to be a different thinking than a farmer's market in the US, where local would be better. Because of isolation and poverty, things from larger cities have a great value for some.
These men work at a fruteria in the market. Only a few years older than I am, each of these men have worked in the United States and are not back. They sell produce grown outside of Mexico City and work for another man. 
These are some of their tomatoes. These are grown using pesticides, which the produce grown around Oxkutzcab, most likely does not because it would be too expensive or unavaliable. These tomatoes are more expensive than the local tomatoes but are supposed to be "better". There seems to be a different thinking than a farmer's market in the US, where local would be better. Because of isolation and poverty, things from larger cities have a great value for some. 
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