June 6, 2014

Sorry I didn't post yesterday.  After we went to a school I had to come home and sleep.  I felt awful.  I am finally feeling better but still having some issues.  :-(

Yesterday we visited a special needs school.  The students here had both physical and mental challenges and were unable to participate in a private or public school.  There is no government support for these children/adults.  The school we visited was a nonprofit organization and receives funds from donations.  It was a beautiful place and everyone seemed happy.  The staff all seem to have a passion for what they were doing.  These were not just children but also young adults.  The ages ranged from 3-33.  There were classrooms for each age group as well as level of ability.  They were learning life skills and/or academic skills depending on what their need was.  The school had a horse and a garden that the students helped take care of.  The parents are required to be very involved.  Three times a week the parents came to the school to work with the physical therapist and their child.  Part of the time they were in the swimming pool (see pictures in Special Needs School folder).

Today we traveled to Mexico City.  We went to the Anthropology Museum.  It was fascinating!!  Lots of history on were Mexico began.  One of the things that surprised me was that Mexico City was founded on a water system.  When the Aztecs  first arrived the people living around the lake wouldn't allow them to settle there.  The Aztecs built artificial islands in the middle of the lake, settled there, and then conquered all the other groups.  They built the pyramids on these islands!.  Because Mexico City is still on the lake, the buildings are beginning to sink!  We saw some of them today.  The government has been putting pilings and cement underneath them to stop them from sinking.

We also walked through the city and saw the cathedrals, the government buildings, the post office, and the theatre.  It is all so beautiful!  We also drove by their main park.  It is the largest in North America.  It is a very interesting city.  :-)