Medical projects require total commitment to the cause and also a very strong stomach! Every day brings new and unpredictable situations, shadowing doctors up and down hospital rooms and taking care of the patients as well as learning the different tools and trades of the job, from the different medical cases to working afternoon and night shifts sometimes; which will demand the maximum of your focusing capacity to always stay alert and ready for what may come up, and if that were not enough, dealing with spanish medical terms is also one more thing to add to the equation, it is not an easy task but it is one very rewarding experience!

Congrats to our volunteers Antoni Bayens, Jose Lujano and Alejandra Perez for their amazing job at the medical project! One astounding performance! Keep up the good job guys!

Jose Lujano shares his story with us on our newsletter June edition and Antoni Bayens will be detailing his medical experience for us on July´s.

The Cabanas Institute has been a hospital, orphanage, almshouse and museum; it´s was founded in 1791 by the bishop of Guadalajara Juan Ruiz de Cabañas.

Located right in the city centre, The place has 23 patios, 106 rooms, 72 halls and 2 chapels and right now it serves purpose as a museum, hosting contemporary art from all around the world, by its main highlight is one of the main rooms all decorated with murals by Jose Clemente Orozco (starting in 1937 and finishing in 1939), depicting Mexican history in a very detailed manner that covers all walls and ceiling in this room; and right in the middle section of the ceiling you will find one of Clemente´s masterpieces: The man on fire.

Curious fact : the Cabañas Institute is the background scenario in the Street Fighter videogame for the Thunderhawk character.

COLOMOS PARK

Los colomos park is one of the biggest parks in the city area of Guadalajara,a beautiful green area that simulates a beautiful forest stamped with a Japanese garden and a few small lakes, and especially right now that raining season is at its peak, the place is one giant piece of green! 

Right on the imaginary border between Zapopan and Guadalajara, right in the middle of the city almost as a second heart, perfect place for horse riding lovers and picnic enthusiasts, as well as recurrent area for joggers and families; mostly during on the weekends.

Parque Colomos is one of Guadalajara´s proudest green areas where visitors just never seem to stop being amazed either by the beauty of the place itself or the always cute squirrels and ducks that make their way to your food basket, sometimes even performing a couple tricks to make you go Awww and then be rewarded with a cracker.

Parque Colomos is one of Guadalajara´s treasure, one beautiful spot that can not be missed if you are here in the city.

Sayulita is one of Mexico´s gems, located in the state of Nayarit, just one hour away from the famously world known Puerto Vallarta.

Sayulita is a small beach with some sort of a hippie/surfer atmosphere, the kind of place where after spending a few hours there you feel like you know everybody and their history; the kind of place where locals immediately make you feel like one of their own.

During the day people just stroll around the town centre and the beach but once the evening arrives the places just lights up like some sort of a hippie fairytale, making you feel like you have left civilization and everything that happens here just makes you forget about the routine and stress of the city.

The beach is amazingly beautiful and quiet, and the sand has this white pearled color, creating a perfect harmony with the sound of the ocean and the people selling hand made souvenirs to the tourists.

Personal recommendations: horse ride around the beach, it’s a cant miss and some real seafood prepared by the locals!

Chilaquiles is one of the most typical dishes in México, the kind of classic breaksfast you find in every tiny
eatery around the corner and a great mexican energy booster to start your daily tasks.
Ingredients

Mexican chilaquiles are excellent for holiday breakfasts or party munchies.

5 to 10 guajillo peppers, stemmed and seeded
2 cloves garlic
1 (8-oz.) can green tomato sauce
1 cup water
1 Knorr Chicken Bouillon Cube
3 tbsp. oil
12 corn tortillas, cut into 1-inch strips
1/2 white onion, chopped (optional)
4 oz. shredded Jack cheese
Directions
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 15 to 20 minutes
Place peppers, garlic, tomato sauce, water and bouillon in
a blender or food processor; blend until smooth. Heat oil in
a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Fry tortillas
until lightly browned and crispy. Add onions and cook,
stirring frequently, until tender.

Top with sauce and cheese. Lower heat and cook, covered, for 10 to 15
minutes or until cheese is melted and tortillas have soaked up the sauce.

Can also add beans,1 or 2 scrambled eggs on top of the chilaquiles and some mexican green or red salsa
to make it a real mexican power breakfast!

When people think Mexico they think sun, and yes, we get a lot of that, but Guadalajara is also a city that gets a lot of rain, and not just simple rain but heavy storms! And that's been a common thing for the last couple weeks (yes, raining season is here!) very heavy rains during the day and night, sometimes it makes it impossible to go out without getting all soaked wet as a cat and wishing you would have taken a surfing board with you; but have got to say that it is a vital part of Jalisco's charm, walking the streets of Guadalajara and trying to evade the rain while drinking a delicious coffee or hot choco.

Guadalajara is a very charming place that just invites you to walk down its streets when it rains, specially the city centre or parks, it just glows with a very unique charm, even when it means heavy rain, god-like lightning and deafening thunders! but once it gets all mixed with the city itself it turns into pouring beauty that embellishes the city.

Many people they come to Mexico to get some sun, and trust me when I say you will get a lot of that, but also try to enjoy the rainy days, try to see it like if it were the nature's soundtrack to your mexican adventure, and trust me, next time you find yourself trapped in the middle of some heavy rain you will definitely think Guadalajara!

Perfect recommendation for a rainy day: Tamales and Atole.

Divina Providencia : Laurens Van de Bruaene & Cynthia Cid

Divina Providencia is one of our day care centers here in the city of Guadalajara, it shelters kids from 4 months old to 5 years old and it was founded by a catholic group of nuns with the aim to provide to poor and single moms of the area an excellent place where to leave their children while they have to work to support their families. A regular nursery is most of the time not affordable for these families, which sometimes causes the mothers to take their kids with them and as some of them have to work in street stands selling food or any other kind of products, putting sometimes their kids at the risk of a dangerous situation; so the center provides a clean, safe and loving place for them.

Two of our volunteers: Laurens Van de Bruaene (Belgium)  and Cynthia Cid (Norway) show us a bit of what it is like to be volunteering there, a place full of life and joy,yes, but it doesn’t mean that it makes it an easy job, taking care of kids requires a lot of hard work! both mentally and physically, and a lot of special extra attention to the little ones that are always craving for consideration and care, it is definitely one demanding and exhausting task but a very rewarding one too!

Congrats Laurens and Cynthia for doing one incredible job!