There are a lot of pictures in this batch.  I don't have time to edit them all, so I'm just going to load them and give you a sense of the scenery.  We drove out into the country for about an hour and a half Northeast of the MTC. Carlos & Silvia Zepada were our hosts, taking us to their home, an absolutely beautiful place.   Then we went to the city Real del Montanya, the home of many silver mines.  The British settled this area and stripped it of its silver, sending it back home.  There is still a lot of British influence here.  It is very hilly in the town with narrow streets and alleys.  We climbed a very steep cobbled road/stairway probably 2 blocks.  On top we viewed pomegranate trees, red roofs made from the minerals from the mines.   We explored an old English hospital museum originally built for the miners.  It served the people of this village for many years, and in 1982 was made into a museum of old medical instruments (of torture).  A trio of Mariachi singers entertained us on the climb down, we ate at a wonderful Mexican restaurant, we visited the English cemetery, and then drove to a gorgeous forested spot with the Pachuca reservoir and zipline to entertain us.  We ended our day with a trip to Silvia's quilting shop.  She said quilting is too expensive for most Mexicans to enjoy, but she has about 15-20 people who come to her classes.  (She learned to quilt while Carlos attended BYU and they lived in Utah).

 This is really a tourist town now.  Charles and Camilla

were recent visitors.  Pastes (like pork pies in England) are really popular here and we saw many shops selling them.

They are dough-covered meat like muffins.

 These pictures are out of order.  We took this picture at the reservoir because they were serving cactus on the tortillas.

 These following pictures are all showing

the zipline Neal and Nola rode.  It cost only $4

for the round-trip across the water.

 I hope when these are blown up, you will be able to

see Neal doin' his thing!

 This is supposed to be a movie, 

but I don't know that it worked.

 Look closely and you will see a white spot

that is Neal.

 This is one of the first legs of the hike 

up to the hospital/museum.  It was really

hard on my artificial knees, but I made it.

I feel it today I can tell you:) 

 Some of the narrow, twisted lanes.

 We met these folks in the Plaza of the town.

They were so excited to see our name tags.  

They are members  (RMs both of them) from Mexico.  The young girl just returned from a year in Russia.  She is from NE Oregon.  The man in orange knew Carlos (his former teacher here at the MTC when it was a school).  It was so fun!

The man in orange

 The Plaza in Real del Montanya

 A native or 2 from the Village

 The Plaza and natives.

 Sylvia, Carlos Zepata, friends we met in 

the Plaza.

 Almost every building in the town has this

bright red roof...from minerals extracted

with the silver.

 This is from the hospital museum looking

across the valley to the stand of trees where

the English Cemetery is located.

In Mexico City most museums charge if you take 

pictures.  I felt so badly because the tour books

are all in Spanish, and I really enjoyed that tour of

the museum and we have no pictures.

 Carlos is showing us the cactus plants

that they eat.

 Carlos, Dr. Dennis & Nola Harston, me,

Silvia Zepata, Dorie Torres at the museum.

 Part of the climb to the hospital/museum

 Neal is fascinated by the cactus

 Climbing, climbing....never getting to the top!

 English cemetery.. so sad to die far

from home I think.

 Pomegranate Tree

 All the red roofs!

 Jackie, Sylvia, and Dorie Torres

 These pics are here so you can hear

the Mariachi guys with their big belt

buckles, boots, and sombreros.

 Tiny, squishy streets...

 Neal, Nola, Jackie, Sylvia, Dorie

 Neal's meal--about 130 pesos abt $8

 Mixed up pics....this was a picture for

Sybil Beecher Noble

 Old Church and Bell tower up

next to the Museum.  The museum showed

all kinds of dental and medical torture devices &

implements....lots of medicines

 This was a pre-dinner appetizer for just

my dinner.  Note the silverware wrapped

and the ever, always present guacamole 

 Menus always in Spanish.  Me,

Dori and James Torres (former U.S. Marshal),

now security for MTC, & Sylvia

 Interesting architecture