Well, the last week here has been a lot of fun and I thought I'd give you all a little update. This week we went on a camping trip around the tip of the state of Cabo. We stayed at two different turtle monitoring stations and helped researchers conduct their work. Because sea turtle eggs are commonly poached, these centers transport reccently built nests to protected areas. This involves night patrols walking miles of extraordinary beaches looking for mother turtle tracks pointing towards vulnerable nests. We also monitored more mature nests and helped tortugita hatchlings surface and brought them close to the shore. I think I handled about 300 baby turtles in one night. They're really adorable and eager to swim out into the tormenting Pacific where they have about a 1% chance of reaching maturity.

We spent the third and fourth day at another amazing oasis. We hiked and swam in a beautiful granite walled pool. Imagine the swimming hole at Glen Alpine but three times bigger and warmer. There was a sweet waterfall and a 'natural waterslide'. We climbed up to high altitude (6000 ft) pine forests and also found groves of yellow trees, an endangered species that clings its roots to limestone and cracks in granite. Interestingly, very few tourists or locals spend time in this oasis, maybe because it is a protected area and has no amenities.

Along the way we visited Todos Santos, Cabo San Lucas (we call it little America), San Jose del Cabo, Santiago and La Paz. I'm starting to feel like I know Baja Sur pretty well. My friend Maxine and I are starting to plan our week long break. Hopefully we'll find some horses, maybe go snorkeling, speak lots of spanish and read books. Yesterday we discovered a new taco stand. It is delicious and everything is 10 pesos, they make their own tortillas and serve the most delicious coffee I've ever tasted. It's run by a couple whose home kitchen opens onto a quiet side street. We were lucky enough to be a little disoriented on San Carlos' backroads to stuble upon it.

Sundays nights here, students take turns cooking for the group. Tonight four friends and I made a medeterian feast. We made sweet cous cous, greek salad, barbequed chicken, roasted bell peppers and onion, fresh bread, spinach spread, humus, tabuli and mango lapies. We cooked from noon to six and everything worked out beautifully. However, now i need to get to my homework. My goal for the week is to learn new chords on the ukelele and finish reading myBerenstein Bears book in spanish.

Hopefully everyone is doing well with all your pursuits. Mom and Dad, sorry I missed you guys, will call again soon. Will, what's this I hear about Austrailia? Miss you all.

tortillas full of love, p