The Onsite Museum at the Palenque Ruins

I just posted a few pictures from the museum at the site of the Palenque ruins. I didn't shoot too many images in there because the items there have already been curated and imaged in all sorts of ways, I'm sure. But there are some really fantastic pieces, and I wanted to get my own take on some of them. Here's a sample. More are in my photostream.

At the caracol Roberto Barrios

This is a picture from the caracol Roberto Barrios in Chiapas. The caracoles are the governmental units of the indigenous separatist movement known as Zapatistas. My group spent a night and day here with our Schools for Chiapas trip organizers before traveling onward toward Jol Ja, a rural collective where we spent most of our time abroad.

This particular image is the women's artisanal collective building, where women congregate to sell the crafts and products they produce. My understanding is that the target market is almost entirely outside people and groups who happen to be travelling through the caracol.





Thanks to a *little* bit of help from Google Translate, the sign here reads "To those who want to rule (govern) the world, the world responds Resistance!"

The little girl in this picture reminds me of a thought I frequently had during my time here. Can you imagine what it's like to grow up as a child in this kind of community and space? How strange and different to most of us, for a life in a rebel separatist group to be the air you breath and the water you swim in.

I'll post more from Roberto Barrios once I have a bit more time.

My First Critical Mass

I stopped in at Jewel for frozen pizza on the way home from downtown. I ate three-quarters of it and put the rest in the fridge for tomorrow. Ten minutes later, I decided I was still hungry and ate the rest of it. Yum!

I rode about 32 miles today. Twelve miles down, twelve back, and eight or so in the middle as part of critical mass. It was my first critical mass event, and I really enjoyed being part of the gathering at Daley Plaza. I got into the group photo, sitting down in the front row in my boxer-briefs with stickers over my nipples for gender equality. I have to admit, though, that once the ride got going, I got bored after half an hour or so. It wasn't as exciting as the naked ride was! I was thinking about breaking off to head back to Evanston when I bumped into Sneha and her boyfriend, who I'd missed at the plaza. Yay! We chatted for a bit, then I went eastward along North Avenue to find some food. I got a fast-food snack, then made my to the lakeshore and north.

I crashed my bike on the Lakshore Path coming back. I was passing slower riders and moved left off the path onto the dirt track next to it, then realized that there was a significant vertical jump up ahead onto a branch of the path. I slowed down a bit, but I was moving around 21 miles per hour and didn't stop in time. I kind of slid out sideways. Fortunately, I wasn't really injured and just jumped right back on. I do have some minor pain in my left ankle, so I'm going to see how it feels in the morning before deciding whether to go on the Indiana trip. I do hope a night's sleep fixes what ails me. I was a little tired an hour or so ago, but after rest and a shower, I'm excited about going out and riding again tomorrow.

I should also note that Danae's parents are here from Ontario! It's super-nice to see them again!