Welcome back to the fourth day of our Virtual Spring Break vacation! In case you missed it…we spent our first day exploring the ocean, our second day touring Japan, and our third day visiting India! And now, we are jet-setting to Mexico!
As we mentioned in our previous posts, we spent our Spring Break traveling the globe (virtually). Each day included some virtual reality (VR) exploration and expeditions, a documentary, a snack/dessert that was representative of the locale, and a themed craft. When it came time to eat dinner, we decided to fully embrace the vacation, and support our favorite local restaurants, by picking up take-out (from an establishment that was also representative of the dayβs locale). We capped off each evening with a movie that showcased the place, or culture, that we had explored that day!
It’s time for departure. Β‘VΓ‘monos! Let’s go!
Virtual Spring Break: Day Four – Mexico
Mexico Overview
Β‘Bienvenido a MΓ©xico! Similar to our trips to Japan and India, we began our adventure with a quick stop at National Geographic Kids. We learned that the country’s official name is actually the United Mexican States. And we also discovered that rodeo (the competitive equestrian sport) was invented in Mexico.
We read a brief history about Mexico’s ancient societies, including the Olmec, Maya, Toltec, and Aztec. These early civilizations are well-known for building large cities and vast pyramids. They studied the stars and planets, and used the cosmos to determine the best times of year to plant crops.
Mexico VR Expeditions & Explorations
We were interested in learning more about Mexico’s ancient civilizations, so we decided to take a virtual tour of ChichΓ©n ItzΓ‘, through our Google Expeditions app. ChichΓ©n ItzΓ‘ was a Maya city, dating from the 5th century A.D.
On our tour we visited the Temple of Kukulkan, El Caracol, the Temple of Warriors, Las Monjas (the nunnery), and the Plaza of a Thousand Columns. We really enjoyed getting an up-close view, without having to physically be on the premises of the archeological complex.
From there, we ventured off on one more Google Expedition to the capital, Mexico City. It was an aerial tour, and we loved being able to see everything from up above. We visited the Chapultepec Castle, the Palace of Fine Arts, the Metropolitan Cathedral, the Monument of the Revolution, the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and the Aztec and Azul football (soccer) stadiums.
Mexico Documentary
When it was time to watch our daily documentary, we journeyed deep into the Forests of the Maya – the first episode of PBS’s Wonders of Mexico series. We were immediately enthralled by the lush green landscape, covering the approximately 70,000 square miles known as the YucatΓ‘n Peninsula. Once home to the ancient Maya civilizations, the YucatΓ‘n Peninsula currently provides precious habitats for a wide variety of animals – including jaguars, howler monkeys, and numerous tropical bird species.
One fact that we learned (that we were completely surprised by) is that there are zero major rivers on the YucatΓ‘n Peninsula. How is life sustained without a major water source? How does everything remain so green? And why would the Maya build their societies in an area without potable water?
As it turns out, there are actually quite a few water sources on the peninsula…just not above ground. Water is found in cenotes. A cenote is a natural pit, or sinkhole, that is created by the collapse of limestone bedrock – and they expose groundwater.
We watched in awe as divers explored multiple cenotes, and made a huge discovery. They found that the vast majority of cenotes are actually interconnected. So…there really is a major river running through the YucatΓ‘n Peninsula…it’s just hidden underground!
Papel Picado
Mexico is home to scores of fabulous artists…so it was a difficult task to choose our craft for the day. After lots of deliberation, we decided to create papel picado (otherwise known as “perforated paper” or “pecked paper”). Papel picado is a traditional Mexican craft that is created by cutting (or chiseling) elaborate designs into large stacks of tissue paper.
The colorful designs are often strung together, to create banners that are hung throughout the streets during various holiday celebrations. They are also displayed during weddings and christenings, and can be found decorating alters (or ofrendas) on the Day of the Dead.
We popped over to Deep Space Sparkle to learn How to Make Papel Picado. We followed the simple instructions, and let our creativity run wild. The end result was a huge stack of super colorful and fun creations! We were so happy with our papel picados that we decided to string them together and hang them up in our dining room!
Mexican Dinner
When it was time for dinner, we decided to order some street tacos from one of our favorite Mexican restaurants! We enjoyed crispy avocado tacos, fish tacos, and Al Pastor tacos (filled with pork and pineapple). And we ordered some chips and guacamole too!
Mexican Dessert
Can you keep a secret? We spoiled ourselves and ate our dessert before dinner…because we made these delicious Mexican BuΓ±uelos in the afternoon, and we wanted to enjoy them while they were still warm! π
Mexican BuΓ±uelos are basically a combination of a donut hole and a churro…and they are really easy to make! We enjoyed mixing up the dough and rolling it into balls, before frying them, and tossing them in cinnamon and sugar.
And we washed down the tasty treats with some horchata! Horchata is a Mexican drink that is made with rice, milk, vanilla and cinnamon. We used a horchata mix that we bought at the grocery store.
Mexican Movie
Our feature film for the evening was The Book of Life on Disney+. This animated film is based in the Mexican town of San Γngel, and follows the story of Manolo. Manolo is expected to follow in his family’s footsteps and become a legendary bull-fighter, but his love of music causes him to question his destiny. His never-ending love for his beautiful friend (Maria), ultimately leads him on an incredible journey of self-discovery.
And just like that, the fourth day of our Virtual Spring Break came to a close. Mexico was definitely a fun country to explore. We can’t wait to visit the YucatΓ‘n Peninsula in person some day…and go swimming in a cenote!
Where do you think we will venture to on our fifth and final day? I’ll give you a little hint…it’s a popular tourist destination in the United States! Make sure to stop back by tomorrow, to see if your guess was correct. π Β‘Adios!
