Hiking the Y...oops, I meant the B

So, in Provo, a common activity to do is to hike the "Y" that is up on the mountain that stands for BYU.  Well here in Mexico City, there is a "B" on the mountain that stands for Benemerito, which is what the school was called that is now the MTC.  Being a bunch of Provoites, we decided to set out to climb up to the B.  There was no path, so we just forged our way, but it really wasn't far at all.  This first pic is the girls from the group.  Two interesting facts, the first is you can see the MTC behind us.  It is a pretty stark contrast with the rest of the city.  It is much more green and open than the rest of the city.  The second interesting fact is that Ashley, who is the one next to me in the middle, was my elementary school best friend.  We kind of fell out of contact until we were reunited in Mexico of all places!

The next few pictures are of the neighborhood we walked through on our way to the B.  I was both saddened by the conditions in which people lived, but also amazed and impressed by their creativity to make do with what little they had.

This is a house.  I thought it was incredible how they made do with whatever they could find and make it home.  Sometimes I think we all can adopt more of that philosophy, not that I am reccomending that we all move into houses made of sheet metal and pallets.  It did sadden me and I couldn't imagine living somewhere like that.  It made me realized how blessed I am and how much I have.  I think seeing all these people was a turning point for me.  I missed having carpet in my house and didn't like all the tile, but these people had dirt floors.  I'm sure they would be so grateful to have tile on their floors.

This was the door to someone's home.  I wish you could see inside, but I didn't want the people inside to feel like they were turned into a show.

Here is our whole group after finishing our hike.

A random picture to finish, but this man was sound asleep on the sidewalk.  It was kind of a busy street, but he didn't seem to care one bit.  It made me want to know his story.  Why was he sleeping on the street?  How did he get to that place in his life?  What did he dream for?  Long for?  I suppose I will never know.