Fifteen foreign students at the Tec de Monterrey university were joined by 38 well-wishers and volunteer drivers for an ‘English Outdoors’ hike in the Primavera Forest
During the two-kilometer walk through a slot canyon with high walls, the Tec students – from Germany, China and Hong Kong – chatted with people from South Africa, the Philippines, France, Holland, the United States and, of course, Mexico.
The event was organized by Tec student advisor Alejandra Guzmán and Tec English professor and Reporter contributor John Pint.The hike took participants into Río Seco, a dry river bed whose walls are composed of giant blocks of pumice, which, commented Pint, “Once floated on the surface of a huge lake which occupied the caldera for 10 to 20,000 years.”
Pint explained that the Primavera Caldera, a huge, bowl-shaped hole, came into existence after a great explosion 95,000 years ago.
Spring water, he said, worked its way down to incandescent lava, creating steam. When the area eventually exploded, over 20 cubic kilometers of light volcanic rock and ash flew into the air and when it came back down, eventually formed an important part of the state of Jalisco, whose name means “place covered with volcanic ash.”
Pint is a member of the Committee to Create a Geopark in Jalisco. Standing at the foot of a canyon wall displaying the geological history of the Primavera Caldera, he addressed the crowd.
“Our committee met the night before last, and I’m pleased to announce that our proposal has been well received by the highest echelons of the University of Guadalajara. It passed the first test and is now being scrutinized with an eye to implementing the project. At the same time offers of financial backing have already been received. We’re off to a good start.”
The language most heard throughout the event was English, which perfectly suited Nora Paredes, head of the Tec’s Public Relations Department and a lifelong student of English.
“I’m not used to hiking,” she said. “I was a little worried this would be too much for me. But when I saw so many toddlers along the trail, I knew I could do it and I got to practice my English at the same time.”
As for the foreign students, all of them said they were happy to get out of the city.
“This a great area with nice things to see,” said Killian Wiebalk from Germany. “I’m glad I came.”
“Best of all, we liked walking in the sand,” said Sion from China, “and the spring water was delicioso!”
Finally, leaving the hiking site “Mexican style” in the bed of a pickup truck, Koi from Hong Kong summed up her experience in typical teen-age parlance: “It was awesome.”