travel info

Click here to download the TRAVEL GUIDE (containing the syllabus & much, much more!).

a passport (for info, click here)

travel insurance (included in registration)

a sense of adventure

a desire to learn

comfortable shoes!

During the Cuernavaca portion of the travel study, each participant will reside in the home of a middle-class Mexican family. This family will provide you with three meals a day, purified drinking water, and a bedroom and bathroom that you will likely share with other houseguests.

Hotel Taselotzin, a small, comfortable, eco-tourism hotel, owned and operated by an indigenous women's cooperative, will provide lodging and many meals throughout our stay in the Cuetzalan area. Click here to open a new window with an article about this hotel, "Eco-Hotel Highlights The Best Of Womens Work In Mexico."

While in Mexico City for the final portion of the travel study, participants will stay at a moderate, tourist hotel in the center of Mexico City.

In Mexico, one typically enjoys three meals per day:

• "Desayuno," breakfast that can range from cereal to something much more elaborate;
• "Comida," this hearty, early-mid afternoon meal is the main meal of the day;
• "Cena," a light supper, usually served around 7-8pm.

Virtually all meals are included in the travel study package! However, you probably will want to wander off on your own to sample the fare of a local cantina at times, so budget accordingly.

Vegetarian diets can be accommodated with a bit of creativity, flexibility, and pre-travel planning.

All of the program's sites are in the tropics, but Cuernavaca and Cuetzalan are nestled in the mountains, and their high elevations moderate their climates. In Cuernavaca, "city of eternal spring," the 24-hour average temperature for July and August is about 71 degrees F (note that this is a 24-hour average, with temperatures getting considerable warmer in the afternoons and cooler in the evenings.) Cuetzalan, tends to be somewhat warmer, as it sits at a somewhat lower elevation. Mexico City can be expected to be fairly warm in the daytime and a bit cool in the evening. Given that you will be active much of the time, it is advisable to bring cool, comfortable clothing and a sweater or jacket for evenings/early mornings. You also should bring an umbrella!

You will need Pesos while in Mexico. Most banks in Mexico can exchange currency for you, and most Mexican ATMs will accept your card and dispense pesos. You may also wish to exchange some cash at your bank before departure. Travelers checks may be cashed at most Mexican banks, but they often are not accepted by small, local merchants. (I have had the best luck with ATMs.)

Participants are encouraged to fully engage in their cultural immersion experience and to avoid excessive communication back to the US. That said, public phones are plentiful in most parts of Mexico, although you will need to use calling cards. Phone service in Mexico tends to be quite expensive! Internet cafes are plentiful in each of our three main sites, so e-mail may be one's best communication source.

If you have any special needs, you should contact Dr. Carey immediately to discuss possible accommodations.