EDUCATIONAL TRAVEL & Excursions

After your first 3 weeks in Cuernavaca (including after you have completed the first two weeks of your first or only Spanish course), you will have the unique opportunity to spend nearly one week in the Nahua indigenous village of Amatlan de Quetzalcoatl. It is less than 1½ hours' drive to Cuernavaca and only 1/2 hour to the city of Tepoztlan, which is the county seat, so many people commute regularly to Tepoztlan and Cuernavaca for school, jobs, and other activities. At the same time, it is a small village of only approximately 1,000 people, set at the base of beautiful mountains, and can serve as a fabulous respite from urban life.  It is also close enough to Cuernavaca that many students choose to return on their own throughout the semester to visit their rural host families for weddings and other occasions. 

We will visit the village for one day during orientation week so that you will get a sense of the village and hopefully become excited about spending a week there. 

During the time that we are there, you will stay with Nahua host families for 3 nights and 4 days. Typically two students will be placed per household, and this rural homestay is often one of the top highlights of the semester. Throughout your time in the community, you will have many structured learning opportunities, as well as time to spend with your indigenous host families.  This  seminar is an integral component of all your coursework, no matter which classes you are taking, and it provides an outstanding opportunity  to take a “deep dive” into issues that you will continue to learn about throughout the semester: Mexican history and cultures, the Nahua indigenous cosmovision, spirituality, traditional healing practices; the legacy of the Spanish Conquest; classism, racism and colorism, gender and sexuality, immigration, environmental issues, community organizing, and much more. 

The weather is similar to that of Cuernavaca, so pack layers for hot days and cooler evenings. Some students find that it can get quite chilly at night and early in the morning (50's Fahrenheit). 

We will conduct an orientation about the rural homestay and seminar at least one week prior to departure.  At that time we will review the tentative schedule, review cultural norms in the village, and give you a list of the matches of students with local host families, including their addresses and phone numbers. 

Please note that Amatlan is a rural community with many free range animals who roam the streets, including horses, cows, and dogs. Sometimes the dogs hang out together and can be scary, so we will practice shouting at dogs to get them to go away and even picking up (or pretending to pick up) rocks to get them to disburse. Our students have not been bit by dogs there, but they can seem scary if you are not used to seeing them off-leash on the streets. We will review this in our oreintation session.

TENTATIVE PACKING LIST FOR AMATLAN DE QUETZALCOATL:

• An official ID (driver’s license & a picture of the front page of your passport on your phone. Don’t bring your actual passport)

• A printed schedule for the week (we will give you a copy)

• The Amatlan telephone list, which we will give you}Cell phone and CHARGER

• 5-6 days change of clothes for warm (day), as well as a sweater/sweatshirt &/or other layering clothes for cooler temperatures (early morning, when sun goes down)

• Warm clothes for sleeping (sweatpants and a sweatshirt) if you tend to get cold

• Mostly T-shirts and casual like capris, pants or jeans without rips. This is a fairly traditional Nahua village, and although you will see tourists from Mexico City and elsewhere who do not respect traditional customs, shorts and tank tops are NOT appropriate for us to wear in Amatlan. NO SHORTS, PLEASE! The only exception is wearing knee-length shorts for a possible hike in the mountain. We want to be respectful to the community. Also, you will very likely visit the elementary school, and the director has complained about former visitors wearing shorts since they are not allowed in the school.

• Walking shoes, flip-flops (to use to go to the bathroom, not appropriate for hiking, or school visits)

• Toiletries

• Ear plugs - many students who are from urban areas are not used to all the noises of farm animals

• Alarm clock (if not on your cell phone)

• Insect repellent

• Sun block

• Sun protection (sunscreen & hat, long-sleeved shirt)

• Flashlight or flashlight on cell phone (Carry it with you especially when we have evening sessions)

• Water bottle

• Rain coat &/or umbrella

• Camera or camera on phone

• Book to read while waiting for things to begin

• Personal journal &/or notebook and pens

• Games (cards, Loteria, etc) that you could play with your family members

• Pictures of your own family back home to help break the ice (these can be on your phone)

• Some money (in case you want something from the store, or wish to purchase some artesania)

• A small gift for your host family (optional); this could be something small from your hometown or state

A towel will be provided by Augsburg. We’ll put a bag in one of the vans.

Social Work Students: We have a formal exchange agreement with the National School of Social Work at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (the UNAM). This agreement includes a one week at the UNAM in Mexico City, where you will participate in classes and fieldwork alongside Mexican social work students. You will stay in the nearby Anglican Seminary's retreat center, where you will be provided meals, as well as transportation to and from classes at the UNAM. The retreat center has a strict 10 pm curfew. Moreover, it and the UNAM are at least an hour's drive from downtown Mexico City, as they are close to each other in the southern part of the city.  Therefore, if you are interested in exploring night life in Mexico City, you should plan to do that during your spring break, on free weekends or after the semester ends.   

The week after your trip to Mexico City, a group of the Mexican social work students will come to Cuernavaca for one week to participate in classes and guest lectures with you here. We hope that you will take advantage of the opportunity to interact with the students and show them around town. Please note that you should try to avoid having visitors come during this week of the semester, as you will be expected to spend most of your time hosting the Mexican social work students. 

Lodging for Social Work students:

• You will be staying at the Anglican Seminary/retreat center in the southern part of the city, very close to the UNAM.

• The address is the Seminario Anglicano, La Otra Banda, San Angel, CDMX (frente a la Plaza Loreto), in the southern part of the city, near the UNAM. (Del otro lado de Plaza Loreto. Si vas por Eje 10Rio Magdalena; al pasar Revolución hay un Pemex y un “Subway” del lado izquierdo y esta calle es La Otra Banda.

• Tel.: Dra. Coco Cortes: (+52) 555 616 2490 cel/WhatsApp

• 2 students will be housed in each room with individual beds and a bathroom at the Seminario Anglicano.

• Individual rooms have very spotty WiFi access, but the public spaces have better WiFi – particularly in the downstairs classroom.

• Most breakfasts and suppers will be at the seminary, where they may be other guests, as well.

• You will have keys for your individual rooms, but there is only one key for the front gate, which your International Resident Assistant will have.

• Curfew and quiet hours: 10 pm due to the fact that Dra. Coco (administrator) lives there and there may be other guests.

• No alcohol permitted on premises.

• There are nice gardens, living rooms/hang out spaces, a ping-pong table, and hangout spaces.

Students in Other Semester Programs (non-Social Work): You will spend one week in Mexico City, where you will most likely stay in a guest house near downtown.  You will listen to guest speakers and participate in excursions related to the themes of your particular semester program, including themes such as communication, media, film, migration, gender, sexuality, sustainability, and social change. You will probably visit a shelter for Central American migrants and also very likely visit the US Embassy while you are there.   

TENTATIVE PACKING LIST FOR MEXICO CITY FOR BOTH GROUPS:

• CDMX is often cooler than Cuernavaca, especially in evenings - probably low 50s at night.  

• Your USA passport (or other passport) for potential visit to the US Embassy

• I.D., in case of any emergency (driver’s license, & a copy of passport on your cell phone)

• Dramamine if you get motion sick, plus other medicines you take.

• Cell phone and CHARGER

• 5 days’ change of clothes for warm (day), as well as a sweater/sweatshirt &/or other layering clothes for cooler temperatures (night, early morning, when sun goes down). Pack layers.

• Mostly casual clothes, pants or jeans without rips. Shorts are NOT appropriate for going to visits with guest speakers.

• Walking shoes.

• Water bottle

• Toiletries, including allergy medicines and other medicines that you take regularly

• Ear plugs if you are sensitive to noise; Mexico City is a very large and sometimes noisy city

• Alarm clock (unless on phone)

• Flashlight (unless on phone)

• Insect repellent

• Sun protection (sunscreen & hat, long-sleeved shirt)

• Rain coat &/or umbrella

• School work to catch up on or get ahead on and/or a book to read during free time or while waiting

• Personal journal &/or notebook and pens

• ATM card & some $ for optional purchases and going out on your own

Optional (and free) Saturday excursions will most likely include trips to the following locations:

• the Xochicalco "pyramids" an hour south of Cuernavaca

• the Teotihuacan "pyramids" north of Mexico City

• the National Anthropology Museum in Mexico City

• the Aztec ruins and museum of the Templo Mayor in Mexico City

• An excursion to baroque churches and museums in and around the city of Puebla, which is a UNESCO world heritage site

• The National Art Museum in Mexico City

• The Fine Arts Palace in Mexico City

• Murals by Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Siqueiros, and Jose Clemente Orozco

• The Frida Kahlo Museum in Mexico City

• a water park in a beautiful location approximately one hour south of Cuernavaca