BEFOREHAND:

• Arrange for PASSPORT well in advance. All US and Canadian citizens will need a Passport for travel to Mexico.
• Health and Dietary Form -- please fill out and return to your group leader or e-mail to us, so that we can be better prepared to served you. This form will be mailed by CCIDD office.

WHAT TO BRING:
Pack lightly. Dress is casual. We ask that you dress simply as we will be visiting people who live in strained economic conditions. Bring comfortable clothes, you will be sitting, visiting homes, walking to the market and the city square, and climbing a pyramid! Plan on it being warm during the day and cooler in the evenings and early morning. Bring a sweater, sweatshirt or light jacket so you can add layers as needed.

You can hand wash clothes at CCIDD or there is a Laundromat conveniently nearby.

When out as a CCIDD group

Pants, jeans, skirt or capris with a short sleeve shirt/blouse -- No shorts or tank tops!Also, perhaps one nice outfit if desired and old clothes for work projects as needed.

When at CCIDD -- Comfortable clothes; here shorts and tank tops are permitted.

In addition to your clothes/personal toiletries, we strongly suggest the following:

• comfortable walking shoes/ tennis (closed toe) and sandals
• swimming suit (there is a swimming pool at CCIDD) March and April here are hot.
• sunscreen and hat – the sun is much stronger here in the mountains!!!
• insect repellant and something for those mosquito bites, specially May - October
• personal water bottle
• small backpack or bag for day trips
• journal/notebook and writing utensils
• needed medications in prescription container
• camera and film (CCIDD staff will indicate when it is OK and when not to take pictures)
• umbrella (only in rainy season from end of May to October; then it rains most evenings).

Money: Bring cash, US dollars give the best exchange. We do not recommend travelers checks. Time will be provided at the airport for you to exchange money. Money exchange houses, banks and ATMs are easily available in Cuernavaca. Credit cards can be used in limited places.

Weather: Cuernavaca is known as the City of Eternal Spring so our weather is terrific! Our normal temperatures range between 55 and 85 degrees F or 13 and 29 degrees C. Here it is always warm during the day especially in the sunshine. March, April and May are the hottest months. We do have fans, but no air conditioning. In December and January it cools off and the nights are chilly. We do not have central heat but have plenty of warm blankets. We always have sunshine, 12 months of the year. The climate is dry, not too humid. Rather than the 4 seasons, we talk about the rainy season and the non-rainy time. It rains in Cuernavaca from the end of May, beginning of June through October. The rains most often come in the late afternoons and evenings. The daytime is sunny. We get some good thunder and lightning storms many nights. Rain is plentiful during these months.

PHONE NUMBER/address FOR EMERGENCIES
You can leave these numbers with your family/friends/school for emergency contact:
CCIDD Internet phone #: 1 414 431-4244 (US based number)
CCIDD office #: 011 52.777.312.65.64 (Mexican number)
CCIDD address: Colonia Centro, Francisco Leyva # 39, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico.

Cuernavaca Center for Intercultural Dialogue on Development, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico.

(January 2010)

A FEW Q & A

Q What is a typical day like?
A. We follow the see-judge-act-evaluate-celebrate model and thus we move around each day. Most mornings begin with reflection after breakfast. This sets a tone for the day and feeds our spiritual needs. Meals are generally 8:00 A.M. breakfast, 1:30 P.M. main meal and the lighter evening supper at 6:30 P.M.. Each day varies in the program. We visit markets and communities in and around Cuernavaca, explore and honor archeological sites, have speakers at CCIDD, watch documentaries. Our process involves intros to our programs and debriefing after significant experiences. The debriefs or reflections on our experiences are in small and large groups. Critical social analysis is woven into the total experience. Free time for journaling, resting and exploring is provided. We conclude the experience with action plans for home and a celebration. The days together immerse all in the Mexican culture particularly with people living on the margins and slowly we reflect on this shared lived experience. See our goals and objectives.

Q. What are the lodging and campus like?
A. We now have capacity for 32, using all beds. On our main campus, Leyva #39, we have 5 guest rooms for 18 people; across Leyva street we have 7 guest rooms for 14 people. The guest rooms have 2-6 beds: we use a few bunk beds when large groups come. Participants are expected to share rooms. Most room have a full bath with hot and cold water.Other rooms share a bath between a few bedrooms. Some rooms are on our 3rd floor balcony, others firts and second floor. Our buildings are not handicap accesible.

Additionally on our main campus we have a large kitchen and dining area, an outdoor patio, a TV/video room, our palapa- the hexagonal meeting space, our library, pool and beautiful gardens as well as staff offices.

Click here to get some pictures of our campus!

Q. Is there internet or phone access?
A. Our staff computers are not available for guests. Internet connections are available if you bring your laptop. Additionally, there are numerous internet cafes nearby. You can use these at minimal cost. At CCIDD guests do have use of a special internet phone for calls to Canada or the USA at 20 pesos per minute. We ask that calls be brief and infrequent as a part of the immersion experience.

Q. Are there any health requirements for travel to Cuernavaca? What if I get sick?
A. We recommend all have their tetanus vaccination updated due to the various places we will be visiting, hiking and working. There are no other medical requirements for travel in the Cuernavaca area. Cuernavaca is at 1,500 meters or mile high altitude. For some the first day or two may cause some adjustment for breathing. There is no malaria near Cuernavaca. There are plenty of mosquitoes and the dengue virus is a possibility. There are certain poisonous spiders and scorpions seen at times. We encourage use of insect repellant, practically year round. Recommendations: Try to get some rest before coming! Come in good health. While here, drink plenty of water, juice, Gatorade; don’t get dehydrated. Drink purified water. Guests should not drink water from bathroom faucets. Purified water is available in the kitchen. Intestinal problems and diarrhea are normal for some travelers. We have access to good doctors and we will help you. A change of diet brings on a few surprises. Our doctors do not recommend using Imodium, Pepto-Bismol is okay. Other medications are readily available here.

If you wish to print this information, please click here for a Word document.