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Welcome MessageWelcome to Mexico! We are glad to welcome you to our beautiful country. We hope that your stay will be pleasant and enjoyable. As well as the moments and experiences you will live here will help you to get improved and develo-ped in the social or professional area.

In addition, we want you to feel the experience of living in Mexico, we would like you to get involved with the warmth of our people, the variety of traditions and the vision of the Mexican culture. For that you can count on us. We will strive to make it the best experience for you.

Furthermore, we invite you to take part of our local com-mittee’s activities since you have become an important member of it. As we want to get to know you and work with you, feel free to share us any experience or informa-tion about your country, friends or family you could have. Remember that an internship with AIESEC is a life-chan-ging experience and we are very pleased you decided to carry out yours in Mexico.

Yours sincerelyAIESEC Cuernavaca

About MexicoMexico is well known for being one of the twelve mega diverse countries in the world. This means that it has around 200,000 di-fferent species, Mexico is home of the 10 to 12 Percent of the world’s biodiversity. Also our country has one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Chichén Itzá Pyramid, which was one of the largest Maya cities and is lo-cated in the Eastern portion of Yucatan Sta-te.

Mexico is located in the northern region of the American continent between the Gulf of Mexico on the east side and the Pacific Ocean on the west side. It is bordered by the United States on the north and by Gua-temala and Belize on the south. Mexico’s land area extends 1,964,375 km2, which is divided into six regions.

Northern Mexico(Sonora, Baja California, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, Sinaloa Ta-maulipas)Known for its extreme weather conditions and characte-rized by its deserts, nature reserves and rugged moun-tain ranges. Some cities there are key industrial and bu-siness centers. Great places to visit are: Los Cabos, Baja California Sur and The Cooper canyon, Chihuahua.

The Bajío RegionAguascalientes, Guanajuato, Zacatecas, San Luis Potosi, Querétaro)It is known by its historic states in a traditional silver-mi-ning region at first inhabited by the Chichimec and Hui-choles ethnics. It is now one of the most prosperous zones in Latin America.

Central Mexico(Hidalgo, Mexico City, Mexico State, Morelos, Puebla, Tlaxcala, Veracruz) The mexican heartland, surrounding the capital city, is full of picturesque and colorful towns.

Pacific Coast (Chiapas, Colima, Guerrero, Jalisco, Michoacán, Nayarit, Oaxaca) Known for the tropical beaches on Mexico’s southern coast and because its water sports like surfing and fi-shing. It is also home of the largest monarch butterfly reserve in the world.

Yucatán Peninsula (Campeche, Quintana Roo, Tabasco, Yucatán) Jungle and impressive Mayan archaeological sites, along with the Caribbean coast, as well as a sub-aquatic sculp-ture park near the reefs in Cancun.

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More about Mexico

ABOUT CUERNAVACACuernavaca, “The city of eternal spring” is in the nor-thern region of the state of Morelos. Its privileged geographical location enclosed by 89km (55 mi) to the Capital City makes it a welcoming resting place for anyone that looks for an escape from the stress of their workday routines.

The city is well known for having one of the most pleasant weather around the world, with an average year-round temperature of 23º C (73º F). The mon-ths with the highest temperatures are May and April, while the coldest ones are December and January. Cuernavaca has rainy summers, with warm days and cool nights along the whole year.

Due to the great weather, the surrounding areas have plenty of wonderful attractions. Some of them are ecotourism outgoings, swimming resorts, color-ful towns, archeological ruins, extreme sports (water skii, parachutes, canyioneering, rafting, rapel) and beautiful landscapes.

Equivalency Mexican Pesos (MXN)

1 USD $13.191 EUR $ 18.021 GBP $ 18.031 CAD $ 11.831 COP $ 0.00661 JPY $ 0.131 AUD $ 11.591 BRL $ 5.44

• Official Name: United Mexican States• Capital City: Mexico City• Time Zone: Central time zone (UTC – 6:00)• Drives on the: Right• Governmental System: Democratic• President In Course: Enrique Peña Nieto• Population: 119 713 203 habitants (2014)• Independence (from Spain): from September 16th 1810 to September 27th 1821• National Language: Spanish (& 67 native languages)• States: Mexico is divided in 32 states• Total Area: 1,972,550 km2 • Religion: Roman Catholic (82.7%), Christians (9.7%),/Other Religions(2.7%),Non–Religious (4.7%)• Voltage: 110 V AC, 60 HertzIf you have any devices that work with 220 V, ask for an electrical adapter.• Measuring System: Metric (#NOTE: We use de comma (,) for thousands and point (.) for decimal numbers e.g. 143,571.40 pesos)

¿What should I know? $

• Credit and Debit CardsIn Cuernavaca most of the places accept credit or debit card (Visa, MasterCard or American Express), but other informal places need the Money in cash, so always try to keep a little amount of Money in cash. If you have any other currency different than the peso (MXN) you need to change it in banking agencies, do not accept Money changing from people of the streets.

BASIC INFORMATION ABOUT MEXICO

IMPORTANT DATESApril 17th & 18th - Holy Week

May 1st – Labor DaySeptember 16th – Independence Day

November 2nd – Deads’ DayNovember 20th – Mexican Revolution Day

December 24th – Christmas Eve

FOOD / MEALSMexican food is well known for being delicious. Although for foreign people, the typical food with lots of spices and spicy sauces (“salsas”) could give them stomachache so keep away from “habanero” or other spicy sauces.

The most typical and delicious Mexican food is:

TRANSPORTBUSESThe bus system is cheap and goes almost everywhere. It costs $ 6.5 MXN, it can get very crowded, especially when the locals are going to or coming from work. Every bus in Cuernavaca has a number to di-fferentiate the route it takes. Do not use the bus system at night.

TAXISTaxi drivers in Cuernavaca are very tric-ky, if you are not local they could ask for more money that the usual. Also, it is not a good idea to hail cabs from the street, day or night. Use only registered hotel cabs or call a radio cab.

DRIVINGDriving in Cuernavaca is not recommen-ded because there are plenty of traffic problems in the principal streets. Addi-tionally the local drivers in Cuernavaca (especially bus and taxi drivers) often are reckless.

PARKINGParking in the city is often difficult. If you must drive, try to use private par-king areas. The legal parking areas are recognized by yellow painted sidewalks borders, but they are not recommen-ded at night.

WALKINGWe recommend you not to walk alone at night, especially in the less crowded areas of the city. If you must walk at night, know the shortest route to your destination and stick to it. Leave your valuables in the hotel security box or in your department if you are going to be walking at night.Be very careful crossing the streets. Watch out for cars that are turning from the wrong lane and watch carefully for cars even if you have the green light.

For intercity transportation you could tra-vel by bus, which are more comfortable.For interstate transportation you can use bus or airplane.

Calling code: +521 (country) and additional (777) for Cuernavaca, the long distance code is 01. When calling the United States and Canada, you must first dial 01, to make other international calls, dial 00, followed by the country and city codes.Example: 3-20-20-20 = (+521) 777 3-20-20-20

INTERNET ACCESSMexico offers plenty of Internet cafes and pu-blic sites with connections ranging from ***

TOURISTIC INFORMATIONThe Tourism secretary is located in Morelos Sur avenue 187, Las Palmas colony, Cuerna-vaca Phone: 3143920 / 3143872 / 3143881.

ATTENTION SCHEDULESPrivate and Public Offices: From 9:00 am to 5:00 pmShopping Malls: from 10:00 am to 21:00 pmBanks: from 9:00 am to 16:00 pmOn Sundays establishments close earlier.

COMMUNICATION / HEALTH AND MEDICAL INSURANCEHOSPITALS

• Hospital Morelos Priv. Jazmín 2, colonia Chapultepec, Cuerna-vaca, Morelos.3152216 / 3152277.

• Hospital Bellavista Av. Las Palmas 100, colonia Bellavista, Cuerna-vaca, Morelos.3171764.

• Hospital Cuernavaca. Cuauhtémoc 305, colonia Lomas de la Selva, Cuernavaca, Morelos.3171764 / 3112482.

• Sanatorio Henri Dunant Río Panuco 100, colonia Los Volcanes, Cuerna-vaca, Morelos.3162133.

• Cruz Roja Mexicana Delegación Cuernavaca Río Panuco 24, colonia Los Volcanes, Cuerna-vaca, Morelos.3153505.

• Instituto Mexicano de Seguridad Social Av. Plan de Ayala 1000, colonia Vicente Gue-rrero, Cuernavaca, Morelos.3155000.

SHOPPING AND BANKSGROCERY STORES

• Superama- Manuel Ávila CamachoLomas de Atzingo, Cuernavaca.- Av. Vicente Guerrero 760- Lomas de La Selva, Cuernavaca, Morelos044777311 9174

• Walmart- Domingo Diez 727- Empleado, Cuernavaca, Morelos- Carretera Federal Cuernavaca-cuautla- Col. Civac Jiutepec, Morelos3723320 / 309 1723

• Mega Comercial Mexicana- Av. José Morelos 235- Centro, Cuernavaca, Morelos- Av. San diego 3263140600 / 3150345

• Chedrahui- Boulevard Cuauhnahuac. Col. Flores Magón, Cuernavaca, Morelos- Paseo Huaunahuac S/N Col. Flores Magón, 62370 Cuernavaca, Morelos 3164692 / 3261900

BANKS

• BANAMEX- Av. Emiliano Zapata, Buena Vista- Blvd Vicente Gurrero - Boulevard Cuauhnáhuac, Cuernavaca, Morelos3117790/ 314 3141/ 321 9057

• BANORTE- Rayón 7, Centro.- Emiliano Zapata 709- Tlaltenango, Cuernavaca, Morelos- Plan de Ayala 501, Jacaranda, Cuernavaca, Morelos310 5650 / 364 5076 / 322 6196

• BANCOMER- Av. Morelos Sur 1001- Centro, Cuernavaca, Morelos- Plaza Cuernavaca, Av. Vicente Guerrero, Cuernavaca, Morelos3122301/ 3123686

OTHER BANKS

• SANTANDER3170723 / 3124803

• SCOTIABANK3141885 / 3101623

Expensive Restaurants

• El Madrigal Restaurant Bar – Sonora 115, Vista Hermosa, Cuernavaca, Morelos 1007700

• Rincón del Bife – San Diego 1001 Vista Her-mosa, Cuernavaca, Morelos3154794

• Hostería Las Quintas Hotel and Spa - Díaz Ordaz 9 Cantarranas, Cuernavaca, Morelos 3183949

• Las Mañanitas - Ricardo Linares 107, Cen-tro, 62000 Cuernavaca, Morelos 3620000

• Pavarotti Ristorante: Chilpancingo 201, Vista Hermosa, Cuernavaca, Morelos3185842

• Casa Hidalgo - Hidalgo 6, Centro, 62000 Cuernavaca, Morelos

• Marco Polo: Hidalgo 30, Centro 62000 312 3484

• Hacienda de Cortes: Plaza Kennedy, Atlaco-mulco, 62560 Jiutepec, Morelos3158844

Other Restaurants

• L’arrosoir d’Arthur – Ruiz de Alarcon #13 2437086

• La india Bonita - Morrow 15 B, Centro, 62000 Cuernavaca, Morelos3125021

• El Barco - Rayón 3, Centro, 62000 Cuernavaca, Morelos3141020

• Sorrento Pizzas - Diana 105, 62330 Cuernavaca, Morelos3160498

• Los Colorines: Emiliano Zapata 598, 62170 Cuernavaca, Morelos3117301

• Golconda Restaurante - Av Gustavo diaz ordaz 19, Cantarranas, 62448 Cuernavaca, Morelos310 1049

• Carlos n’ Charlies - Domingo Diez 711, 62250 Cuernavaca, Morelos3112065

FOOD / MAIN RESTAURANTS AND PLACES TO EAT

MALLS

• Galerías CuernavacaCarretera Federal 95de Cuota Autopista México-Acapulco km. 87.5Tulipanes, Cuernavaca, Morelos322 9009

• Plaza CuernavacaLomas del CarrilCuernavaca, Morelos312 9486

THEATERS AND CINEMAS

• Teatro Ocampo Galeana S/N., Centro 318-63-85

• Cine Teatro MorelosAv. Morelos No. 188 Cuernavaca, Morelos. Centro. 3181050

• CINEPOLIS in Galerias Cuernavaca 315 9782

ENTRETAIMENTNIGHTCLUBS AND BARS

• El internacionalRio Mayo 200, Vista Hermosa int. CityPlazaCol. Vista Hermosa

• Kingdom PubTeopanzolco 404 Reforma, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México 317 4998

• Cosmpolitan Bar DryAvenida Rio Mayo #13003161616

• Bora BarAvenida Teopanzolco No. 503 Col. Vista Hermosa316 49 02

• Santina Sky RoofAv. Río mayo # 803 plaza río marina

• TaizzChapultepec #13 Colonia Chapultepec. Cuernavaca, Morelos315 4060 / 315 4388

• Classic BarRio Mayo 502 Vista Hermosa, 62290 Cuernavaca, Morelos

MANNERS and TipsLeaving TipsGenerally you should tip waiters, bellhops, skycaps (about US$1 perbag), tourist guides and valet parking attendants. In restaurants, leave 10% or 15% of the bill. Taxi drivers usually do not expect tips.

Social CustomWhen greeting someone in Mexico, it is common to shake hands with men and women that you have just met; women might also greet men or women with a kiss on the cheek.

WHAT KIND OF CLOTHES SHOULD I TAKE?For Cuernavaca, you should take lightweight, fresh and comfortable clothes. In case you are coming on the summer months you should take more clothes for rainy days. And in the winter months you should take some sweaters.

USEFUL STATEMENTS:I (don’t) like it / (No) me gustaI don’t know / No seI think so / Creo que siI’m hungry / Tengo hambreI’m tired / Estoy cansadoI’m ready / Estoy listoOne moment please / Un momento por favorCome in / AdelanteIt’s cheap (expensive) / Es barato (caro)It’s cold (hot) / Hace frio (calor)It’s too much / Es demasiadoThat’s all / Es todoTaxi please / Taxi por favorWhere is the bathroom?/¿Dónde está el baño?

OPPOSITES:Before (After) / Antes (Despues)Early (Late) / Temprano (Tarde)Here (There) / Aqui (Alli)Now (Then) / Ahora (Entonces)Small (Large) / Pequeño (Grande)Empty (Full) / Vacio (Lleno)More (Less) / Mas (Menos)Beautifu l(Ugly) / Bonito (Feo)Better (Worse) / Mejor (Peor)Clean (Dirty) / Limpio (Sucio)Cold (Hot) / Frio (Caliente)Free (Taken) / Libre (Ocupado)

COMMON PHRASES:Yes / Si / No / NoPlease / Por favorThank you / GraciasYou’re welcome / De nadaSorry / PerdoneWhat is your name? / Como se llama?My name is ___ / Me llamo ___

LANGUAGE PROBLEMS:Do you speak English? / Habla Ingles?I don’t speak Spanish / No hablo EspañolPlease speak slowly / Hable despacio porfavorI don’t understand / No entiendo

QUESTIONS:Where is(are)? / Donde esta(estan)?When? / Cuando?Who? / Quien?Why? / Por que?What? / Que?How much is (are)? Cuanto es(son)?How far? / Que distancia hay?What is the matter? / Que pasa?Can you help me? / Puede usted ayudarme?Can you show me? / Puede usted enseñarme?Can you tell me? / Puede usted decirme?

GREETINGS:Hello / HolaGoodbye / AdiosGood morning/good day / Buenos diasGood afternoon / Buenas tardesGood evening/night / Buenas nochesHow are you? / Como esta usted?Very well thank you / Muy bien, graciasSee you soon / Hasta luegoThat’s all right / Esta bienDon’t worry / No se preocupe

Help With Phrases in Spanish

PUEBLO MÁGICOTepoztlán is a town in of Morelos. The town serves as the seat of government for the municipality of the same name.

The town is a popular tourist destination near to Mexico City. The town is famous for the remains of a temple built on top of the nearby Tepozteco moun-tain, as well as for the exotic ice cream flavors pre-pared by the townspeople.

Tepoztlán was named a “Pueblo Mágico”(Magic Town). Tepoztlán is derived from Nahuatl and means “place of abundant copper” or “place of the broken rocks.” According to myth, Tepoztlan is the birthplace over 1200 years ago of Quetzalcoatl, the feathered ser-pent god widely-worshipped in ancient Mexico.It has not yet been possible to determine who first inhabited the area. The earliest findings of pottery and other ceramic utensils date back to approxima-tely 1500 BCE.

The climate around the Tepoztlán Sierra (where el Tepozteco is located) shows temperate as well as some subtropical variations. The rainy season starts during the Summer and ends at the beginning of Autumn. Precipitation reaches 1000 mm/yr in the Tepoztlán Valley and up to 1200 mm/yr in the moun-tains.

colourful traditionsTaxco de Alarcón (usually referred to as simply “Ta-xco”) is a small city and administrative center of a municipality of the same name (Taxco de Alarcón) located in the Mexican state of Guerrero. The name Taxco is derived from one interpretation from the word tatzco which means “where the father of the water is,” due to the high waterfall near the town center on Atatzin Mountain.

The city is heavily associated with silver, both with the mining of it and other metals and for the crafting of it into jewelry, silverware and other items. This re-putation, along with the city’s picturesque homes and surrounding landscapes have made tourism the main economic activity as the only large-scale mi-ning operation here is coming to a close.

Most of the municipality’s natural resources lie un-derground in the form of gold, silver, lead, copper, and zinc deposits.

HOLY WEEK IN TAXCOIn Taxco, the processions and ceremonies of Holy Week are elaborate and have gained international fame. Between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday, there are ten major processions, six during the eve-ning and four during the day. Most processions are about two and a half kilometers long and take about two hours to complete.

SUMMER ALL YEAR Acapulco is a city, municipality and major sea port in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific coast of Mexico The city is best known as one of Mexico’s oldest and most well-known beach resorts, which came into prominence in the 1950s as a getaway for Hollywood stars and millionaires. The resort area is divided into two: The north end of the bay is the “traditional” area, and the south end is dominated by newer lu-xury high-rise hotels.

Acapulco’s main attraction is its nightlife, Informal lobby or poolside cocktail bars often offer free live entertainment. In addition, there is the beach bar zone, where younger crowds go.

Another enigmatic attraction at Acapulco are the La Quebrada Cliff Divers. The tradition started in the 1930s when young men casually competed against each other to see who could dive from the highest point into the sea below. Today the divers are pro-fessionals, diving from heights of forty meters into an inlet that is only seven meters wide and four me-ters deep.

SPRING BREAKOver 100,000 American teenagers and young adults travel to resort areas nd balnearios throughout Mexico over spring break each year. The main rea-son students head to Mexico is the 18-year-old drin-king age.

EMBASSIES AND CONSULATESVISAS AND PASSPORTS

To apply for a visa or passport, youcan consult the Mexican Embassy’swebsite at www.sre.gob.mx . You canalso consult Immigration Services atwww.migracion.gob.mx.

TAXES

When leaving the country, you mustpay departure and airport taxes,which cost about US$13 and US$8.50,respectively. When purchasing yourairline ticket, ask if the taxes comeincluded. (Tax fees may vary).

CUSTOMS

To obtain information concerningcars and other items that you areallowed to bring into the country,visit the following websites:www.aduanas.sat.gob.mx.

Embassies Adresseshttp://www.inm.gob.mx/index.php/page/Embajadas_Consulados

EMERGENCY CONTACT NUMBERSEMERGENCY CONTACT NUMBERS

In Cuernavaca the emergency numbers are: 060 –for police call. And 080 – for Emergency service. Another Emergency phone numbers are:• Ambulances: (52-777) 318-3882• Firemen: (52-777) 317-1489• Red Cross: (52-777) 315-3505 / 315-3555• Urgencies (52 777) 315 50 00• Public Ministry: (52-777) 329-1500 • Metropolitan Police: (52-777) 313-8980• Federal Highway Police: (52-777) 314-2495• Turistic Security: 01800-903-9200 • Car accidents: 316-1166

LC CONTACT INFORMATION

• ESTEFANÍA CORDOVA – LCP – 52 777 3273345 EMAIL: estefania.cordovag@aiesec.net• LUIS ENRIQUE BÁEZ - VP ICX – 52 777 1201387 EMAIL: luis.baez@aiesec.net / profesional.cv@aiesec.org.mx / servicing.cv@aiesec.org.mx• TIRZA MORALES – VP OGX – 52 777 2571174 EMAIL: tirzaa.morales@aiesec.net• DULCE FLORES – VP TM - 52 777 1753793 EMAIL – dulce.flores@aiesec.net• PABLO GALÁN – VP FNZ – 52 777 1352504 EMAIL – pablo.galan@aiesec.net• YAMELY SERNA – VP MKT – 52 744 5868459 • ANA KAREN BAEZ – MEMBER MKT 52 777 1201385 – EMAIL – anakaren.baez@aiesec.net

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