This blog post was written by our International Resident Assistant in Mexico, Amber Ramirez. 

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Dedicated to honoring the souls and spirits of deceased family and friends, Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), is a period of remembrance, celebration and spiritual regeneration.  This ritual is commonly celebrated on November 1^st, which is primarily the day of the “little angels” or deceased children, and November 2^nd, All Souls Day and day of deceased adults. Over the years, the Dia de los Muertos, has become a combination of Pre-Hispanic beliefs and rituals and Catholic practices and symbols. Currently more than 40 indigenous groups in Mexico celebrate el Dia de los Muertos, through diverse rituals. The Aztecs honored the souls of their dead, viewing it as a celebration of life on the ninth month of the solar calendar, August. They made offerings, or ofrendas, in commemoration of loved ones. The souls of the deceased would come back from the paradises of diverse Gods—they went to these paradises based on their form of death. Those who died during combat, as prisoners, and while giving birth would go to Omeyocan (Paradise of the Sun). Individuals who died in association with water—drowning, sacrificed to Tlaloc (God of Rain), or during a storm— would go to Tlalocán (Paradise of the God of Rain). Children went to Chichihuacuauhco where they drank milk from a special tree that had milk droplets. Meanwhile, individuals who died of natural causes went to Mictlán. Continue reading “What is Day of the Dead?” →

 

Planes, trains and automobiles or in our case by foot, bus or taxi!

 

With all the interesting and exciting places to visit in Cuernavaca, we figured it would be important to give you the inside look of what transportation looks like in Cuernavaca!

Continue reading “Cuernavaca Corner: Transportation” →

This past weekend our students and some of our staff members visited the Chapultepec Zoo (Zoológico de Chapultepec) in Mexico City. The Chapultepec Zoo is located in Chapultepec Park (Bosque de Chapultepec).  Chapultepec Park is more than double the size of Central Park in New York! Chapultepec Park is approximately 1695 acres of beautiful flora with many species of trees and plants, as well as fountains and outdoor activities.

Chapultepec Park is considered “a lung of Mexico City” as it produces continuous oxygen, filters water for the city, and helps regulate the temperature in the area. The Chapultepec Zoo was founded in 1923 and later renovated between 1992-1994. It is a free zoo! It is home to diverse species, including lemurs, hippopotamus, antelopes, and endangered species such as the volcano rabbit, Mexican wolf, and jaguar. One of the most famous exhibits is that of the Giant Panda. Currently there are three females giant pandas at the zoo: Xiu Hua (Born in 1985), Shuan Shuan (Born in 1987), and Xin Xin (Born in 1990). Luckily, we saw two out of three! We all had a blast and students are excited to go back and explore more of Chapultepec Park!

 

Welcome back to our weekly Cuernavaca, Mexico feature the “Cuernavaca Corner”! Today’s post comes from Brittney Westgard, alumni of our Social Work program and current volunteer in Mexico. Brittney is an Augsburg College Alumni.

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This week we explored some of the most beautiful parks, natural attractions, and outdoor locations in Cuernavaca!

Jumping right in, let’s explore Jardin Borda right across the ravine from CEMAL located in downtown Cuernavaca. Jardin Borda was built in the late 1700’s, in which had various uses over the years such as: a summer house, a hotel, a restaurant, and now a botanic garden. Overseen by the Department of Culture of the State of Morelos, Jardin Borda is not only a great place to relax, explore, and read, but a popular location for cultural events such as theater productions, concerts, and art exhibits. Continue reading “Cuernavaca Corner: The Beautiful Outdoors” →

CGEE-Mexico joins LGBT Pride Parade in Cuernavaca on August 27. Photos courtesy of Ann Lutterman-Aguilar.

Welcome to Mexico, CGEE Fall 2016 students!

CGEE-Mexico students spend part of orientation for fall semester in Mexico City.  They loved their visit to the important cultural-religious site of the Basílica de la Virgen de Guadalupe.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are some photos from the summer program’s recent excursion to the Nevado de Toluca, or Xinantécatl. An extinct volcano that is located in the State of Mexico, southeast of the city of Toluca. The Nevado de Toluca is approximately 4,600 meters above sea level. There is a crater in the volcano which contains lakes (Lake of the Moon and Lake of the Sun). The students were able to go down to these lakes. Although at one point it started hailing, the students really enjoyed the excursion! Two of our host families also came along and had a fun time climbing the Nevado.

Thanks to new IRA Amber Ramirez for the photos and description!

Here are some snapshots of last week’s cooking class with a former CGEE kitchen staff. Students really liked learning a new, typical Mexican dish! They made tlacloyos (stuffed homemade tortillas), flan (custard-type of desert), creme of poblano pepper and salsas!