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 TM
Spice Up Your Mexican Vacation
Learn a Language, Learn to Cook, Learn to Ride … Mexican
Style!
Learn a language, cook, weave, ride or
even wrestle your way through your next Mexican vacation. Culturally rich and
diverse, Mexico’s many destinations offer many experiences for visitors, seeking
something much more enriching than mere relaxation.
Yo hablo español
Looking to learn some español? Come down
to Mexico! With hundreds of schools to choose from throughout Mexico, learning
Spanish while on vacation has never been easier. Courses are customized for your
budget and availability, and vary in length, intensity and location.
The “City of Eternal Spring,” Cuernavaca has a long tradition of offering
language courses. Located approximately 50 miles south of Mexico City, the
capital city of Morelos State is rich in history and offers a charming blend of
prehispanic, colonial and modern Mexico, providing an ideal learning
environment. At the Cuernavaca Language School (www.cuernavacalanguageschool.com),
students have the opportunity to participate in the total immersion program,
enjoying the experience of living with a local Mexican family, while practicing
their new-found language skills. Courses are tailored for Spanish enthusiasts of
all ages and levels. Another popular language center is the Intercultural Center
for Languages and Culture (www.intercultural-mexico.com), an intensive course
tailored for travelers.
 Surrounded by the magnificent Mayan ruins of Chichen-Itza and Uxmal, the colonial city of Merida is a perfect place to pick
up a new language. The Instituto Benjamin Franklin de Yucatan (www.benjaminfranklin.com.mx)
offers intensive Spanish courses from as short as a week to as long as a year.
Courses feature grammar and conversation, as well as guided tours to places of
historic and cultural interest in the city. In addition, the Institute offers a
number of courses on Mexico’s history, ranging from pre-Hispanic times to
present day.
Land of mariachis and tequilas, Jalisco state’s capital city of Guadalajara,
offers an authentic Mexican experience for language learners. In the heart of
the city, the Vancouver Language Centre (www.study-mexico.com) offers classes
taught by native Spanish speakers, utilizing video tapes, role-plays, and active
group participation, as well as class trips throughout the neighborhoods of
Guadalajara. Another noteworthy educational center is the Instituto Mexico
Americano de Cultura (www.spanish-school.com.mx), where Spanish instruction
focuses on practice of the language in real-life situations.
Saddle up for Mexican-style rodeo
Grab your lasso and get ready to learn
one of Mexico’s most treasured forms of sportsmanship, charreria. Born in the
16th century, charreria is a culture, tradition, sport and art practiced in
Mexico and the United States. A central component of charreria is the charreada,
a festive event that incorporates equestrian competitions and demonstrations,
costumes and horse trappings, music and food. Male participants called charros
(cowboys) compete in roping and riding events and escaramuza (cowgirls) execute
daring feats and precision maneuvers while riding sidesaddle.
 The Federacion
Mexicana de Charros (Mexican Federation of Charros) provides instructional
courses in Charreria throughout Mexico and the United States. For more
information, visit www.nacionaldecharros.com.
While learning some death-defying “horsemanship,” make sure to catch some live
charreadas held throughout Mexico. Popular locations to catch some fancy riding
include Mexico City’s Monumental Plaza Mexico. Considered one of the largest
bullrings in the world, the arena attracts thousands for charreadas, as well as
fine bullfighting. Notable must-visits are Guadalajara’s Plaza de Toros Nuevo
Progreso, hosting charreadas during the October fiestas, and Lienzo Charro de
Jalisco, where you can view some of the country’s best on most Sundays. For more
information on events, visit
www.mundocharro.com.
Much more than tacos…
Mexican cuisine is as diverse and rich
as its history. Native and imported flavors and ingredients have given its
cuisine international acclaim, resulting in an eclectic blend of pre-Hispanic,
colonial and modern-day influences.
 Serving up some of Mexico’s most mouth-watering
dishes is the State of Oaxaca. Located on Mexico’s Pacific coast, Oaxaca is
famous for and often called the “land of seven moles.” Mole is a complex sauce
containing several ingredients, including chilies, nuts, herbs special to the
region and, in the case of black mole, chocolate. To learn how to properly make
Oaxacan mole, visit one of the area’s most regarded cooking institutes, Seasons
of my Heart (www.seasonsofmyheart.com). Renowned chef Susana Trilling provides
comprehensive courses of Mexican culture through its cuisine. The classes,
culinary tours and lectures focus on pre-Hispanic foods, traditional culinary,
medicinal and spiritual herb usage, and the Spanish influence on the
contemporary Oaxacan kitchen.
The colonial city of Tlaxcala also packs a big punch of flavor. Only 70 miles
from Mexico City, Tlaxcala City offers visitors a variety of attractions
including colonial masterpieces, stunning pre-Hispanic murals and folkloric
festivals all within minutes of each other. While you enjoy the attractions,
enroll in a fully bilingual culinary course at the Mexican Home Cooking School
(http://mexicanhomecooking.com). The class spans the pre-Hispanic era to the
present day, using family recipes from the kitchen of Chef Doña Eulogia Silva
Castillo in the city of Puebla. Students may elect a healthy-eating course or a
vegetarian option without sacrificing the depth of Mexican Cuisine. You will
learn to prepare regional traditional favorites such as mole poblano and chiles
en nogada, along with lesser-known exotic dishes.
Shawl your vacation away
The rebozo (shawl) is known worldwide as
one of the most characteristic garments of Mexico. The process of making the
handmade shawl, may take up to four days of intense labor, from the threading of
the material, to incorporating intricate designs. Typically, rebozos are made in
either silk or rayon, requiring a great level of detail and patience.
If you want to make your own shawl, the quaint town of Santa Maria del Rio, only
30 miles from the city of San Luis Potosi, is the birthplace of the rebozo. In
1953, under the patronage of the state government, a school was opened to
continue the rebozo-making tradition among younger generations. For more than
fifty years now, locals and tourists can take part in complimentary classes
instructing students on the meticulous and lengthy process. For more
information, contact the Escuela de Reboceria at 011-52-485-853-0568.
 Masks and back flips!
Want to jump
on an opponent from the highest rope masked? Then Mexico has what you need. The
art of wrestling is continuously taught at the Consejo Nacional de Lucha Libre
(Council of World Wrestling) in Mexico City by experienced wrestlers. For a mere
US$30 per month, you can train with some of the best and develop your own
character. Mexican fighters are traditionally more agile, throw exotic moves
that would challenge any circus acrobat and play the crowds better than anyone.
For more information, call 011-5255-5588-1569 or visit www.cmll.com.
Edited by Erika Wright
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