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Some more bits of information
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Please note that Mexico is a '''very''' large country - Almost two million square kilometers. It is also a very varied country, with enough things to please practically everybody (module those looking for a good place to ski). Doing an arbitrary split of the country: | Please note that Mexico is a '''very''' large country - Almost two million square kilometers. It is also a very varied country, with enough things to please practically everybody (module those looking for a good place to ski). And of course, the following recommendations mainly follow what I have seen - I (GunnarWolf) am far more familiar with Central and Southern Mexico than the Northern and Western parts. Doing an arbitrary split of the country: |
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* '''Colonial architecture''': You have beautiful samples of colonial architecture all over the country, but IMHO the best exponents would be cities in Central and Central Northern Mexico ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santiago_de_Quer%C3%A9taro Querétaro], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guanajuato%2C_Guanajuato Guanajuato], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Luis_Potos%C3%AD%2C_San_Luis_Potos%C3%AD San Luis Potosí] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zacatecas%2C_Zacatecas Zacatecas]). You can easily spend a day at each of them, and they are roughly two hours away from each other in order (being Querétaro roughly two hours north of Mexico City. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puebla_de_Zaragoza Puebla] has also some impressive buildings, and is much closer to Oaxtepec (about two hours north of neighbouring Cuautla). [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oaxaca%2C_Oaxaca Oaxaca] deserves a very special mention as well, but is a bit farther away, ~5 hours South-East of Puebla. | * '''Colonial architecture''': You have beautiful samples of colonial architecture all over the country, but IMHO the best exponents would be cities in Central and Central Northern Mexico ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santiago_de_Quer%C3%A9taro Querétaro], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guanajuato%2C_Guanajuato Guanajuato], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morelia Morelia], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Luis_Potos%C3%AD%2C_San_Luis_Potos%C3%AD San Luis Potosí] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zacatecas%2C_Zacatecas Zacatecas]). You can easily spend a day at each of them, and they are roughly two hours away from each other in order (being Querétaro roughly two hours north of Mexico City. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puebla_de_Zaragoza Puebla] has also some impressive buildings, and is much closer to Oaxtepec (about two hours north of neighbouring Cuautla). [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oaxaca%2C_Oaxaca Oaxaca] deserves a very special mention as well, but is a bit farther away, ~5 hours South-East of Puebla. |
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* [http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/americas/mexico_pol97.jpg General Mexico map] Morelos State is just South of Mexico City (look for Cuernavaca) | |
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* [http://mexicochannel.net/maps/airports.gif Airports in Mexico] Not complete (I know of at least one missing national airport), but might be useful * [http://mexicochannel.net/maps/climates.gif Climates in Mexico], so you know where to expect what |
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* [http://www.ancientmexico.com/content/map/index.html Ancient Mexico], with information on most of the main archeological sites |
DebConf6 - Fun in .mx
There are plans to travel around in .mx after DebConf6, as many of us have a long way to go there, so we could use that for more than only DebConf6. If you are interested to join add your name below. The trip is planned to be right after DebConf. See http://lists.debconf.org/lurker/message/20060106.195759.eb272555.en.html
Participants
Joerg Jaspert |
Ganneff |
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Danny Cautaert |
?DaCa |
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Christoph Berg |
Myon |
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Martin Krafft |
madduck |
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Martin Wuertele |
maxx |
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Andrew ?McMillan |
karora |
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Holger Levsen |
h01ger |
Random Information
Before anything else: Mexico has a fame of violence, of being a crime-prone country. This fame is overrated, it is quite safe to be mostly anywhere, as long as you keep your eyes open. An important advise is to try to arrange to travel along somebody who speaks Spanish, specially if you go to smaller towns, as few people will understand English - In any case, you can get along with a very basic phrasebook... But try to convince Spanish speakers to tag along your trip.
Please note that Mexico is a very large country - Almost two million square kilometers. It is also a very varied country, with enough things to please practically everybody (module those looking for a good place to ski). And of course, the following recommendations mainly follow what I have seen - I (GunnarWolf) am far more familiar with Central and Southern Mexico than the Northern and Western parts. Doing an arbitrary split of the country:
Mexico City: It's not (just) because I live here - but if you want to do some tourism in Mexico, you simply cannot miss [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexico_city Mexico City]. Here you will find everything you want - Museums, colonial and prehispanic architecture, modern city life... Even some adventure if you go to the not-so-tourist friendly regions
Colonial architecture: You have beautiful samples of colonial architecture all over the country, but IMHO the best exponents would be cities in Central and Central Northern Mexico ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santiago_de_Quer%C3%A9taro Querétaro], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guanajuato%2C_Guanajuato Guanajuato], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morelia Morelia], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Luis_Potos%C3%AD%2C_San_Luis_Potos%C3%AD San Luis Potosí] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zacatecas%2C_Zacatecas Zacatecas]). You can easily spend a day at each of them, and they are roughly two hours away from each other in order (being Querétaro roughly two hours north of Mexico City. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puebla_de_Zaragoza Puebla] has also some impressive buildings, and is much closer to Oaxtepec (about two hours north of neighbouring Cuautla). [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oaxaca%2C_Oaxaca Oaxaca] deserves a very special mention as well, but is a bit farther away, ~5 hours South-East of Puebla.
Archeological sites: You will not find Mexico's reach archeological past just about anywhere. If you are interested in prehispanic ruins, feel lucky, as in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morelos Morelos] state there are many such places, the most important being [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xochicalco Xochicalco] ([http://www.cnca.gob.mx/cnca/inah/zonarq/xochica.html another link, in Spanish], about 45 minutes away from Oaxtepec. The neighbouring town of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tepoztlan Tepoztlán], charming by itself, sits at the bottom of the Tepozteco mountain. You can walk from Tepoztlán up about one hour, and you will reach the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:DSC00251.jpg Tepoztlán pyramid]. But if you dare go beyond Morelos state, you will want to visit Mexico's probably best known and preserved archeological city, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teotihuacan Teotihuacán], just by the North-Eastern edge of Mexico City. Close to Teotihuacán, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tula%2C_Hidalgo Tula] is also impressive, built by the still misterious Toltec culture. Of course, if you go to Oaxaca, you will go to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monte_Alban Monte Albán], inside the Oaxaca metropolitan zone, and the amazing [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitla Mitla], ~2hr west from Oaxaca. But if you are really serious about archeology, you will be truly amazed if you reach the Mayan South-Eastern Mexico - Mayan culture and architecture are completely different from other meso-american ones. It's a long way - From Mexico City to Chiapas, where the most interesting sites begin, it's over 16 hours by bus. But once there, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palenque Palenque] is just the reward for such a trip. And in Chiapas you will find so much cultural and natural richness you will want to spend a longer time there. And further to the East, in Yucatán (~8hr after Chiapas by bus - Think about using a plane, please!) [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chichen_itza Chichen Itzá] (...to be continued)
Beaches:
Nature:
Adventure:
Some maps and other links
[http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/americas/mexico_pol97.jpg General Mexico map] Morelos State is just South of Mexico City (look for Cuernavaca)
[http://209.15.138.224/inmomex/morelox.htm Morelos State] Oaxtepec is located close to Yautepec, towards Cuautla
[http://www.maps-of-mexico.com/morelos-state-mexico/morelos-state-mexico-map-main.shtml Morelos State], split in smaller maps, but more detailed
[http://mexicochannel.net/maps/airports.gif Airports in Mexico] Not complete (I know of at least one missing national airport), but might be useful
[http://mexicochannel.net/maps/climates.gif Climates in Mexico], so you know where to expect what
[http://www.sre.gob.mx/republicacheca/turismo.htm General information for tourism in Mexico], Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores
[http://www.morelostravel.com/publica/index.php Morelos Travel]
[http://www.ancientmexico.com/content/map/index.html Ancient Mexico], with information on most of the main archeological sites
Copper Canyon and the Chihuahua al Pacifico (Chepe) train
From ChristianPerrier:
I originally intended a short trip in Northern Mexico before Debconf. This unfortunately will not be possible but I can recommend it to people who love the beauties of canyons and mountains.
You can travel north up to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Mochis Los Mochis], or even better, fly to Los Mochis when coming from your place. From there (nothign really worth visiting), take the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chihuahua_al_Pacifico Chepe] train to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chihuahua,_Chihuahua Chihuahua]. The trip is one full day long. You can also go by bus to El Fuerte, then take the train from there.
An alternative is stopping at [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creel,_Chihuahua Creel] on the trip. Creel in in the middle of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copper_Canyon Copper Canyon] scenery. You can spend a day there and then catch the train, the next day, up to Chihuahua.
From there, continue by train to Chihuahua and enjoy the city. Going back to Mexico City, eventually stopping at Guadalajara, could be a good idea. If you do so, do it by bus, using the lower class busses, to enjoy real mexican ambience. This is a one full day trip so you must not be afraid by riding a bus for long hours. Spending a day in Guadalaraja can be worth it.
This full trip should need 3 to 5 days, from Los Mochis to Mexico City. Be sure to take the Chepe train from Los Mochis to Chihuahua, not the other way.
There are two trains a day, each way. The 1st class train is mostly intended for tourists: less stops, more comfortable, mor eexpensive. The 2nd class train is intended for locals. Of course, Debianers should use the 2nd class train..:-)
Starting to set the dates
I'd like to do the trip that bubulle proposes, and I'd like to spend 4 days, the golden middle in the range proposed by bubulle. Since it's best to get tickets ASAP, I suggest we get going with the details.
Given that ?DebDay is on the 13th, it probably won't hurt to be there. Thus, I would suggest planning a trip to leave Mexico City on the morning of the 9th, and arriving in Oaxtapec in the evening of the 12th. This should give us enough flexibility to spend a day longer whereever, if we want.
I am looking forward to discussions. I'll likely get a ticket to fly into Mexico City on the 6th or 7th and spend a day or two in the city.
-- madduck
Some confusion here
Ganneff originally proposed to do the trip after DebConf. bubulle reports about his cancelled intention to do the trip before DebConf. madduck's proposal also mentions dates before DebConf. Me personally I'd prefer the trip after DebConf
-- ?DaCa
Also there will be DebCamp before DebConf...
-- h01ger
The trip is planned to be after DebConf, not before, yes.
-- Ganneff