Sting to perform at Arena Teques October 10

On Saturday October 10, 2015, Sting will perform at Arena Teques in Morelos, Mexico. Joined by a 4-piece band, he will perform many of his most celebrated hits. Tickets for the concert are available for purchase NOW via Ticketmaster.

This concert is part of the project Música para Morelos (Music for Morelos) that the State Government has implemented through the activities of Fondo Estatal para la Promoción y Desarrollo de Eventos Vinculados con la Cultura y Turismo: PROCULTUR (State Fund for the Promotion and Development of Events Related to Culture and Tourism: PROCULTUR). The Fund's objective is to promote culture and tourism, as well as the social and economic welfare of the State, bringing to the general public all kinds of events by means of taking advantage of the public spaces that Morelos has.

Sting To Perform At Arena Teques in Mexico on October 10...

Ticketmaster

Map to Arena Teques, Tequesquitengo, MOR

Grutas de Cacahuamilpa Trip

We had a great trip yesterday. It was well worth the visit and here's some info.

Estrella Blanca bus fare to the Grutas from Cuernavaca was $66. Entrance fee to the Grutas is $75. After a two hour guided tour of the caves, we paid $200 for a taxi to Taxco, a half hour drive. (Combis are also available.) Bus fare for the return trip to Cuernavaca from Taxco was $90. 

Also recommend the trip up to the Cristo Monumental in Taxco: an impressive statue, and beautiful views of the valley below. 

Shops, restaurants and parking

Cave entrance

These amazing caverns are located 52 Kms. from Taxco on highway 166 in the State of Guerrero. The Grutas de Cacahuamilpa or cacahuamilpa Grottoes make for a fascinating excursion.

The Caverns were discovered in 1834 by Manuel Saenz de La peña and were decreed as a national park in 1937. Only 10 of the estimated 70 kilometers of passages have been explored so far. The highest of the explored chambers measures some 80 meters in height. The average height of the chambers is 40 meters. The cavern’s mouth measures 21 meters in height and 40 meters in width.

The park opens at 10:00 a.m. and closes at 5:00 p.m. everyday. The tour is throughout approximately 2 kilometers of the underground labyrinth and each tour lasts about 2 hours. I really recommend that you carry some water with you and comfortable shoes. At the visitor’s center there are restaurants, snack bars, and souvenir shops.

Chinameca farm becomes Museum of Agrarismo

Chinameca farm becomes Museum of Agrarismo

Objects of the time, multimedia elements and a half hundred documents from the sixteenth century to the present day, make up this new exhibition dedicated to this social movement

The Morelense museum was provided with an information and documentation to develop studies on the subject; besides the show opened Emiliano Zapata in Morelos A hundred years of drafting the Plan de Ayala, the Ex Hacienda de San Juan Chinameca, Morelos, where began and ended the Zapatista movement, was converted to house the Museum of Agrarismo, a space that will be dedicated not only to the history of the forms of property in Mexico, but their study through an information and documentation. 

Opened this week by President Felipe Calderon, the enhancement of this space is the product the coordinated effort between the Ministry of Education through the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) and Historical Studies of the Revolutions of Mexico, the Agrarian and the Government of the State of Morelos. The Museum exhibits Agrarismo the evolution of the social and political movement that marked the history of contemporary Mexico, through multimedia elements, objects of the time and about fifty historical documents from the XVI until today. 

He was also presented with an information and documentation that will be key to developing research in this area. The tour of the new exhibition consists of eight sections: What is agrarismo?, Earth: mother goddess, political status, ideological status, Cast and forms of ownership transformations in the twentieth century, Agrarian Development, and New Age, vision for the future.

Directions to Chinameca --- Leaving the city of Cuernavaca take the highway no. 138 bound for Yautepec, and then state highway 2 and shortly before reaching Tlaltizapán, a detour by the state highway 9, 20 km is the Hacienda de Chinameca, distinguished by its distinctive brick fireplace with the inscription "Land and Freedom".

Zacualpan of Amilpas, Morelos

Getting there

From Mexico City take the highway to Cuernavaca and Cuautla. After this city is 20 km to the north branch towards Tetela. Zacualpan is 10 km in this direction. From Puebla you have to leave for Atlixco and take the Interoceanic Highway. After Jantetelco bends north (right). In total there are 90 km from the town of Angelópolis.

Why?

Located in the northeast of the state of Morelos, is a pretty town, well maintained and possessed of a remarkable series of wonders. That is his great temple and former Augustinian convent of the Immaculate Conception (completed in 1565), its Sunday market where barter and the famous hotel spa Casa del Arboles, which is one of the most popular in the country continues.

Monasterio de Zacualpan

Convento de Yecapixtla

What to do?

Walk around town and admire its architecture. On the trail of Morelos convents designated World Heritage Site by UNESCO, Zacualpan is the first site in the east, so that the town is an excellent place to start exploring this monumental series (those who follow are those of Hueyapan and Tetela del Volcán, 24 and 14 km away respectively). Also worth visiting the beautiful chapels Village neighborhood, as well as the ruins of the nearby haciendas.

Cuernavaca ayer y hoy

A very nicely done blending of old and new fotos of Cuernavaca

Jardines de México

Mexico begins spring with the opening of the world's largest garden. Or so they say, at least, their promoters. With an area of 51 hectares (three of them corresponding to greenhouses). They opened this theme park of flowers and plants in Jojutla (Morelos), near Cuernavaca, the city of eternal spring.

With 51 hectares, Jardines de México, in Jojutla, Morelos, is positioned as posibly world's largest garden. The inauguration took place on  21, 22 and 23 March with a concert of tenor Fernando de la Mora.

This project is divided into eight themed gardens: Japanese, Italian, Cacti, The Labyrinth of Senses, Four Springs-where flowers typical of each will be exhibited season-Tropical, fans with flowers and pampered kindergarten, in which be taught environmental education workshops, among other activities.

The resort also features a Convention and Exhibition Centre, restaurants, greenhouses and "spectare", an entertainment center with capacity for 4000. In addition it is planned to build a hotel.

The project also includes the first Latin American school of gardening for professionals.

Jardines de Mexico

Papalote Museo del niño, Cuernavaca

CHILDRENS KITE MUSEUM OF (Cuernavaca)
Vicente Guerrero # 205, col. Lomas de la Selva, Cuernavaca, Morelos

In what was once the Casino de la Selva, is now the Papalote Museum. It's a relative of the same in Chapultepec but is slightly smaller and has its own charm. In one of its sections the famous murals can be seen that for many years gave identity to the building. In the Papalote Children's Museum of Cuernavaca there is the Blue Room of Van Gogh, a room to sharpen the senses of hearing and touch in a camera obscura, and harmonize some notes in a giant Kandinsky piano. Although it is a place for kids, there is fun for everyone.

Papalote Museo del niño, Cuernavaca

New Morelos Tourism Video

Published on July 2, 2013

Morelos is a flower of 33 petals representing the 33 municipalities of Morelos.  Morelos is culture, nature and tradition.

This video, Morelos, is part of a campaign to promote the natural and historical wonders we have in Morelos and position it as national and international tourist destination.

Pretty corny, people un-Mexican in appearance and aimed at people with much money .... but it's done well and watchable.

Tlayacapan - Pueblo Magico

About 50 miles east of Cuernavaca lies the town of Tlayacapan, one of the 41 Pueblos Magicos in Mexico.  One of Tlayacapan's main attractions is the former convent of San Juan Bautista  with fresco paintings on its walls dating back to the sixteenth century, showing the form of expression of the Augustinian fathers.  Associated with the San Juan Bautista monastery are a series of 26 chapels through out the area, some still in use and other in disrepair.

Tlayacapan is one of the 14 towns that make up ¨Monasteries on the slopes of Popocatépetl¨ which as a group is now a World Heritage Site. These monasteries were recognized by UNESCO in 1994, because they served as the model for the early monastery and church buildings as well as evangelization efforts in New Spain and some points beyond in Latin America.

Within the convent San Juan Bautista is also a cultural and historical museum and a small display of mummies that show something of the social class that dominated the area.

The massive convent of San Juan Bautista

Chapel Santa Maria

Tlayacapan municipal building on the plaza

Mummy museum 

Morelos environmentalists to stop mining concessions

Morelos environmentalists seeking to stop 39 mining concessions

Environmentalists and members of the Movement Against Open Pit Mine say they will oppose everything that destroys life

Cuernavaca, June 4. - Environmentalists and members of the Movement Against Open Pit Mines announced they will go against the 39 mining concessions in the state.

One day after the state government authorities got to know the number of awards that are in the state, indicated that they preserve life and stand against all that destroys it.

Explained that when none of these 39 grants are operating in phase, but are found in the scanning process. However, they indicated they will be watching to know what mine are what hold these concessions and what they seek to exploit.

Along with them, local MP Hector Salazar recalled Porcayo who recently presented the first initiative in Mexico, local congresses, against the use of cyanide, a proposal that seeks to stop the draft Esperanza Silver Canadian miner, which seeks installed between the Temixco and Miacatlán municipalities.

Morelos environmentalists seeking to stop 39 mining concessions

Cuernavaca Airport

Last September was the inauguration of General Mariano Matamoros Airport (CVJ) or the Cuernavaca "International" Airport after extensive remodeling and expansion. It claims to be an International Airport and looks the part but I have yet to find any scheduled International flights. The official airport website lists only Volaris and VivaAerobus as scheduled airlines and neither flies out of the country from there.

As you may know, airports in Mexico are government owned and Cuernavaca is managed by a group centered in Mexico City. There is some criticism that the airport was over built and a waste of money with their future plans of servicing a million and a half people a year. However it does seem like a nice way to avoid Mexico City if flights available fit your plans.

Entrance

VivaAerobus

Not a busy airport

Cuernavaca airport map

Tubohotel in Tepoztlan

The world’s most unique hotel created just for you — Tubohotel. Whether meeting new friends or organizing a group, a cool, social vibe permeates the tubes. Tubohotel was designed to enjoy the good times in one of Mexico’s Pueblo Magico, Tepoztlan, Morelos, Mexico. With economical tubo-rates as low as $300 pesos up to $700 pesos plus tax, you can arrive by yourself with backpack in hand, as a couple, with your friends or family. Tubo-social, Tubo-cool, Tubohotel!

You can find location and make reservations on their web site
Tubohotel Tepozlan

Candles in the skin of citrus

I first saw these in the Mercado de Artesanias in Cuernavaca next to the Palace of Cortes a few years ago.  Just saw a brief glimpse of them on a tourism video and it reminded me.   I don't have my old fotos any longer so decided to go looking for others.  I finally found them searching for "velas de cascara de naranja".

They were so unusual, delicate and so much work went into them I was surprised I found no mention of them in English ... maybe meaning not many had seen them.   I was also surprised they were only 40-50 pesos.  They made smaller ones using limes.

The skin is turned inside out, put on a mould and left to dry.  The etching is done with a fine tipped soldering iron.   String is wrapped around so the lid only comes down so far.  Then the flowers and leaves are glued on and the whole thing is covered with a thin coating of wax.  Wish I could have found a detailed description of the process but didn't.

velas de cascara de naranja

orange skin candles

Found this on how to make boxes

Video tour of Cuernavaca

This video from YouTube is shot from the front window as the videographer drives through downtown Cuernavaca, giving you a front seat view of the city.

The Voices of Chichinautzin

This is the story of Chichinautzin, a natural protected area on the southern border of Mexico City. Supported by local scientists and park rangers, the people of the Chichinautzin risk their lives to protect their biodiverse forests from illegal logging armed gangs and strong development pressures. In an increasingly urbanized world, how can this region and its people survive against the growing hunger for space and natural resources?

The Chichmautzin Biological Corridor is located in the Sierra Norte in the state of Morelos, in the region south of the Federal District and southeast of the state of Mexico. It was created in 1988 as a biological corridor to connect Lagunas de Zempoala and El Tepozteco National Parks.

These parks were created in 1947 and 1937 respectively. Chichinautzin was also established to: (1) secure the biological processes and evolutions in the zone; and (2) to form a natural greenbelt boundary for the population growth of the Federal District and the city of Cuernavaca. The biological corridor itself is 37,302 hectares, but also incorporates Laguna de Zempoala National Park (4,790 hectares) and El Tepozteco Park (24,000 hectares). In this way, the total area of protected by the corridor and two national parks is 66,092 hectares. This region is important for rainwater filtration and is a very important factor improving air quality of the states of Morelos and the Federal District (Mexico City).

Danzón - a chick flick?

I guess so with a female director and leading role but still one of my favorite Mexican movies.

It's about a couple of phone operators in Mexico City that live for the weekends and the Danzón. Julia (Maria Rojo) finds her perfect dance partner, finds a little romance and he suddenly disappears. The rest of the movie is Julia's search adventure for her dance partner in Veracruz. Lots of dancing, good music and low key adventure.



I used to sit for hours watching Danzon on the weekends on the Cuernavaca plaza. No live music, always recorded and often more dressed up than the folks below.

The Cuernavaca Mercado

The Cuernavaca Mercado (market) is a sprawling thing that winds around and up and down. Very easy to get lost in. It's located in an arroyo just about 6 blocks east of downtown and the plaza. Much of it seems under ground with many alleys that bring you up to city streets. Just about everything is for sale but mostly divided into sections of flower sellers, meat, vegetable, herbs, clothes and music CD's. You might even see a small boy run by with a pigs head.

When I was taking Spanish classes at Encuentros I also took some evening cooking lessons. Most of our assignments included a shopping list 'in Spanish' and we were to shop at the central market before class. You'd be surprised at how many flavors of 'mole' there are. We had some very good meals those evenings.

I recently heard much of the market was damaged by fire this year. YouTube Video of the fire

Deep inside the Cuernavaca market

Steps up to street level

Bags of herbs

Women in the vegetable section

Las Lagunas de Zempoala

Las Lagunas de Zempoala is a National Park in the mountains above Cuernavaca at an altitude of about 2,900 meters (9500 feet) above sea level. The park encompasses seven small lakes of which three, Zempoala, Tonathiua and Prieta, contain water year-round and the other four are seasonal. The surrounding hillsides are covered in forests of pine and other evergreens.

Lots of activities including rowing, sailing, horseback riding and camping. There are many hiking trails to walk and cliffs to scale for the more adventurous.

Access to Las Lagunas de Zempoala is via the Mexico-Cuernavaca highway, either the old highway or the new toll road, turning off at Tres Marias and proceeding toward and past Huitzilac village.  You can also take the old highway out of Cuernavaca.

Robert Brady Museum

Next to the cathedral, in the Casa de Torre, the Museo Robert Brady houses an extensive collection of works and artefacts belonging to the American artist. Brady travelled the world in search of artistic acquisitions and the contents of this museum took a whole life-time to amass. His collection of 1300 pieces contains paintings by, among others, Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, Paul Klee and Francisco Toledo. There is also colonial furniture, textiles, pre-Hispanic objects, African art and ceramics. It is well worth a visit.

This collection was assembled by Robert Brady (1928-1986). Born in Iowa with a career in the fine arts at the Art Institute of Chicago, the Tyler Arts Center of Temple University and the Barnes Foundation in Merion, Pennsylvania, he established residence in Venice, Italy for five years before settling in Cuernavaca, Mexico in 1962.

Museum from the street


Main Bedroom


Kitchen


Yellow Bath

Robert Brady Museum

Grutas de Cacahuamilpa and Taxco

Las Grutas and Taxco are both easy day trips from Cuernavaca even though they are in the state of Guerrero. You could do them both with a car or a tour if you start early. I would not try Las Grutas via bus. Hard to tell what you'll find in Taxco and you might easily spend a day there.

The Grutas de Cacahuamilpa National Park in Guerrero, Mexico, is best known for the Grutas de Cacahuamilpa Caverns, which are one of the largest cave systems in the world. It is also home to the Grutas of Carlos Pacheco, a smaller system, as well as two subterranean rivers which have carved out tunnels in the rock. The park has extreme sports attractions such as rappelling, and rock climbing in Limontitla Canyon. as well as the two underground rivers to explore. It also has a small botanical garden, a pool and places to camp.

Grutas de Cacahuamilpa

Streets of Taxco