Guidelines for Mexico
MEXICO
Mexico is a Spanish-speaking country, consisting of 31 states and one federal district. The capital is Mexico City. Mexico has a rapidly developing economy, ranked by the World Bank as the thirteenth largest in the world. The climate ranges from tropical to desert, and the terrain consists of coastal lowlands, central high plateaus, and mountains of up to 18,000 feet.
Mexico is the most populous Spanish-speaking country in the world and the second most-populous country in Latin America after Portuguese-speaking Brazil. About 76% of the people live in urban areas. Many Mexicans emigrate from rural areas that lack job opportunities--such as the underdeveloped southern states and the crowded central plateau--to the industrialized urban centers and the developing areas along the U.S.-Mexico border. According to some estimates, the population of the area around Mexico City is nearly 22 million, which would make it the largest concentration of population in the Western Hemisphere. Cities bordering on the United States--such as Tijuana and Ciudad Juarez--and cities in the interior--such as Guadalajara, Monterrey, and Puebla--have undergone sharp rises in population in recent years.
TEMACAPULIN
The small towns of Temacapulín, Acasico and Palmarejo are located next to the Río Verde, about 2 hours northeast of Guadalajara, México.
Weather
Temacapulín is situated about 2 hours northeast of Guadalajara, in Jalisco state. In October, temperatures typically range in the 60s-70s°F (17-22°C) during the day and 50s°F (10-13°C) at night. Be sure to bring some long pants, a sweater and a jacket. Average rainfall in October is about 2 inches (50mm).
Time zones
Mexico City is in GMT/UTC -6 (Central Standard Time). Therefore, Sydney is 15 hours in advance from Mexico City.
Access to phones and internet
Communications are limited from Temacapulín. There is no access for cellular phones. There is a phone service available in the town. You will be responsible for the costs of your own phone calls. IMDEC is investigating options for establishing internet connection during our meeting.
Voltage
Banks and Currency
The currency in Mexico is the peso. The current exchange rate is approximately $12.75 pesos (MXN) for $1 USD and $16 pesos for 1 Euro. You will need to exchange some currency or traveler’s checks into Mexican Pesos at one of the currency exchange counters or take out cash from one of the automatic tellers (ATM) before you leave the Guadalajara’s airport.
Note. Due to the volatile global markets, it is strongly advised that you check the rates prior to exchanging any money. Below is a link to a live currency website http://www.xe.com
WHAT TO BRING
Clothing
The climate will be warm during the day and chilly at night. There is a chance it could rain during the meeting. We encourage you to bring a warm sweater, jacket or raincoat and an umbrella.
Toiletries
Remember to bring medicine that you normally use and personal hygiene items – soap, shampoo, toothbrush, toothpaste, etc. Bring a towel. We recommend that you bring mosquito repellent.
HEALTH AND SAFETY
Access to medical facilities
Access to medical care in Temacapulín is limited. A first aid kit will be provided and IMDEC is investigating the possibility of having a team of doctors available during the meeting. A medical clinic is located a half hour drive from Temacapulín. Large hospitals are located two hours away by car. If you have a special medical condition, please be sure to note this when you register for the meeting.
Drinking water
You cannot drink tap water in Mexico. It is best to always drink bottled or boiled water. Your hotel will provide an adequate supply of drinking water during your stay.
Security
Violence by criminal elements affects many parts of the country, including urban and rural areas. Visitors to the U.S.-Mexico border region, including cities such as Tijuana, Ciudad Juarez, Nuevo Laredo, Nogales, and Matamoros should remain alert and be aware of their surroundings at all times. In its efforts to combat violence, the Government of Mexico has deployed military troops to various parts of the country. Military checkpoints increased in border areas in early 2008. U.S. citizens are advised to cooperate with official checkpoints when traveling on Mexican highways. Sporadic outbursts of politically motivated violence occur from time to time in certain areas of the country, particularly in the southern states of Chiapas, Guerrero and Oaxaca.
Crime
Crime in Mexico continues to occur at a high rate, and it can often be violent, especially in Mexico City, Tijuana, Ciudad Juarez, Nuevo Laredo, Acapulco, and the states of Sinaloa and Durango. Other metropolitan areas have lower, but still serious, levels of crime. In many countries around the world, counterfeit and pirated goods are widely available. Transactions involving such products may be illegal under local law.
Personal Property:
Travelers should always leave valuables and irreplaceable items in a safe place, or avoid bringing them at all. All visitors are encouraged to make use of hotel safes when available, avoid wearing obviously expensive jewelry, and carry only the cash or credit cards that will be needed on each outing. There have been significant numbers of incidents of pick pocketing, purse snatching, and hotel-room theft. Public transportation is a particularly popular place for pickpockets. When renting a vehicle, ensure that advertisements or labels for the rental agency are not prominently displayed on the vehicle. Avoid leaving valuables such as identification, passport and irreplaceable property in rental vehicles, even when locked.
Personal Safety
Visitors should be aware of their surroundings at all times, even when in areas generally considered safe. Women traveling alone are especially vulnerable and should exercise caution, particularly at night. Travelers should avoid any overt displays of wealth such as showing money, wearing flashy jewelry, driving expensive automobiles, etc. You should be very cautious in general when using ATMs in Mexico. If an ATM must be used, it should be accessed only during the business day at large protected facilities.
Criminal assaults have occurred on highways throughout Mexico; travelers should exercise extreme caution at all times, avoid traveling at night, and may wish to use toll (“cuota”) roads rather than the less secure “free” (“libre”) roads whenever possible. You should not hitchhike or accept rides from or offer rides to strangers anywhere in Mexico. Tourists should not hike alone in backcountry areas, or walk alone on infrequently visited beaches, ruins or trails.
Crime in Mexico City
In Mexico City, the most frequently reported crimes involving tourists are taxi robbery, armed robbery, pick-pocketing, and purse-snatching. In several cases, tourists have reported that men in uniform perpetrated the crimes, stopping vehicles and seeking money, or assaulting and robbing tourists walking late at night. As in any large city, individuals should exercise caution and be aware of their surroundings, especially while walking.
Exercise caution when utilizing credit or debit cards in ATM machines or dubious locales. There have been reports of instances in which visitors in Mexico have had their card numbers “skimmed” and the money in their debit accounts stolen or their credit cards fraudulently charged. (“Skimming” is the theft of credit card information by an employee of a legitimate merchant or bank, manually copying down numbers or using a magnetic stripe reader.) In addition to skimming, the risk of physical theft of credit or debit cards also exists. To prevent such theft, we recommends that travelers keep close track of their personal belongings when out and about and that they only carry what they need. If travelers choose to use credit cards, they should regularly check their account status to ensure its integrity.
Metro (subway) robberies are frequent in Mexico City. If riding the metro or the city bus system, U.S. citizens should take extreme care with valuables and belongings. Avoid using metro during busy commuting hours in the morning or afternoon. Tourists and residents alike should avoid driving alone at night anywhere in Mexico City.
There have been increasing instances of taxi crime and you are advised not to hail cabs from the street. It is best to use registered hotel cabs or call a radio cab. If you are dining out, have the restaurant hail a cab from their "sitio" or you can call a radio cab (we have listed a few numbers below). Additionally, there are official taxi stands around the city. If you decide to take a street cab, you should choose only the new style, white cabs (with 4 doors) that have a bright red stripe around them and new-style license plates which are mainly white and begin with an "A" or “B”. Do not accept rides from the Volkswagen beetle cabs with a green stripe.
Sitio taxis
Servitaxis - tel: 55166020, http://www.servitaxis.com.mx/
TaxiMex – tel: 91718888 or 56349912, http://www.taximex.com.mx/default.aspx
Official Radio Taxis – tel: 55/5271-9146;
55/5271-9058; 55/5273-6125