Cuernavaca, some 80 kilometers south of Mexico City, is the capitol of the Mexican state of Morelos. The name Cuernavaca is derived from the prehispanic name Cuauhnahuac, which means "close to the forest" in the Nahuatl language of its ancient residents. Evidently the arriving Spaniards had a difficult time pronouncing the name and so changed it to its present form. Since Alexander von Humboldt's visits to Cuernavaca the city is known as well under the more sonorous name of the City of Eternal Spring due to its moderate climate and its abounding vegetation.

The Instituto de Matemáticas (Unidad Cuernavaca) of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México is situated at the northern rim of the city, high in the forested mountains separating the valley of Cuernavaca from Mexico City. At its altitude of 1900 meters above sea level, 400 meters above the city center, the climate is in general moderate, though nights can be chilly. If you want to stay at the Institute after sundown you should make sure to have a sweater or a coat with you. Moreover The rainy season will begin soon in Cuernavaca. You will still catch plenty of sun during your stay, but please have something with you if there is light shower in the afternoon.

Among the many sites which offer tourist information about the city of Cuernavaca are iCuernavaca, Cuernavaca Info and The Real Mexico. Information about the current weather in Cuernvava is available for example at http://www.wundergroung.com.

Participants of the conference will be lodged in two different hotels, the Hotel Posada de Tlaltenango and the Hotel GS, which are both known to the typical taxi driver in Cuernavaca:

Hotel Posada de Tlaltenango		Hotel GS
Eucaliptos 77		Carretera México-Cuernavaca Km 71.5 No. 17
Col. Jardines de Tlaltenango		Col. Buenavista
C.P. 62120 Cuernavaca, Morelos		C.P. 62130 Cuernavaca, Morelos

This satellite photo shows the Hotel Posada de Tlaltenango as the large mirror S shaped red roofed building somewhat below the center, note its large swimming pool and don't forget to bring your swimming suit! The roundabout on the left edge of the satellite photo is the Glorieta de Tlaltenango. Only the construction site of the Hotel GS can be seen on the other satellite photo, it is situated at the very top edge just right of the large street crossing the photo vertically. The street branching off to the right at the red triangle below the center of the photo is the Avenida Universidad leading eventually to the institute, the roundabout at the bottom edge is the Glorieta Emiliano Zapata.

This satellite photo shows the Instituto de Matemáticas (Unidad Cuernavaca) of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Méxcio or UNAM for short as the isolated red roofed building in the upper half of the photo. The small and big circle shaped building to the left and lower left of the institute are the Palapa Chica and the Palapa Guillemo Torres respectively, the six very small roofs to the right are offices of the institute. The roundabout just below the center (and the institute) marks the main entrance to the campus of the Universidad Autónoma del Estado Morelos or UAEM for short.

Cuernavaca is situated on the south facing slope of a chain of volcanos including the Popocatepetl, which can be seen from nearly everywhere in Cuernavaca, weather permitting. Orientation in the city however is complicated by the fact that this slope is cut by numerous deep ravines called barrancas with few crossing points. During the conference you will probably only have a chance to visit the northern part of the city, which is essentially cut into two halves by one of the largest of these barrancas, the barranca Amanalco. There are only three ways to cross the barranca Amanalco north of the city center, the first way to the north has no special name, the other two are "el túnel" and "la puente" respectively. Of course both of them are bridges.

Given the geography of the city the most important streets of Cuernavaca to help you get your bearings essentially form the letter H with the bar given by a six laned road connecting the two roundabouts Glorieta Paloma de la Paz to the east and Glorieta Emiliano Zapata to the west at some 600 meters distance. These two roundabouts are the two connection points in the said H, the two southern lower legs are formed by the Avenida Domingo Diez to the east and the Avenida Emiliano Zapata to the west. The northern upper legs of the H are the highway and the federal road to Mexico City respectively, with the highway to the east connecting to the Glorieta Paloma de la Paz and the federal road to the west ending in the Glorieta Emiliano Zapata. The barranca Amanalco cuts the H north to south in its right and left halves, the bar itself is the northern way to cross it, the puente and the tunel connect the two lower legs of the H in the center and the bottom end respectively. There is another roundabout you will probably get to know, the Glorieta de Tlaltenango, situated in the middle of the left lower leg of the H close to the puente.

Taking this rough image of the H as a clue you can try to work out the locations of the bus terminal Casino de la Selva and the conference Hotels Posada de Tlaltenango and GS, for example the bus terminal is at the bottom end of the right lower leg of the H. The Hotel Posada de Tlaltenango is in the vecinity of the Glorieta de Tlaltenango and thus situated in the center of the left lower leg of the H, while the Hotel GS is in the vecinity of the Glorieta Emiliano Zapata and thus a little bit upwards from the connection point along the left upper leg. The Instituto de Matemáticas itself does not readily relate to the picture of the H, instead you have to add to the picture a wavy line, the Avenida Universidad, which emanates from the left connection point of the H in the direction to its right upper leg, but never connecting to it.

Probably you will enter the city on the highway, the right upper leg of the H and the first thing you will see of Cuernavaca will be the Glorieta Paloma de la Paz. The bus then turns south on the right lower leg of the H to the bus terminal Casino de la Selva. Taxis from Casino de la Selva to the Hotels Posada de Tlaltenango and GS usually take the "tunel" to the bottom end of the left lower leg of the H and then drive north along the Avenida Emiliano Zapata to the Hotel Posada de Tlaltenango or even further up to the Hotel GS. In this way you get to know all you need to know about the orientation in Cuernavaca during the first few minutes of being in town.

Busses leave the international airport Benito Juarez (MEX) in Mexico City in the direction of Cuernavaca between 06:40 (6:40am) and 00:30 (12:30am), every half hour during daytime and every hour later in the night. Early this year the new Terminal 2 opened at the airport and the authors has to admit that he has no personal experience how to get to the busses to Cuernavaca in this new terminal, hence the following description refers exclusively to the situation in the old Terminal 1. People arriving at Terminal 2 presumably find a similar situation on their arrival and can tell me later on. In Terminal 1 follow the signs to ground transportation, which are attached to the ceiling and look essentially like this one, they definitely read ground transportation though:


One floor up from the gates following these signs you will eventually walk up a small ramp into a corridor, which ends in the ticket counters to Cuernavaca and other cities like Puebla, Toluca etc. Actually the signs to ground transportation are situated strategically and taking them as a lead it is not too difficult to find your way. However here is a map of Terminal 1 just in case:


Arriving from international flights you will leave the customs area through gates E1, E2 or E3 on the lower floor (PB) to the left. The bus terminal is on the same level, but the ticket counters and the only feasible access to the bus terminal is from the upper floor (PA). More precisely the ticket counters are exactly in the sharp bend of the long worm-like annex to the upper floor (PA) seen in the map. Zooming into the map you can possibly read Terminal Terrestre to the left of this bend, this is where the stairs and escalators to the busses go down. With the map in hands you can try to find a shorter way to the bus terminal. Try to look out for one of the small stairwells leading to the upper floor, the passages to them are well hidden between shops in the walls of the corridor opposite to the gates. Walk up the closest one you can find and take the inner courtyard drawn in white in the map in the center of the upper floor as an orientation to find the entrance to the annex, Once you have crossed the little ramp marking the beginning of this annex, you have virtually made it!

If you feel anxious about not being able to make it to the ticket counter of Pullman de Morelos on your own, you can always have a porter guide you there and then on to the bus. As you exit Customs and Immigration, you will pass through automatic sliding glass doors. On the other side of the doors are porters lined up to help people with their luggage. A standard tip for a porter's help is 10 pesos per bag. If you feel unsure of your ability to communicate in Spanish, you can simply write on a piece of paper "Pullman de Morelos, por favor!"

The cost of a ticket to Cuernvaca is currently 135 pesos and must be paid in cash. There are plenty of currency exchange places before you pass through Customs and Immigration as well as once you exit. You can also avail yourself of the multitude of automatic teller machines throughout the airport, in general they are easier to find once you have exited Customs and Immigration. Busses leave approximately every 40 minutes and the last bus for Cuernavaca leaves at 23:30 (11:30 pm). It usually takes about 40 minutes to pick up your luggage and clear Customs and Immigration after you have landed, so it is best to try to arrive before 22:30 (10:30 pm). If your plane is delayed and you miss the last bus, there are plenty of hotels in Mexico City. The Tulip Inn Ritz is used frequently by the UNAM for conferences held in Mexico City and the rates are reasonable.

According to this map of Terminal 2 of the international airport Benito Juarez it is much simpler to find the way to the busses in this terminal. In the centre of the map you can see three green squares labelled "i" almost on top of each other. It seems the gates for international passengers are directly to left of the uppermost of these three green squares. Hence you need to turn right from the gates and walk down the central corridor of Terminal 2 keeping in general to the right. At the end of the central corridor you need to exit the terminal building, and turn right to walk about 30 meters further along the side walk to avoid entering the parking lot for the busses. In this way you should end up at the entrance to a waiting hall for bus passengers. The ticket counters of Pullman de Morelos to Cuernavaca are situated at the far end of this waiting hall, it is not as long a distance though.

From Casino de la Selva to the Conference Hotels by Taxi

The direct busses between the international airport in Mexico City and Cuernavaca are operated by the company Pullman de Morelos and will take you to the bus terminal Casino de la Selva near the center of Cuernavaca. An authorized taxi stand operates from within the bus terminal and you will see it on your left as you exit the bus. Please use the authorized taxis to go to your hotels. There are flat fees for certain distances and in particular, it costs 30 pesos and 35 pesos to go to the conference hotels Hotel Posada de Tlaltenango and Hotel GS respectively.

After 22:00 (10:00pm) the authorized taxi stand is closed. There are however always plenty of taxis waiting at the exit of the bus terminal and you should make sure to negotiate the fare before getting into the cab as the cabs in Cuernavaca do not have taximeters. Also note that at night, it costs at least 5 pesos more for a taxi to any given destination. In general throughout your stay here in Cuernavaca it is advisable to use taxis to get around.

From Casino de la Selva to the Conference Hotels Using Public Transportation

If you arrive at say before 21:00 (9pm) and are of the more adventurous kind you may try your luck to get to the hotel using public busses called "rutas" in Cuernavaca. Rutas pass the bus terminal Casino de la Selva on the mayor street Plan de Ayala east of the terminal. As an arriving passenger you will probably leave the terminal through a small exit on the north side leading to the small cobblestone alley La Selva cramped with waiting taxis. Turning to the right and walking some 80 meters will bring you to Plan de Ayala in the east. If for whatever reason you leave the terminal through its main hall, then you end up on the street Plan de Ayala directly. All rutas going north leave the station on the OPPOSITE side of Plan de Ayala, so cross the street and walk up some 50 meters to the left/north in the direction of the underpass to the next street branching off Plan de Ayala. If going to the Hotel GS cross this street and join the people usually waiting there, if going to the Hotel Posada de Tlaltenango DO NOT cross this street and wait below the big tree in the bend.

The ruta going to the Hotel Posada de Tlaltenango is a ruta 7, the ruta to the Hotel GS is a ruta 13. These numbers are painted in various places on front, sides and back of the bus, however it may be difficult to read the numbers from the distance. For this reasons the busses are not only distinguished by their numbers, but also by their markings. Do not worry if you do not know the meaning of this word in this context, you will know immediately if you will see such a bus in reality. Rutas 7 are white and pretty small busses with deep brown markings, rutas 13 are big white busses with gold and deep blue markings. Note that you will have to SIGNAL the driver to stop, this is you need to flag him down. Rutas 13 pass by very fast, day before yesterday two of them passed me waiting right there at Casino de Selva, so make really SURE your signals are seen. If a ruta 7 drives by with you desperately making signals in the bend below the big tree, don't worry, it's the wrong ruta 7 anyhow. The right ruta 7 needs to turn right at this very crossing to get to the "tunel", this is why you have to wait in the bend. Still make sure that you end up in the right ruta 7, the right ones have a sign reading "TUNEL" in the front window, unluckily among plenty of similar signs, so don't be embarrassed to flag down a ruta 7 first and then still ask the driver "Glorieta de Tlaltenango?".

If going to the Hotel Posada de Tlaltenango, you will have to get off the ruta 7 at the Glorieta de Tlaltenango, which is a 200 to 300 meters walk to the Hotel depending on where the driver drops you off. You may ask a passers-by at the Glorieta for help finding your way to the Hotel, or you may consult this satellite foto, the Glorieta de Tlaltenango is to the left and the Hotel Posada de Tlaltenango is the red roofed large mirror S-shaped building to the right. Moreover there is a big sign on the left hand side of the road some 30 meters south of the Glorieta de Tlaltenango indicating the proper direction to the Hotel Posada de Tlaltenango. If going to the Hotel GS you have to get off the ruta 13 at the gasoline station at the Glorieta Emiliano Zapata. From there it is a straight 200 meters walk north and uphills sticking to the right hand side of the federal road to Mexico City. Anyhow it is difficult NOT to see the Hotel GS from the Glorieta Emiliano Zapata, it is by far the tallest building in this part of town.

In order to get to Cuernavaca from Mexico City you need to find your way to the Taxqueña bus terminal Central Camionera del Sur first. An easy way to get there is using the metro system of Mexico City at 2 pesos a ride, because the bus terminal is a 200 meter walk from the metro station Taxqueña, which is the endpoint of the central blue metro line 2 going south. Once at the metro station go up the stairs and look at the ceiling beams for indicators to the Central Camionera del Sur. Keep walking in the indicated direction up to the very end of the pedestrian bridge, then go down the narrow stair to the left and cross the flee market at the bottom to the bus terminal at some 100 meters distance. In the bus terminal keep to the right and pass the various counters up to the end of the hall to find the ticket counters of Pullman de Morelos. Between 06:00 (6:00am) and 23:00 (11pm) two buses of Pullman de Morelos leave for Cuernavaca every 10 minutes. One of the busses goes to the bus terminal Casino de la Selva, the other to a different bus terminal in Cuernavaca called Centro. Despite the name forget about Centro and make sure you get a ticket to Cuernavaca CASINO DE LA SELVA! The bus will need up to two hours for the trip, but you will enjoy a splendid panaroma of Cuernavaca during the last half hour of your trip. If you are unsure how to get from Casino de la Selva to your hotel, then please refer to the description given in Arriving in Cuernavaca from the International Airport in Mexico City

In order to get to the Instituto de Matemáticas from Mexico City take the highway to Acapulco and get off at the first exit in Cuernavaca. At the end of the exit curve you will find yourself heading for the roundabout Glorieta Paloma de la Paz. Ignore the roundabout and keep driving straight ahead in this six lane road, until you have passed below the SECOND pedestrian bridge crossing your way, the first pedestrian bridge is directly behind the roundabout. Once you have passed the SECOND pedestrian bridge turn right into the rather elaborate "exit", which actually hides a U-turn into the Avenida Universidad, so please slow down soon enough. In case you have trouble finding the exit and the U-turn you may as well drive to the Glorieta Emiliano Zapata some 300 meters further ahead to make a right turn there into the Avenida Universidad. As the name suggests the Avenida Universidad leads you eventually to the main entrance of the Universidad Autónoma del Estado Morelos or UAEM. Despite the numerous twists and turns of the Avenida Universidad on the way to the main entrance it should easy to distinguish it from other roads, neither of which is any competition. Entering the campus of the UAEM make a left turn at the roundabout behind the main entrance into a steep uphill road. The driveway to the Instituto de Matemáticas branches off to the left from this road some 100 meters behind the roundabout.

During your stay in Cuernavaca you will probably take a taxi to the Instituto de Matemáticas at some point or other. Please ask the taxi driver to take you to the "UAEM" without further specification, the Universidad Autónoma del Estado Morelos is well-known among the taxi drivers in Cuernavaca, and don't forget to agree with him on the price BEFORE entering the taxi. From the conference Hotels Posada de Tlaltenango and GS to the institute the official minimum fare of 20 pesos for taxis in Cuernavaca seems appropriate, from the Hotel GS the minimum fare 20 pesos is actually a very good bargain for the taxi driver.

After passing the large yellow entrance gate of the campus of the Universidad Autónoma del Estado Morelos just left off the central roundabout in this satellite photo (where the asphalt changes color) tell the taxi driver to make a left turn in the roundabout and follow the steep uphill road for 100 meters, in the photo this road leaves the roundabout to the top leading directly to the institute, the isolated red roofed building in the upper half. The cobblestone driveway to the institute branches off to the left 5 meters in front of a big yellow-azure colored sign. Once the taxi driver knows this is where you are going he will certainly take you further up to the parking lot in front of the Institute.

Although this description to reach the institute by taxi is almost fool-proof, the taxi driver may decide in extremely rare cases to enter the campus to the UAEM through a side entrance about 500 meters to the south-east of the main gate, for example he will certainly do so when you are returning from a lunch time in the restaurant La Palapa. The side entrance can be seen in this satellite phote just left to the red squared building in the center. During daytime there are usually waiting 8 or more busses in the area in front of the side entrance giving it more the appearance of a bus terminal, moreover there is no roundabout directly BEHIND the side entrance. If you have the impression that the taxi has entered the campus via the side entrance, tell the taxi driver to go to the main gate ("la puerta principal") or tell him to drive straight ahead for 500 meters to reach the roundabout at the main gate from the OPPOSITE direction with the steep road to the right.

Besides taking taxis to the Institute you can also take a microbus called a "ruta" in Cuernavaca to get to the Institute. The fare is 4 pesos 50. Getting from the conference Hotel Posada de Tlaltenango to the institute is particularly easy, leave the hotel and follow the street for 100 meters to get to the four lane road Avenida Emiliano Zapata. A small bus stop is located about 20 meters to the right and closer to the Glorieta de Tlaltenango. Taking a ruta to the north you do not need to cross the road.

Approximately every five minutes there is a ruta between this bus stop at the Glorieta de Tlaltenango and the main entrance of the campus of the Universidad Autónoma del Estado Morelos (UAEM), however plenty of rutas going elsewhere pass this bus stop, too. The rutas you have to take are called "ruta 1" as they have the number 1 painted on them. However rutas are usually easier to distinguish by their markings, rutas 1 are white busses with bright yellow markings on front, sides and back including the said number 1 and no other ruta carries bright yellow markings. Thus if you see anything bright yellow on a white bus you can be pretty sure it's a ruta 1. Note that you will have to FLAG down a ruta to make sure it will stop, even if there are plenty of other people waiting. Moreover try to tell the bus driver you want to get off the bus at the "entrada de la UAEM". This will leave you in front of the big yellow entrance gate of the UAEM, which is situated just left of the central roundabout in this satellite photo. Don't worry too much about missing the entrance gate, the bus will enter the university grounds anyhow and you can still get off a hundred meters further into campus. From the entrance gate walk to the roundabout and turn left to follow the steep uphill road 100 meters to find the cobblestone driveway of the institute branching off to the left 5 meters in front of a big yellow-azure colored sign reading Instituto de Matemáticas etc.

In order to get from the Hotel GS to the Institute you leave the hotel, turn left without crossing the busy street in front of the hotel and walk some 200 meters downhills to the nearest gasoline station passing a rather picturesque sequence of small restaurants, hair dressers, garages and internet cafés and hopefully taking sufficient care with your steps on the treacherous side walk. Stop at the gasoline station without entering its grounds and wait in the bend of this curve until you spot a ruta 1 with its bright yellow markings or a ruta 13 approaching from the Glorieta Emiliano Zapato, rutas 13 are large, white busses with gold and dark blue markings.The bus will take you to the main entrance of the UAEM, from there a walk of 200 meters described above will bring you to the Institute.

Unfortunately the better restaurrants are located closer to the center of town so you will need to budget your time at lunch accordingly. There are "fast food" restaurants on the campus of course and the cost of a meal is about 30 pesos. The dishes served are typical Mexican style food. Outside the UAEM campus there are a couple of small eating places along the beginning of Avenida Universidad. The Cafe Loris, a red-coloured building with a terrace on the left hand side, is a good option. Members of the Institute have told us that their their favourite places to go out for lunch or dinner are in the following list, no particular order intended:

• El Faisan (Avenida Emiliano Zapata, Yucatán dishes)
• Las Colorines (Avenida Emiliano Zapata, very close to the Posada)
• Don Pollo (Avenida Emiliano Zapata, right next to El Faisan)
• El Barco (Avenida Emiliano Zapata and City center, Pozole soup)
• La Palapa (in Ocotepec, ask a taxi driver to get you there and back)
• Cafe Molienda y Cosecha (Avenida Domingo Diez, high quality comida corrida)
• La Tortuga Cucufata (Avenida Domingo Diez, mexican standard cuisine)
• Gaya (City center at Palacio Cortés, the best restaurant in Cuernavaca)
• Las Mañanitas (City center at Calvario, beautiful garden, but twice overpriced)
• La India Bonita (City center at Catedral, Sunday morning brunch buffet)

There are few places, most of them taquerias, offering anything to eat after 21:00 (9:00pm). If you happen to be hungry during the night, here are a couple of possibilities a taxi driver should know:

• Taqueria La Gringa II (opens till approximately 02:00 (2:00am), on Avenida Universidad)
• Goodies (burritos and hamburgers, closes at 22:00 (10:00pm), opposite La Gringa II)
• Cafe del Gringo (opens till 23:00 (11:00pm), try the chabata, opposite La Gringa II)
• El Chiringuito (never closes, close to the bus terminal Casino de la Selva in Plan de Ayala)

The taxis in Cuernavaca don't use taximeters. Officially the taxi drivers are supposed to charge according to city zones, but in fact you should settle the price with the taxi driver BEFORE entering the car. When going from the bus terminal Casino de la Selva to the Hotel GS the official price is 35 pesos, during the day. Hotel Posada de Tlaltenango is much closer to the bus terminal and the official price is 30 pesos. The official minimum charge for any taxi ride is 20 pesos, and this price you will have to pay from either hotel to the institute. In case you need to call a taxi at night try 317-3766 or 317-3776 (Radio Taxi Citlalli).

In order to get from the institute to the city center or one of the restaurants on Avenida Emiliano Zapata, for example El Faisan, Don Pollo, Las Colorines or El Barco, you may consider taking a ruta 1 with its bright yellow markings from the bus stop at the main entrance gate of the Universidad Autónoma del Estado Morelos or UAEM. Las Colorines is very close to the Hotel Posada de Tlaltenango and 40 meters north of the Glorieta de Tlaltenango, so you speak up "la parada, por favor" or simply "¿bajar!" when approaching the Glorieta de Tlaltenango or press a request for a stop button, if there is one (even better to do both). Las Colorines is on the opposite side of the bus stop. Going to El Faisan, Don Pollo or El Barco you look out for a gasoline station on the left side of the road 800 meters after passing the Glorieta Emiliano Zapata. Once you spot this gasoline station make yourself heard with "la parada, por favor" and press a request for a stop button, if there is one. The exit of the parking lot of Don Pollo is at 10 (!) meters distance from the bus stop the driver will drop you off, El Faisan opens completely to the street and is a 40 meters further down the street. El Barco is facing El Faisan on the opposite side of the street, two houses down the street from the Bank Santander. By the way there is a Starbuck's Coffee right before the gasoline station on the same side.

If you are going to the city center, then ask the bus driver to let you get off at the Zocalo shown in this satellite photo. The Zocalo of Cuernavaca consists mainly of the two park like places in the center and upper left corner of the photo, the big 8 shaped red roofed building in between is the Palacio de Gobierno, while the Palacio Cortés is the large building just right off the central roundabout. Ruta 1 from the Institute passes the Zocalo on the street crossing the photo vertically on the left edge of the photo and a common bus stop is right at the Palacio de Gobierno.

Of course Mexico is a country with many archeological sights from prehispanic and colonial times. Within the city boundaries of Cuernavaca and very close to the Hotel Posada de Tlaltenango are the three churches of Tlaltenango, one of them built in 1522 is probably the oldest stone church in the Americas. Similarly construction of the Palacio Cortés right next to the Zocalo in the city center of Cuernavaca was initiated by Hernan Cortés himself and completed by this son. Eventually the temple ruins of Teopanzolco are a lovely place to visit during lunch break, they are situated two kilometers east of the city center in the Avenida Teopanzolco, see the satellite photo A taxi from the institute should cost you around 30 pesos, the entry fee to the grounds is an additional 35 pesos.

Tepotztlan is a small town neighboring Cuernavaca about 15 kilometers east of the institute, it is situated in a spectacular mountain scenery culminating in a nahuatl temple ruin (surrounded by a very small city in its days) on a granite block towering 400 meters above the village. In case you are interesting in hiking the mountains and forests around Tepotztlan should also offer you plenty of possibilities to enjoy. Perhaps the most spectacular sight in the vicinity of Cuernavaca however are the ruins of the nahuatl city of Xochicalco about 30 kilometers to the south-west of Cuernavaca. Taking a look at the satellite photo of Xochicalco you may anticipate the vastness of its grounds covered with ruins, so if you are planning an excursion at all you should reserve the whole afternoon. Moreover you should have an AMPLE amount of potable water with you, it's a very dry and hot place!

If a sufficient number of people, say 5 or more, are interested we will offer an excursion to either Tepotztlan or Xochicalco on Wedenesday afternoon, if you are interested, please get in touch with Gregor Weingart. If you have some time to spend before or after the conference, we advise you to visit one or both.

Most public telephones in Mexico now work with telephone cards (in Spanish: Tarjeta Telefonica) called TARJETAS LADATEL, you possibly want to purchase one right at the airport. Telephone cards of 30, 50 and 100 pesos are available in places like drugstores (Farmacias), stationary stores (Papelerías), OXXOs or Sanborns stores and in news stands, or look out for a sign saying:


Telephone numbers in Cuernavaca have seven digits and in Mexico City eight digits. Within Mexico national long distance numbers have to be preceded by the code 01 + the local area code, which is 55 for Mexico City and 777 for Cuernavaca. Calling the Instituto de Matemáticas in Cuernavaca from Mexico City you thus dial 01-777-329-1721. If you are calling Mexico from outside the country, the code 01 is replaced by the number international phone code 52 for Mexico. To call the Instituto de Matemáticas in Cuernavaca from outside the country you dial +52-777-329-1721, where + has to be replaced by the appropiate international access code (like 001 in the United States of America or Germany).

The national currency in Mexico is the peso denoted with the symbol $, please do not confuse this with the dollar denoted in general by US$. At the time of writing (May 8th, 2008) dollar and euro are worth 10.54 and 16.24 pesos respectively. Most hotels and restaurants will take credit cards like VISA, MASTERCARD (EUROCARD) or AMERICAN EXPRESS, however it is advisable to have a fair amount of cash with you if you want to go shopping in the city center or on the streets or for excursions into the vecinity of town. 110 V alternating current at 60 Hz outlets are standard in Mexico and flat US 2 pins are used.