One day there will be no borders, no boundaries, no flags, and no countries and the only passport will be the heart. (Carlos Santana-Mexican-American guitarist)
Puebla is one of the oldest inhabited areas in North America. Located two hours from Mexico City, this is currently the fourth-largest urban area in Mexico, in the territory called Cuetlaxcoapan, which can be translated as where serpents change their skin, where the settlements of Cholula and Tlaxcala are/were located. Cholula is arguably the oldest inhabited place in North America. Since 1987, Puebla has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its well-preserved early baroque architecture, at the foot of the Popocatepetl volcano.
Author: Alexander Shimmeck (2020) Unsplash (Source: https://unsplash.com/@alschim)
Please, use the hashtag #ESOCITE4S22 on Twitter and Instagram to share your panels, ideas, and experiences before, during, and after the event. We‘ve prepared some highlights for 4Sers so that everyone can feel empowered to share this time that ESOCITE and 4S meet again in person. If you have any questions, you can tweet to @4sweb or connect in the Whatsapp group for the 2022 ESOCITE/4S Conference.
Arriving in Cholula, Puebla
City of Puebla – Author: Angel Carrasco Robles (c)
In anticipation of your arrival and in order to be able to meet in Cholula in December this year, it is important that everyone has their documents in order for entry into Mexico. Please read visa-related information here.
From the airport to the State of Puebla
Most international flights will arrive at the international airport of Mexico City (MEX) located to the North East of Mexico City. If you are moving into Mexico City from the International Airport, use authorized taxis from the airport. There are booths where you buy tickets. You could use Nueva Imagen (white cars) or Yellow Cab. The amount to pay is calculated based on the destination.
From there, the organizers recommend that you go to transborder to an interregional bus with a destination to Cholula or Puebla. There are two companies, Estrella Roja and ADO, both cost about 380 Mexican pesos (USD 18). The travel will take about 2 hours and you will find buses every 40 minutes. If you want to move directly from the Airport to Puebla, there is also an ADO bus from the airport terminal. The journey takes 2.5 hours. The trip is comfortable. You can check price and timelines here.
Source: Puebla Escenic Drives. You can consider different routes if you decide to rent a car to arrive in Puebla.
From terminal 1, the bus station will be closer to exits 7 and 8. A recommended option is the bus company Estrella Roja (Red Star) which stops in Puebla City in the Paseo Destino (Destination Walk). The bus will be around 350 Mexican pesos (approx 15 US dollars). At the moment, there are no shuttles or transfers that connect directly to this airport with Puebla or Cholula.
You can also rent a car from Mexico City and drive to Puebla for 2 hours. There are wonderful routes that you can do in that case. But, beware that insurance is also mandatory when you rent a car in Mexico. Also, if you are not comfortable speaking a different language than the local drivers, we recommend avoiding Uber and taxi services. However, both are safe and, although expensive (Mex 1,600-1,900), allow you to get from Mexico City airport to Puebla in about two hours.
For up to 14 travellers you could rent a reliable private service like Urbvan.
It is best (safer) to travel from Mexico City to Puebla during the day. Try to avoid other mediums of public transportation if you don´t feel comfortable in Spanish. You can also take another flight from Mexico City to Puebla (PBC), but because it is so close, this mode of transport is not recommended. Most of the events of the conference will happen at the Ibero-American University (Universidad Ibero-America), located in Vía Atlixcáyotl, at the intersection of the main streets that connect the cities of Cholula and Puebla.
Author: Aldo Gonzalez (2021) Unsplash (Source: https://unsplash.com/@igniggo)
Commerce
City of Puebla – Author: Angel Carrasco Robles (c)
Mexico uses the Mexican Peso (MXN) that roughly is around 0,05 dollars (1 dollar = 21 MXN; 1 euro = 23 MXN; 1 real = 4 MXN). For exchange rates on the day, please check sites like this one. We recommend exchanging money at official agencies, and not carrying more than 200 dollars in cash on yourself when wandering around the cities. Most places accept debit and credit cards, and since recently some Mexican malls are also accepting bitcoin as means of payment, but the latter is currently an uncommon practice in the country.
In Mexico, as in other Latin American nations, informal commerce of crafts and street food are common. In particular, in San Pedro Cholula and San Andrés Cholula, behind the Great Pyramid (see below for details) is common to find a lot of street vendors.
Accommodations
City of Puebla – Author: Angel Carrasco Robles (c)
Vía Atlixcáyotl is an international business area full of hotels, restaurants, and universities. For that reason, you may be able to find multiple locations to stay during the event. Nights in a hotel may vary, but between $25 to $50 USD per night is a reasonable price. More luxurious and expensive options are also available near the Universidad Iberoamericana-Puebla campus, such as the Hotel Gran Fiesta Americana. Some possible recommendations can be found in Mejores Zonas, Donde dormir, Google, Booking, or AirBnb (note: not sponsored, just aiming to help in your initial search).
There are some agreements from the organizing committee with local hotels as options for accommodation. You can check them below, and contact them indicating that you will be on ESOCITE 4S 2022.
We recommend that adventure-oriented scholars and visitors check the area of Downtown Cholula, as it has a lot of hostels that might be of interest, for even more affordable prices per night. Downtown Cholula is characterized by its festive environment and is Pueblo Magico (Magical Town). Mexican pueblos magicos are towns that have symbolic attributes, legends, history, transcendent events, and daily life that translate their socio-cultural manifestations. This area is around 20 minutes by car from the main venue and you can take an Uber for a cheap fee.
The weather in December is cold, because it is the end of fall in Mexico, but can be warmer in the afternoons. Consider bringing different layers of clothing to be warm during the early morning and night, but fresh during the afternoon. Temperatures vary from 21C to 6C during December (71F to 43F). However, December is part of what is known as the dry season, when there is no rainfall for months (usually, between October and May). This causes the mountain sun that characterizes the valley of Puebla to raise the temperature in the midday or afternoon well above 20C (68F). In this sense, outdoor activities can be carried out without rain or unfavorable weather conditions.
The timezone is CST (equivalent to Summer Mountain time for the US, and the same timezone as Guatemala City). Some technical elements for your consideration are that the common voltage is 127 V with a Frequency is 60 Hz. Plugs and sockets are type A / B, and tap water is not potable/drinkable (very hard). You must buy bottled water or get a bottle with a filter to drink water. Some travel agencies that you can contact, in case you need support in the preparation of your travel, are indicated below. The organizers do not sponsor any of them, but we understand that after a couple of years of difficult travels, a local travel agency may be helpful in the preparation.
COVID-19
We want you to be safe. Please ensure that your travel insurance is adequate for covering Covid-19 infection before you travel. We encourage you to be fully vaccinated to travel to Mexico in the current times. Please take this into consideration before and during your visit. Anyone 2-years or older must be wearing a mask in indoor public spaces, at the moment. You are NOT REQUIRED to quarantine after your arrival in Mexico. If you do need a Covid-19 test, you can find a rapid test for $25-30 dollars or a PCR test for $90 when you‘re in Mexico, check in any local pharmacy if needed. In addition, you can check the CDC guidelines about the current status of the pandemic in the country by checking this link.
In case you test positive during your visit, you will be required to be isolated between 7 to 10 days, depending on your symptoms. Take this into consideration when budgeting for travel. The organization will do its best to support any request in relation to keeping the conference a safe and healthy space for its participants.
Childcare
City of Puebla – Author: Angel Carrasco Robles (c)
Our feedback during the immediate post-Covid era is to not provide childcare at the conference. If you do need information about childcare, please email [meeting@4sonline.org].
Amenities and services
City of Puebla – Author: Angel Carrasco Robles (c)
There are several shopping centers in the area, like Paseo Destino (Destino Walk), Angelopolis Life Center y Mercado Independencia, where you may be able to find most of the things you might need during the conference, as well as multiple restaurants and bars in the same area. Also, you can go to the traditional downtown of San Andrés and San Pedro de Cholula, where the Great Pyramid is located. Some restaurants that the organizers recommend to try during your visit are:
Do not miss the chance to try a traditional taco in any small restaurant, but beware, there are REALLY HOT!
Culture and Activities
Source: CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=129739
Our event will be hosted at the Universidad Iberoamericana-Puebla, a private university associated with the Jesuits. It was established in 1983 and has around 5000 students. The university is on the Vía Atlixcáyotl, which connects the cities of Cholula and Puebla. Some interesting facts:
City of Puebla – Author: Angel Carrasco Robles (c)
If you plan to be visiting Puebla for a few days, here are some itineraries ideas that you can review below