[For images of the social and cultural activities, please click here]

The author of this report (yours truly, Steve Zamora) is an unapologetic fan of Mexico City, which he considers one of the great cities of the world.  Unfortunately, since NACLE is a serious academic endeavor, we did not have the time, in our two days of deliberations, to take full advantage of the sites, sounds and flavors of Mexico City.  Of course, as has become a tradition, some of the student paper winners went home happy and sleep-deprived from having partaken of more than their share of what Mexico City has to offer.

The Hotel Sheraton Centro Histórico, located across the street from the Parque de la Alameda and a short walk to the Palacio de Bellas Artes and other historic sites, was a hit with visitors from Canada, Mexico and Monterrey.  The Workshop sessions on Friday, at the new headquarters of the Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores, the Torre Tlatelolco, an impressive modern building designed by renowned Mexican architect Ricardo Legorreta.  (See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ricardo_Legorreta )  In the evening, CIDE, UNAM-IIJ and Universidad Panamericana hosted a dinner al fresco at the Restaurante Exacto, located in Mexico’s lively Colonia Condesa, a popular neighborhood filled with cafés and restaurants.

Saturday’s workshop was held at the historic campus of the Universidad Panamericana, in the Colonia Mixcoac.  The original buildings of the campus date from the eighteenth century, and were used as a textile factory.  The buildings have been carefully restored, with modern additions conforming to the original colonial style.  Saturday’s workshop ended with a late lunch held in the lovely gardens of the UP campus.

One of the challenges of a NACLE workshop is to schedule academic events so as to leave time to explore the host city.  Saturday’s session having ended with a late lunch, we organized a walking tour of the historic center of Mexico City, led by Mexico City tour guide Héctor Barraza.  (see “Mexico City Elite Tours” at http://www.mexicocityelitetours.com )  The group visited the Palacio de Bellas Artes, the Casa de los Azulejos, the Iglesia de San Francisco, the Palacio de Iturbide, the Zócalo and National Palace, among other sites.  Héctor Barraza mixes Mexican history with commentaries on art and architecture, and his tour was a great hit with the group.

Our NACLE Workshops always conclude with a closing dinner, and on Saturday evening, we gathered in the historic center at the venerable Casino Español for a festive reception and dinner, compliments of our Mexico City host members, CIDE, UNAM-IIJ and Universidad Panamericana.  (For information on Casino Español, including a virtual tour, see http://www.casinoespanol.com.mx )    In Mexico, parties are sometimes enlivened by bringing a mariachi to a dinner or event, and we followed that tradition by the appearance of a talented mariachi complete with guitars, requintos, guitarrón, violins and two trumpets.  Unfortunately, we don’t have a recording so that you can listen, but click here to see photos of the mariachi reception.  After the dinner, Professor Zamora presented awards to each of our five student paper winners.  At each NACLE Workshop, we try to give an award that is emblematic of the city in which the Workshop is held.  (In New York, each student received a small Statue of Liberty.)  At the Mexico City dinner, we handed out “Calaveras” – statues of woman skeletons dressed in traditional Mexican dress, the kind of figures that have become common as symbols of the Mexican Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead).  Finally, on behalf of all NACLE members, Professor Zamora thanked our Mexican hosts for the hard work and expense of organizing a successful and memorable Workshop.