A Mexican Ghost Story: The Island of Dolls

This week, we have been finding some of the more unusual places to visit in Mexico. Tourist attractions don't get more unusual than this: La Isla de las Munecas - The Island of the Dolls.



La Isla de las Munecas is on Teshuilo Lake, in the countryside near to Mexico City. The story goes that, in the 1920s, three young girls were playing on the island. Tragically, one of them fell into the canal and was drowned. In tribute to her, family members placed her dolls onto the island. However, eye-witnesses started to notice that the dolls were being played with, despite no-one living being anywhere near them. The little girl was spotted, by psychics, on the island. More dolls started to arrive, as the local community left them as gifts for her.






As time passed, the story became legend. Don Julian Santana Barrera, the old man filmed in the footage above, was the the caretaker for decades. He explained to tourists that there are spirits in the dolls. Those who treat them with respect are blessed; while those who don't can be cursed. It is encouraged for all visitors, to the island, to bring a doll to leave there, as a sign of respect. He certainly felt that the young girl was his companion there.

Don Julian lived and farmed on the island. He would trade produce from his gardens for dolls, in whatever condition they arrived. These were then exhibited throughout the island, tied into trees, perched in niches or resting on the ground. On April 21, 2001, Don Julian was unfortunately found drowned in the canal. His nephew, Anastasio Santana, now owns the island, but he continues the tradition.

La Isla de las Munecas has featured in an episode of the US paranormal investigation show, 'Destination Truth' (aka 'The Monster Hunter' in Europe). During that visit, cameras appeared to capture dolls moving on their own.



Other visitors have appreciated the island for its creativity. American assemblage artist Michael deMeng was deeply affected by spending an hour on La Isla de las Munecas. He eventually returned to the Museo (museum) in the center of the island, where a memorial to Don Julian stands. deMeng stated, "I just want to take this moment to thank Don Julian for this piece of art. From one artist to another, salut! Thanks for creating a wonder of the world, that you definitely don't see every day." See deMeng's artist view of the island here, with part two here.

Tourists can board trajineras (brightly colored gondalas) to the island from Xochimilco, just south of Mexico City. There are several river cruises there, with La Isla de las Munecas being just one of them. It takes about an hour, sailing along ancient canals, to reach the island. Plan for a four-hour round trip.


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Mexico City: Sonora Witchcraft Market

Mexico is 90% devout Roman Catholic, but, like in many nations, the old religion still lives and thrives in pockets around the country. Many cities around the world have their New Age shops. When Mexican Pagans wish to go shopping, then they have somewhere truly magical to go: Mercado de Sonora!



Entering the Sonora Witchcraft Market is like stepping into Diagon Alley. Thousands of stalls display such wares as wands, live birds and herbs. The discerning shopper can buy remedies for every ailment under the sun; as well as potions for luck and love. Psychics and tarot readers can illuminate your lives, and the pathways into your future. Healers and therapists can look at your aches and pains. Curiosities abound. There are robes and ritual jewellry; talismans, charms and touchstones; precious gems, crystals and the pouches to keep them in. Plus everything else in between.

This is the home of the brujos (witches), traditional herblorists, Voodoo practitioners, New Age Shamans, mediums, spiritualists and the Brujos Paganos (Mexican Wiccans). The National Association of Sorcerers has its headquarters in the market's depths. Yet Christianity has a presense too. Hundreds of stalls cater to the Catholic crowds with rosaries, Madonnas, medallions and other iconology.



Travel writer, Julia Dimon, visited the market last year. She wrote a blog about it, entitled 'Witches market in Mexico City… is love in the air?', and she had this to say:

Walking amongst the tribal rattlers, taxidermy rabbits and other accessories of the underworld, I met Bertha Gutierrez Montes de Oca, a shaman who has been working in the market for 51 years. The five-foot-nothing elderly woman explained the ritualistic purpose behind the potions.

“Witchcraft plays a central role in Mexican society and medicine,” she explained. “In the half-century I’ve worked here, the market has grown and the faces have changed but people’s hopes and desires have stayed the same — hopes for money, love, good luck, marriage and fewer problems at work are among the most popular.”

... Beyond the scary headlines, Mexico truly has a lot to offer, from high-end luxury resorts to markets with eye of newt. A visit to Sonora market is a culturally significant look into a side of Mexico most tourists don’t normally hear about.

Meanwhile, the Global Post reported on how vendors were using a little magic, to help their customers battle the recession: 'In Hard Times, A Mexican Market Sells Good Fortune'.

Mercado de Sonora can be found on Avenida Fray Servando Teresa de Mier 419. It is in Venustiano Carranza, a borough within Mexico City's Sonora district. Several shops, extensions of the market, can be found on Cjon del Canal. The market is open daily.


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The Mummies of Guanajuato

For those who like a taste of the macabre in their travels, then it doesn't get more weird and wonderful than El Museo De Las Momias. The Museum of the Mummies is based in Guanajuato and tourists have been paying to see its exhibits since 1900.

The writer, Ray Bradbury, was so affected by his visit that he wrote the short story, 'The Next in Line', almost as soon as he left. The British singer, Toyah Wilcox, composed 'Mummies' in homage to the site. German movie director, Werner Herzog, took photographs of the exhibits, to use in the opening sequence of 'Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht'. While the 1970s saw a whole spate of films pitting Mexican wrestlers, like Santo, against the Mummies displayed in this museum.



The mummies were naturally formed. No embalming fluids have gone anywhere near them, yet they are real corpses. The chemical composition of the ground beneath the museum prevented their decay. This was a fact which was only discovered by an exploitative quirk of law.

In 1833, an 'Asiatic' cholera epidemic swept through the Americas (and much of the rest of the world). The people of Guanajuato were particularly hard hit, with 3000 dead by the end of the outbreak. Amongst the famous names of the time dying there was Francisco Eduardo Tresguerras, the painter and architect. The epidemic was so swift and virulent, that bodies were quickly interred, without due process of a wake and lengthy funeral. Everyone was so scared that the cholera, that had killed them, would spread even faster and further without prompt action. As a result, many were accidentally buried alive.



This gruesome detail was only made apparent in the decades after the great epidemic of 1833. Local magistrates placed a tax on the dead, payable by the living. If the families and friends could not, or would not, produce their annual fees, then the their departed lost the right to rest in the municipal graveyard. The law came into being in 1865, a generation after the epidemic. It should be noted that whole families were wiped out in 1833. For the poor particularly, there were many unwilling to pay for strangers and distant relatives. Therefore, it was mostly the cholera victims who were dug up. 2% of them were mummies.

They were of both sexes and all ages. The youngest was a mere fetus, killed inside the womb of his choleric mother, and perfectly preserved. Many still had clothing clad around them, without any sign that the fabric was fading. Disturbingly, some had faces caught in the act of screaming, but this was an illusion. Death relaxed their muscles and so the jaw sagged.

Others, like Ignacia Aguilar, held no doubt that they had been alive in their coffin. She had been buried on her back, with her arms crossed over her chest. The records showed that she had a history of catalepsy; a condition which can make the sufferer appear dead.

When Ignacia was uncovered, she was face down with her back bucked, as if trying to lift the lid to the end. Her hands were clasped together, as if she had been praying. Her mouth was biting down on one arm, with traces of blood about her teeth. Her back, arm and forehead were all scratched.

News spread fast. The skeletal remains could be stashed away until someone was willing to pay for their reburial; but the mummies were harder to store. They ended up propped in a large tomb on the site. People wished to see them. So many people, in fact, that the cemetery's workers saw the chance for a quick buck here. They began charging for a peep into the tomb.



108 mummies were taken from the cemetery, including a prominent doctor, Remigio Leroy. These days, it's illegal to disinter more bodies, but those already out have been given their own museum. Their exhibition is undertaken more sensitively; while the mummies themselves are often the subject of academic studies. Scientists, especially those in the field of forensics, have used them to advantage their knowledge of decomposition; while humanities students write theses on the reactions of the living to the dead.

To learn more, please visit the museum's website: El Museo De Las Momias de Guanajuato. In the meantime, here is that particularly horror-laden opening from 'Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht'.

Journey of Action: The Browns Prepare for Mexico

Ryan and Kassidy Brown, siblings from the USA, did what many of us do, when faced with the world's ills. They sat on the couch and watched documentaries, then felt a little overwhelmed by it all. With an almost obsessive need to learn more, and to feel like they were doing something, they joined various action groups. Newsletters poured through the post; e-mails collected in their inboxes. But then came the epiphany and their whole lives were about to change.



The Browns, a brother and sister duo from Nashville, Tennessee, realised that they were reading a lot about the problems. However, they were hearing very little about what people were doing, on the ground, to address these issues. They had faith in their own generation, whom they've dubbed the Millenials, as an age-group of 'doers'. So what were these twenty-somethings actually doing? The Browns decided to take a camera out on the road to find out.

Their 'Journey of Action' has already taken them through their home country, as well as Canada. They are seeking out inspirational Millenials and filming their stories. Topics include sustainable living, positive environmental working and community development. Their journey began in Alaska and will end in Argentina. They will enter Mexico at the end of the month. The Browns travel in an RV van, altered to run on vegetable oil, blogging and Tweeting as they go.






Ryan Brown (30) was a Nashville Spanish teacher; Kassidy Brown (25) has worked on Disney film sets. The siblings are both graduates of the University of Belmont. Both have degrees in Communications and Spanish. They have described their 'big idea' as:

We believe our generation, Generation Y, is aware of the social and environmental challenges we face on a local and global level, but they lack daily tools for action. At the same time, there are so many members of our generation that are making change a reality and who are changing the traditional systems of business, non-profits, and education for the better, but they receive little to no media attention. So, our mission is to entertain, educate, and inspire our generation through short form videos that highlight the culture of social activism.
Fast Company Article

They have already earned the respect of outdoor clothing company, Timberland, who have underwritten the $50,000 to fund their epic project.

Their trip through Mexico will include visits to our world-famous coffee plantations. Ryan and Kassidy wish to see how Fair Trade principles are progressing through the work of the Latino Millenial Generation.

To learn more about this remarkable couple, and their great vision, then please visit their website: Journey for Action.

Here are a couple of tasters of their work:





If you wish to see more then stop by their YouTube channel. There will be plenty of Mexican footage coming up over the next few weeks.

Minerva: Pride in Mexican Beer

A brand new beer, targetting the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender market, has been launched in Mexico City.

Believed to be the first of its kind in the world, the beverage has labels depicting articles of gay pride. These are designed to be unglued, from the bottle, and worn as badges.

The 'artisan honey ale' arrives as 'Salamandra' or 'Purple Hand', both of which are buzz-words or icons harking back to the gay civil rights movements of the 1960s. They are designed in colors, which also have significance within the LGBT community. 'Salamandra' has a rainbow icon, while 'Purple Hand' is, well, purple.

Brewed by Minvera and distributed by Bodega 12, the malt-based beer contains 100% organic honey. Dario Rodriguez Wyler, the company's commercial director, explained, “We're out in the market, with great respect, with the idea of offering a product directed to the gay-lesbian community, that has been ignored for too long, but is important and very demanding."



On October 31st, 1969, sixty members of the Gay Liberation Front and the Society for Individual Rights sat down in front of the Examiner offices, in San Francisco, USA. They were there to protest a series of homophobic articles, carried by the newspaper, concerning the city's gay and lesbian bars. Employees, inside the building, took revenge upon the protestors by emptying purple printer ink over them, from a third-storey window. Some say it was a barrel of ink; others say that they were several small bags of ink.

Whichever way it was, protestors were soon covered in the stuff. When the police arrived, it was to arrest those outside. None of the Examiner staff were ever so much as cautioned. However, some protestors did get away. They used their saturated clothing and bodies as ink pads, in order to leave purple hand-prints all over the city. It became a powerful display of gay power, in the climate of the times. The incident became known as 'Friday of the Purple Hand'.

Meanwhile, salamandra (salamander) can be described as a sexual innuendo, best exemplified by drinking the beer directly from the bottle.



'Purple Hand' and 'Salamandra' are already available in bars and clubs throughout Mexico City, Guadalajara and several beach resort areas, including Puerto Vallarta and Los Cabos. Minerva are also planning to open a 'Purple Hand' club, in Mexico City. The ale is already due for export to the US, Argentina, Ecuador, Chile, Colombia and Japan.

Minerva is just a tiny brewery, located in Jalisco, however they appear to have got this right. The company sold out of all 500 cases of their gay pride beer within just two days. They are naturally brewing more!

Why You Shouldn't Approach a Shark Giving Birth

The blogosphere is currently agape with sensationalist writing - shark attack in the waters around Cancun! A woman has been bitten! Flee the sea! Reading these, and the newspaper stories that inspired them, would have anyone convinced that the Caribbean Sea is now grey with hordes of smirking sharks staring down tourists in the hope of a snack. It's patently time to inject a little truth into the reporting.


Bull Shark - one of the suspects (Photo: Brian J Skerry)
I'll admit that, when I first heard about this, I was skeptical. Despite the headlines, this just doesn't happen here. In fact, we have already covered the highly improbable scenario of a fatal shark attack, in the waters off Cancun: Sharks in the Mexican Caribbean. So was this incident making liars out of us? Not really, no.

The official verdict on the circumstances has yet to emerge, as it's been too soon. However, we can piece together the likely events from eye-witness reports and the telling of the victim herself. Nicole Moore is currently recovering well in Cancun's Hospiten. Despite rumours to the contrary, all of her limbs are intact and likely to be functional in the future. She is perfectly able to explain the situation herself.

Even her father, talking to the National Post, stated that, "Some of the reports have been grossly exaggerated." While the director of the hospital, Dr. Italo Sampablo, has commented, "We've not had this kind of incident here previously."


Cancun's Caribe Park Royal
Nicole is a 38 year old nurse, and a mother of two, who traveled to Cancun with a party of ten fellow Canadians. They all hail from Orangeville, Ontario, and came here to celebrate the 50th birthday of their fitness instructor. Her husband and two daughters stayed home. On Monday, Nicole was amongst a crowd of people playing volley-ball on the beach. It was an activity organized by Cancun Caribe Park Royal hotel, where she was staying. As the sun crept up towards noon, coupled with the exertion of the exercise, she decided to go into the sea to cool off.

As to what happened next, the Mexican authorities are waiting on their report until they can establish that it was definitely a shark and not a barracuda. However, eye-witnesses state that it was definitely a shark. The fact that none of them can identify which species of shark would suggest that no-one present was an expert in the field. However, specialist knowledge was not required to see what was happening: the shark was giving birth!


Tourists clambered around to take photographs or simply to get a good look at the wondrous event. After all, you rarely get to see something like this outside of the Discovery Channel! Nicole was one of them. Also attracted by the sudden furore were lifeguards, who quickly assessed the situation and blew heavily on their whistles to clear the water. Jetskis were mobilized to get between the shark and the tourists. However, before they could reach them, the shark snapped.

Unfortunately, Nicole was closest to her jaws at the time. She suffered injuries to her arm and thigh, but never lost consciousness. She is a nurse. She instructed those around her on how best to stem the blood and apply First Aid, until the paramedics could reach her. Ten minutes later, she was in the hands of professionals and en route to hospital. She has undergone surgery, but is now awake, chatting with friends and looking forward to going home. It's believed that she will be able to return to Canada in a week.

Meanwhile, the shark, having delivered her warning, disappeared into the open ocean. Presumably to find somewhere more peaceful to deliver her young. Four lifeguards, on jetskis, searched the area immediately afterwards and were unable to locate her. As a precaution, the Cancun Caribe Park Royal beach was red-flagged for the rest of Monday through to yesterday. It is unknown whether it will remain so today. There have been no more sightings anywhere along the Yucatan coastline. Some people are defying the ban and going into the waters anyway.

Día de la Candelaria

Today, in Mexico, it is Día de la Candelaria (Day of Candles). The name of the holiday might be unfamiliar to those of other cultures, but the meaning behind it won't be. February 2nd has been celebrated throughout the world since ancient times. It might be called Imbolc, Candlemas, Groundhog Day or a host of other titles, but they are all marking the same turning of the wheel of the year. Spring is officially on its way.



Candeleria, Imbolc and all of the rest aren't interchangeable festivals, but they do share many of the same themes. In astronomical terms, it takes place at the mid-way point between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. In agricultural areas, it's the moment when seeds are being sorted for planting, while ewes lactate in readiness for lambs. It's the quickening of nature preparing for spring. It's an awakening, after the slowing down for winter. It's a bounce in the step, because the darkness is all behind us and summer beckons in our future.

In Catholic Mexico, Candeleria naturally resonates around the Holy family of Mary, Joseph and Jesus. February 2nd is 'Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin' in the Catholic calendar.

This was the day when Mother Mary ritually cleansed herself and her infant, then presented him at the temple. As a Jew, she would have been bound by temple law, which stated that a woman was unclean for 40 days after giving birthday. Candeleria was when those 40 days ended.

Accordingly, this is often celebrated by Mexicans as a day of renewal and purification. It is a time to visit church themselves, for Mass and a blessing. This includes taking candles into the church, so that they can be returned home and lit there to extend those good tidings into the home. Hence the name, 'Day of Candles'. This point will be emphasised by a family meal, where everyone gets together. After all, what blessing is more significant than being surrounded by loved ones?

Of course, this wouldn't be Mexico, if all of this didn't turn into a party somewhere along the way! Some holiday-makers, especially in Tlacotalpan and Veracruz, could well find themselves being joyously welcomed into a full-blown fiesta. Street parades aren't uncommon. It's all good fun, so please do join in.

The Virtual Chichén Itzá

For many people, Chichén Itzá is Mexico. The ancient Maya pyramid frequently illustrates those books, blogs and editorial, which tell the discerning tourist 100 places they should visit in their lives. It is an UNESCO World Heritage Site and was recently named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.



It has been on the vacation trail since 1843 and, on any given day, thousands flock to the area to gaze at these famous ruins. That figure is about to leap into the millions, but the visitors will be virtual (and maybe even intergalactic).

Saturday saw the launch of a brand new initiative between Google Earth and Mexico's National Anthropology and History Institute (INAH). The launch event, at Chapultepec Castle, Mexico City, highlighted an unprecedented collaboration between the two institutions. Mexico is opening up 180 museums and sites of historical importance to Google's cameras. Amongst them is the legendary Chichén Itzá.

Filming is yet to take place, but when it does, individuals will be able to sit at their home computers and still visit these sites. The Google Earth application allows web-users to navigate their own pathway through many of the world's streets and wilderness terrain. When this extra feature is installed, they will be able to walk through the Maya ruins and browse the exhibitions in Mexico's national museums. No substitute for the real thing, but as close as we can get in the electronic world.


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Currently, the above map is as close as Google users have been able to zoom into the Maya ruins. The new application will eventually see them right in its heart. Google's executivess are naturally ecstatic at their cool new feature. Google Latin America's marketing manager, Miguel Angel Alva, viewed it as 'a unique effort in the Latin American region and its first such project at an international level.'

But what's in it for Mexico? Hopefully, a huge boost to the economy. The endeavour is advertizing. It's marketing. It's showcasing all that Mexico has to offer and doing so on a grand scale. Google Earth has been downloaded 400 million times, so its users are likely to be double or triple that number. It's been translated into 37 languages. All of those people will now have the opportunity to explore Mexico's treasures in cyberspace. How many of them will then wish that they were doing it for real?

Alfonso de Maria y Campos, the director of INAH, explained, "Cultural tourism brings in twice the cash that sun, sea and sand tourism does, which tells us that this tourist segment travels more, has a better image of the country and above all leaves more money in non-traditional places."

Meanwhile, another Google subsidary, You Tube, has been abuzz this week with yet another aerial sighting over Chichén Itzá. Uploaded on January 24th, 2011, and filmed sometime in the preceding weeks, a tourist filmed a purported UFO over the Maya pyramid. Aliens, Google Earth starting its imaging or a weather balloon. You decide!





Chichén Itzá
Various tours, to suit every wallet or time-frame, to the most famous of all the Maya ruins.

UFOs Over Mexico

We could not discuss the solar system, in this blog, without touching upon the subject of UFOs. Mexico, as with every other country, has its sightings. Some are easily dismissed, as natural phenomena, aircraft or weather balloons. The first picture ever taken of a UFO, over Mexico, was in 1885. Upon analysis, it turned out to be high flying geese. However, some sightings have been harder to explain away or have received a lot of coverage over the years.

On July 11th, 1991, the world witnessed a solar eclipse. The view of this was particularly spectacular in Mexico. Thousands of people were filming the sky, waiting for a shadow to pass over the sun. Millions more were simply looking upwards. They were ready to see something awesome, but what many also saw took their breath away.



Did so many people, from Mexico City to Puebla, really see a spacecraft that day? The UFO was described as metallic and undulating. It had a haze behind it, like an energy haze, as it moved in the sky. A bright reflection came from it, as if shining in the sun, while a darker strip underneath seemed suggestive of a shadow. Moreover, it didn't just turn up once. It was seen annually, from 1991-1993, at the Mexico City Airshow, every September 16th.



Sceptics have supplied an explanation. The object certainly did originate from outer space, but it wasn't from an alien world. It was an alien world. The most prevalent explanation is that this particular UFO was the planet Venus.


Venus, as viewed from the Earth
Venus or UFO. You decide.

Our next story is one that was acknowledged by the Mexican Department of Defense. On March 5th, 2004, an air force Air Force Merlín C26A Bimotor 'plane, belonging to the 501 Aerial Squadron, was flying over Ciudad del Carmen, Campeche. They were searching for the unauthorized aircraft of smugglers. As a result, the crew were recording in both normal and infrared mode, while operating powerful sensors. It was a routine manoeuvre, but what happened next was anything but routine.


Crew of the Merlín C26A
The 'plane was under the command of navigation officer, Mayor Magdaleno Jasso Núñez. When, at 3.400 meters (10,500 feet), an unknown aircraft was picked up on their sensors, Núñez gave the order to investigate it. As they took off in pursuit, their information was being reported to ground control. It was also being recorded, in real time, by FLIR operator, Lt. Mario Adrián Vázquez, and RADAR operator, Lt. German Ramirez.

As they approached the position, their sensors showed that their target had conducted a 'surprising' feat of aerodynamics and then sped off extraordinarily fast. They had reached an altitude of 3,500 meters (11,480 feet). They should also have had visual contact by now, but the skies remained clear to the naked eye. The FLIR and RADAR screens were telling a different story. The readings all confirmed that there was now not just one, but 11 ojects in the sky. Yet outside the window, there was nothing but clouds.



Núñez radioed back to base, requesting instructions, as this was something far beyond the experience of anyone on board. As he did so, the sensors showed that the unseen, unknown objects had encircled their 'plane. The trained military crew on board kept calm, recording every detail and remaining in radio contact with the ground. Meanwhile, fighter jets were scrambled to intercept the objects and, possibly, rescue their colleagues in the Merlin C26A.

However, before they could arrive, the objects simply disappeared off RADAR and FLIR. The crew returned to base, where they shakily admitted to having been a little perturbed up there. Regardless of personal feelings, their meticulous professional had provided a wealth of data about the incident. General Clemente Vega Garcia, the Secretary of Defense, ordered a thorough investigation.

In an unprecedented move, the footage was also made public. Capt. Alejandro Franz pointed out that the Cantarell Oil Refinery was in the vicinity. The lights could well have been flares reflecting off the clouds. Another explanation was that they were car headlights, driving along the Yucatan headland.

Oil flares, headlights or UFO. You decide.

February 26th 2011: The Night of Stars

Festivites will be held throughout Mexico to raise awareness and enjoyment of astronomy. On February 26th, 2011, the Night of Stars will see organized events occurring simultaneously, across 30 locations dotted around the country. 200 institutions are involved, including the French Embassy and the Alliance Française network. The Night of Stars will be linking up with France, to render this a truly international galactical occasion.



The Night of Stars has been scheduled to coincide with both Jupiter and Saturn being visible to the naked eye. In the clear Mexican skies, Jupiter will be seen from 8pm, while Saturn will rise over the horizon from 9.30pm. This will also be a great opportunity to peer at the nebula, just below Orion's belt, where new stars are being formed.

Throughout the country, hundreds of professional and amateur astronomers will be on hand to guide newcomers with their star-gazing. There will be telescopes for people to peer through; as well as constellations pointed out, that can be seen without equipment.



Events also include lectures, workshops and exhibitions, all designed to introduce astronomy and educate attendees on their place in the cosmos. Of course, this wouldn't be Mexico, if there wasn't also a party going on. Cultural and artistic displays are also on the programme, though obviously nothing that will cause light pollution!

To learn more about the Night of the Stars, and to see what is happening in your location, then please visit the Noche de las Estrallas 2011 website. The English language version may be consulted with a little help from Google Translate: Night of the Stars 2011. All are welcome!


These festivities are part of Mexico's involvement in the International Year of Chemistry. As such, many of the workshops will concentrate on the chemical make-up of the universe.

Several other events will be held in Mexico, during 2011, to celebrate humanities achievements in chemistry. Please consult the official website for news on all that is happening.