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Cuernavaca, Mexico vacation, travel and tourist information by reviewer Janette Higgins.
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Mexico
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Encuentros Spanish Language School
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Jeannie Andersen
and Rudy Tripp
Calle Morelos 36
Col Acapantzingo
CCP 62440
Cuernavaca,
Mexico,
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| Phone: 52-777-312-9800 |
| Students clearly enjoy Rudy's afternoon excursion to a fish farm complete with tasting menu. |
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Review by Janette Higgins
author of The Best Places to B&B in Ontario: A Selective Guide
Six editions of the book were published to critical and popular acclaim. Janette now publishes her B&B
reviews and holiday reports online.
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Study Spanish at Cuernavaca’s Encuentros Spanish School and you could well feel like you’re on vacation. In this Mexican highlands city of eternal spring the sun shines on your outdoor classes, the view over the ravine is inspiring and the efficient school director, Jeannie Andersen, presides over all with a calm and friendly manner.
Born in Long Beach, California, Jeannie met her husband, Cuernavaca native Rudy Tripp, when she went to Cuernavaca to learn Spanish before attending US graduate school. The couple went on to have four children and ten years ago opened Encuentros in the upper levels of their house. Their living quarters are separate.
Reputed amongst locals to be one of the best of Cuernavaca’s 30 or so Spanish Schools, Encuentros is certainly easy to get to. Simply fly into Mexico City airport, follow Jeannie’s clear directions for catching the airport bus and in about an hour you’re in Cuernavaca where you can take a regulated taxi to where you’re staying.
When you arrive at Encuentros, the entrance is deceiving. There aren’t many clues as to what’s behind those high walls typical of Mexico. But once through the green metal gates, and with a quick squeeze past two cars parked just inside, the space opens up and you begin to have an appreciation for just how lovely a setting you’ll have for learning Spanish. As you come down a flight of stairs you’ll note that the school is tiered down the side of one of Cuernevaca’s many ravines with beautiful views across tree tops.
My fellow students were a jolly, adventurous bunch. All were adults though Jeannie also offers well-thought out programs for children, either as individuals accompanying their parents or as a group. She thoughtfully keeps the needs of both adults and children in mind if there are children present. Of the 30 or so students who were there the week I was there (the max is 40), several were from Canada, many from the US and one from Sweden. We often got together after classes. We even found ourselves at a local wrestling match. The enthusiastic crowd was, for the most part, parents with children who had to get up at 7 am for school the next morning. We chatted away in broken Spanish with the families nearby and lustily cheered on the contenders. None of us would ever have done this as tourists!
As for the Spanish language classes, you can start any Monday morning when Jeannie holds an orientation session. As the morning progresses Jeannie quietly assesses each student’s ability and then sends the group off for an excursion that fits the week’s theme. She also meets with those who have specific learning goals, usually related to business or voluntarism. Our group went to the market. While away, Jeannie assigns students to classes of 2-4 and draws up the schedule. Actual lessons start Monday afternoon and for the most part you’re with the same 2-3 people for the week, though your teachers change throughout the day. Class hours are 9 to noon and 12:30 to 2:30. I quickly learned to have a healthy snack at break time since lunch, the largest meal, isn’t taken until around 3 pm. The evening repast is a light snack or supper. Tip: bring some healthy snacks with you; the nearby tiendas have a limited repertoire.
One of the great advantages of learning Spanish in a Spanish-speaking country like Mexico is that the package generally includes cultural excursions. Encuentros shines in this department. One day Rudy took us to a fish farm on Cuernavaca’s outskirts and we got to taste several delicious fish-based dishes. Another day, a classmate and I took an optional cooking class which involved shopping at the market, finding the cooking teacher’s house and learning how to make zucchini soup and a spicy steamed cactus which we then got to eat with the cook and her husband. We also got to practise our Spanish with a lot of different people on the cook’s street since the address we had was wrong!
As for accommodations, most students opt for the school’s homestay which not only makes for a reasonably priced vacation but adds immeasurably to your cultural experience. I suspect Jeannie partners up students/families better than anyone else in the business. For starters you fill in a questionnaire about yourself and she then sends you brief descriptions of three families she thinks you might like. You then choose the family you think best suits you. The cost of a homestay with all meals is US$18 per person per day if you share a room, $28 if the room’s private.
During my week everyone was happy with their home. A thirtyish biologist from Whitehorse Yukon was paired with a young couple whose husband’s career parallelled hers. Others, retired professionals, were paired with Mexican hosts with similar backgrounds. A couple of American women each travelling on her own went to the home of another solo woman.
You could also opt to stay at a hotel or bed and breakfast. I stayed with Marta Elena de la Fuente at Villa San Marcos Bed and Breakfast – the icing on the cake of a memorable week. Memorable not least because I met my goal of getting an excellent introduction to the Spanish language. Hasta luego!
Note to reader: I appreciate your support of the continuation of my research by letting the owner know you read my review of her spanish language school on this bbontario website. Many thanks! Janette Higgins, Travel Writer
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Encuentros Spanish Language School, Cuernavaca, Mexico
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| Tell your hosts Janette Higgins sent you! |
| E-mail: |
Click Here |
| Website: |
http://www.learnspanishinmexico.com |
| Best to call: |
Anytime |
| Languages: |
English, Spanish |
| Season: |
All Year |
| Rates: |
$100 USD registration fee; $200 USD for weekly tuition
Homestays |
Currency converter
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| Cards: |
cash or US $ traveller's cheques on arrival |
| Restrictions: |
none |
| Facilities: |
A beautiful ravine-side building with indoor and outdoor class/study areas |
| Parking: |
on street |
| Breakfast: |
n/a |
| In Residence: |
Family lives in separate quarters |
| Location: |
Residential area close to restaurants and Cuernavaca's central park |
| Directions: |
Obtain when booking |
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