(Mon. 24- Sat. 29, June, 2019)

In 1519, two worlds faced each other for the first time. On a bridge in Lake Texcoco, Emperor Montezuma greeted the Spanish captain Hernán Cortés. Two empires met without knowing that together they were building a new civilization, the mestizo culture of the Americas. Mexico City stands out as the center of the exchanges and combinations that have molded the Western Hemisphere. Going to Mexico City is no tourist trip: it’s a traveler’s journey to the center of the Americas, to the foundations of who we are today.

The people whose capital city fell to the Spanish called themselves the Mexica (me-SHEE-kah), whose name lives on today. The Mexica were not always on top: only a few generations before the Spanish came, they were poor subjects of the Tepanec empire. Struggling for position, the Mexica rose to power, formed alliances, and came to rule most of Mesoamerica before the Spanish arrived. Remarkably, as our trip to Mexico City shows, the Spaniards did not eliminate the rich traditions of the Mexicas. As the candle of time burns, the cultural wax of various ages flows together and extends its own base. Consequently, Mexico has not diminished with time, but has grown stronger.

What inspired the Mexica to build their city? How and where did the last emperor surrender? Where was the first university in the Americas? Did the Spanish use force to convert natives to Christianity? By visiting archeological sites, museums, and walking the unforgettable streets of the Mesoamerican metropolis, we will explore answers to these questions. Forgotten Lives of Latin America retraces the steps of natives who shaped culture before, during, and ever since the Spanish conquest. From Teotihuacan to the Templo Mayor, Xochimilco, and even the Basilica of Guadalupe, native civilization has shaped our lives in Latin America and beyond in ways that defy stereotypes.

Go to see, go to feel, and go to know. Your guide is Dr. Ezekiel Stear, whose field is the colonial period in Spanish America. As a professor, he shares his knowledge with participants, yet without outside work and exams, just unbridled, live learning. What’s more, he provides each participant with a packet of lecture notes, highlights of scholarly findings, and lists for further reading. Forgotten Lives of Latin America combines the best of the university classroom with the unparalleled experience of being there! Take your learning to the source and make friendships to last a lifetime! Culture forms where worlds collide.

Download detailed itinerary of the Mexico City Trip

Worlds Collide Itinerary

Cost from Tijuana: $1399   Cost from LAX: $1699

Non-refundable deposit: $500

Traveller’s Insurance available for an additional fee

Yes, take me to colonial Mexico City!

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Online application and Payment Form, Worlds Collide: Mexico City