The Caribbean in 2003
Imagine all you expect at a Worldcon and more. Imagine a Worldcon in paradise. Imagine a Worldcon in Cancún.
Picture yourself listening to your favorite authors, editors, and artists on panels in the afternoon and strolling exquisite white sand beaches in the evening. Picture yourself steering through a sea of science fiction fans one minute and swimming in turquoise seas the next. Buy a book in the dealers' room and read it under palm trees at the water's edge with a cool drink. Travel from discussions about alien water worlds directly to a snorkel or dive expedition in a real underwater world. Let your imagination soar through space; let your body parasail through clear blue skies. Imagine future civilizations one day and explore ancient Mayan ruins the next. Lose yourself in the fantastic paintings in the art show and find tranquillity in the beautiful scenery all around you.
Dine at restaurants that range from the American standards to exotic international cuisines. Shop in local upscale malls or bargain markets. Cancún offers a wide range from simple to sophisticated. You'll find many of the stores you're used to seeing at home, plus hundreds more, Mexican style. Picture the elemental pleasures of warm Caribbean seas, pristine white beaches and warm welcoming sun combined with all the conveniences of a modern resort setting.
Cancún boasts some of the clearest waters in the world. See bountiful tropical fish not in an aquarium, but in their natural environment. In some areas you can explore right out from your hotel. Divers will enjoy investigating the reef at Punta Nizuc, the starting point of the Belize barrier reef, the fifth longest reef in the world.
Explore the surrounding area on a daytrip. Options include Mayan ruin sites such as Tulum, Uxmal, Chichen Itza and others. See artifacts not in a museum but amid ancient monuments. Take a boat cruise to nearby Isla Mujeres or Cozumel. Take a jeep tour into the rainforest or explore the canals of mangroves on a wave runner or rented boat. Enjoy nightlife into the night. Dance the night away at the numerous upscale discos and nightclubs, enjoy a dinner show complete with live Mexican entertainment, or schedule a dinner cruise. End your night with a moonlight stroll along the beach? it's unsurpassed, and best of all, it's free.
Experience both a science fiction convention and a fantasy vacation during those vacation days you take every year to attend Worldcon.
Don't miss the opportunity to get out of the hotel zone and into the outer areas where you will experience pre-Columbian Mexico. The restored Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza, Tulum, and Uxmal (pronounced oosh-MAHL) offer a trip 2000 years back in time - in just a few hours! By car or tour bus, each area is worthy of exploration.
Chichen Itza, about a 3-hour drive west of Cancún, is the best known of the sites. Encompassing a square mile area, eighteen structures have been excavated, and many restored.
Archaeologists are still studying the culture, their use of buildings, and the reasons for the disappearance of the Mayas after about 1200 A.D. Coastal Tulum is an interesting archaeological site and is about 80 miles south of Cancún, somewhat closer than Chichen Itza.
If your schedule doesn't allow a daytrip to the surrounding area, lesser ruins are visible in and around Cancún - including Ruinas del Rey, right in the hotel zone. Be sure to wear good walking shoes, bring a water bottle and plenty of sunscreen.
The island of Cancún, shaped like the number 7, juts out into the Caribbean Sea. The city of Cancún lies at the top end of the 7, the airport at the bottom of the 7, and the convention center and proposed convention hotels at the bend in the 7. A main road runs the length of the island. All traffic is either going toward the city of Cancún or away from it. Getting lost is next to impossible. Anywhere on the island is a mere 3-peso bus ride away, 24-hours a day.
Cancún boasts an air-conditioned convention center, Centro de Convenciones, with capacity for up to 6,500 people. It has 150,000 sq. ft. of meeting space: 54,000 sq. ft. of function space; Cancún Ball Room, 29,000 sq. ft.; Cozumel Meeting Room, 14,000 sq. ft.
Numerous hotels are within walking distance of the convention center, both luxury and economy (18,000 total hotel rooms on the island of Cancún), with abundant meeting rooms; international and local cuisine, U.S. chain and fast food restaurants.
or send email to artemis@cyberramp.net
¤ Concancún in 2003 ¤ Frequently Asked Questions ¤ Bid Flyer ¤ artemis@cyberramp.net ¤