Evening star., 1937-01-31
TOURS TO REVEAL
!: .MEX|CO'S SCENES
''MidWinter Fiestas Add
Bright Touch in Old and
New Settings.

CHICAGO, January 3o.-Rare sights
Of Old Mexico, embellished by the
holiday moods Of pageantry and festi-
yals, are to be the travel objectives
In the newly announced series Of mid
winter escorted tours to be featured
BY the American Express Co., In CO.
operation with the Wabash Railway,
the Missouri Pacific line and the Ma
tional Railway of Mexico. "The tours.
which are to apply to all portions OF
the country, are to be operated weekly
from both Chicago and st. Louis" !"
states S. w. Holland, passenger traffic
manager of the travel service, who
points out number of the fascinating
high spots which have been scheduled
to allow closeup" Of Mexico of yes
terday and today.
hub of its civilization in its medley OF
conflicting conquests has always been
Mexico City, as the beautiful capital
dates back to the year 1900. From the
venerable Zocalo. at the portal Of the
great cathedral, one may travel down
avenues and streets where Montezuma
trod, and where scenes as old as that
historic ruler divides and crisscrosses
IN the city's maze of boulevards which
lead to hundreds of romantic historic
spots. Radiating from the Plaza de
Armas are the National Palace, the
Palace of Fine Arts, the National The
ater, courts and corridors, many
dwarfing pagan temples OF bygone
days.
Laughter and Sunshine.
Under a perpetual flood of sunshine
and warmth, the laughter Of pleasure
loving people sound their highest
rhythmic notes at the colorful fiestas,
which are individually staged accord
ing to the custom of district and vii
1age.
At the picturesque ancient village Of
Taxco, where from the sights Of Mex
leo City the tour members enter an
other great piazza before another
celebrated seventeenth century cathe-
dral, color runs riot on fiesta days. In
front of brightly colored houses, hud-
died together in narrow pebble-paved
streets, natives from the mountains
offer thanks to the Virgin. In Taxco
one rarely sees the wheeled vehicle,
as the streets and squares are an arena
for pedestrians and ponies. During
the February celebration masked and
gaily garbed Indians throb old Mex
ican tunes on drums to the accompan-
iment of primitive pipes. Preceding
the outdoor dances, mass is held in a
blaze of candleNghts. Riding toward
the rising sun, tour members will again
leave the capital city and enter the
quaint valley of Guadalupe, Mexico's
Mecca and pilgrim city for the "holy
Of holies." Over 100000 pilgrims
yearly trek to where the Virgin ap-
peared in a rainbow halo to Juan
Diego. In the locality is the Chapel
of the Well and the Basilica, built in
1709.
Xochimilco Gardens on Tour.
Among the sights listed In the itin-
erary will be the enchanting gardens
of Xochimilco. In February the cross
Matched eucalyptus trees line canals
and bower over the water lilies, which
bloom in both color and fragrance to
rival the far-away beauty Of India S
Kashmir. From this Venician setting
Of gondolas, journey toward the tow
ering skyline of the north will intro
duce Mexico's loveliest scenery inter-
twined by the age-old nations mys-
teries. Entering the gigantic pyramid
city Of San Juan Teotihuacan, the
Egypt Of the Cheops is transplanted
from the Nile for Mexican sightsee-
ing holiday. "The great mounds des-
ignating the ancient capital of the sun
and the moon will present one phase
Of the antiquity to be seen below our
border" Holland says. In the visit to
the resort city of Orizaba, the tour
members will pass Budda-like shrines
which antedate the Aztecs' occupation
and predate the first site Of Mexico
City.