Evening star., 1938-02-06

at which they are displayed in every
conceivable color and kind by their
street vendors, and in the market
squares.
MeXico's Zochimilco, or Floating
Gardens" Mrs. Wllloughby considers
one of the worlds unique floral Won
ders. They are in reality miles and
miles of floWer-lined canals. Indian
guides pilot you through their sluggish
waters in flat-bottomed, canopied boats
gaily decorated with fresh flowers, as
If you were slowly slipping through
the mazes of some unbelievable bO-
tanical dream. Originally started
upon reed RATS by patient, native In
dian labor subjugated to the sterner
will OF their Spanish conquerors, their
1ntertWining roots ever reaching down.
ward to the bottom silt, have with the
passage of the years moored themselves
to it and created for themselves
permanent anchorage.
In its famous Ahuehuete, a type of
cyprus tree. measuring 100 feet in
circumference, Mexico is said to pos
sess the Oldest and largest tree on the
American continent.
Everywhere" Mrs Willoughby de-
clared, I'VE found the people of Mex
lco courteous to strangers, treating
them as guests whom they were glad
to welcome to their land. The Indians
seemed a gentle, child-like smiling
folk, subdued by poverty and still
chastened by the once iron hand of
their Spanish conquerors"
The carriage OF the Indian women
is particularly graceful and erect.
They are invariably barefoot, the
men of their families managing some
sort of shoes. in which they shuttle
along, while the women in a sort of
quick run carry their baskets of flowers
or vegetables aloft on their heads.
Daughters OF upper-class Mexicans
are usually educated abroad with
great care. and are in many cases ex-
quisltely beautiful. with something of
the glamour OF old Spain about them.
Almost invariably they speak French,
| Spanish or English with equal ease.
| All roads radlate from Ell Capital,
one of the most interesting cities Of
our Western World" she went on.
After you have gone out on one
sightseeing expedition from there,
you return and start all over again"
Meet me at Sanborne's for after
noon tea" is favorite slogan among
| tourists and residents alike in Mexico
City.
In Chapultepec Forest or Park, site
OF Chapultepec Castle, one Of the off,
cial residences of the President Of
Mexico, every Sunday morning one
will find gay parade Of fine saddle
horses with their riders and the quick
tempo Of Mexican band music in q
colorful setting
Another smaller. but interesting
park is the Alameda, used as a mar
ket place in the days of Montezuma,
last ruler Of the Aztecs, who was
made captive by Cortez from his
nearby stronghold
| Auto traffic in MeXico's capital is
set at a pace so fast that it startles
even Chicagoan. "A toston," about
! ID cents, is the usual rate of fare
/ for almost any central zone. The bar
| gain must be made, however, before
the passenger enters the taxi, if he
| does not wish to run into trouble with
the local police for the non-payment
Of his just debts in case of later ar
gument.
During Mrs. Willoughbys sojourn
OF several weeks in Ell Capital she felt
four or five earthquake vibrations,
none of which were in any way dam
gerous or gave more than momentary
concern.
She tells story about a feminine
fellow traveller who was one among
thousands at Sunday bull fight.
Suddenly there was the concerted
| SWaying OF these thousands in unison