| OCR Text |
Show H6 TheSalt Lake Tribune TRAVEL Staying Safe In Mexico City THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS Don’t enter a subway car with a crush of commuters; waitfor a less-crowdedtrain. Avoid rush hour, and put valuables in an inconspicuous bag you carry on yourchest. If you feel uncomfortable for any reason,get off andtake the next train. might be denied to foreigners and Mexicans alike because of crime, but that’s reality There have been several high-profile robberies of U.S. travelers herein recent years. And the U.S. State Department warns that crime continues to be a problem in the Mexican capital has sponded by creating tourism police force. / WwW yup of 249 special officers trained in history, culture and traveler safety were inducted in De cember, and asecondgroupof 750officers will join the group Consider hiring a hotel taxi for a daytovisit a series e also precautions visitors can take, The U.S. ofattractions. Thereare tour State Department has practical suggestions on its Web site: companies with Englishspeaking drivers that charge around $100 a day. That may seem expensive, but it’s better than renting a car for around the same amount of money and then trying to find your own way through a city whose drivers view traffic rules as optional. The subway www.travelstate.gov. mexico.html Here a Money: ome general tips. Mexico City oper ates on the peso. You can con. vert currency at any of the dozen or so money-exchange houses at the airport, which often offer better rates than s. It’s cheap(about25cents, regardless of distance) and stations banks or exchange houses in the city. It’s also possible to use ATMs — withcaution. Stick to ones located within a business such as a department store or restaurant Avoid glass: ly visible loca ry excess credit cards or bank cards or money in one place at one time. City transportation: are near top attractions. It’s also usually free of crime, although you do haveto watch for pickpockets. Don't enter a subway car with a crush of commuters; wait for a less-crowdedtrain. Avoid rush hour, and put Never takeastreettax ally green Volkswai and avoid “micro-buse valuables in ous bag you chest. If you able for any converted cargo vans painted green-and-white. The U.S. State Department Emergency numbers: The MexicoCity equivalent of “911” is “060.” TheU.S. Embassy in MexicoCity is 5080-2000. If calling after hours, tell the duty of- recommendedbyhotel staff or call a radio taxi that can be reached by dialing 5271-9146, 5271-9058 or 5271-6125 within MexicoCity. (A tip: Many U.S. cellphone companies offer servie Mexico City. Ask your provider before you leave how ficer that you have an emergency. Police aren't trustworthy in Mexico City.Insiston talk- to dial.) Restaurants also can ing to a representativeof the Mexico City summon approved taxis. At the airport, take official taxis that require buying a HAWATI* | Poesmsateees | AIRLINES food andforget-me-not marga ritas, and you want to be treated like family, you will find your home away from homeat Fonda el Refugio. Diego Rivera, Mick Jagger, Luis Miguel, Thalia and a host of Mexican presidents sure did. Ocean Princess May 18, 2002 $ ofrestaurants serving cuisine from most parts of the world: Latin America, the Middle East, Europe and, of course, Mexico. There are neighbor hood stalls that open onto the street and serve tacos by the half-dozen, restaurants that have flourished with their menuof ant eggs, snails and worms, and tony establish. ments that require reserva- tions and, it would seem, a sports car along with the sports jacket. Solidly in the middle is La Fonda, a true hole-in-the-wall in the Zona Rosa. La Fonda's in Coyoacan. and bartender Manuel Chavez will give you the recipe. Save room for dessert, which changes daily but includes rice pudding, bread pudding and a delicious flanlike specialty. La Fonda’s tablecloths and napkins are white, as are the restaurant's walls, the better to pull your attention to some of the framed itemsthat have become pieces offolk art. On the walls in a couple of the upstairs roomsare napkins autographed by such notables as Diego Rivera, Mexican menu is simple. You can make a complete meal from the appetizers, or antojitos, but you movie stars _—Cantinflas, Ricardo Montalban and Maria Felix and novelist Octavia Paz. The waiters, some of whom Still, ask the staff to bring you speak English, will give you a history of the place and its would be cheating yourself. a combination, or surtido, of appetizers. These could include cheese quesadillas, chicken tostadas and sopes (SOH-pez), thick corn tortillas topped with beans, guacamole, shredded chicken andcheese. guests. Just ask. La Fonda has been a place where you can rub elbows with everyone from locals, artists and traveling businessmen to rock and vary from around $4 to $7 per selection. Youwill have a tough time deciding amongthe main dishes: chile rellenos stuffed with ground beefor cheese, dipped in egg batter and fried ($9); combination meat plates (311); red snapperfilet sautéed Vera Cruz style with onions, tomatoes, mild peppers and green olives ($12); or chicken pre- pared in different ways, either grilled ($10), in molé or chocolate-based sauce ($12) or Pipian Colorado, a red chile- based sauce ($11). La Fondahas full bar, but onetasteof the margaritas and you will be asking yourself: Howcan they pack so much punchinto 6 ounces of a nearfrozen concoction? Just ask, stars, a =*549" Here are additional favor- Los Almendros hastwolocations. One is in the wellheeled area of Polanco and the other is in the south. This is Yucatan cuisine with choices of seafood, chicken, beef and pork. A great appetizer is a mixed seafood salad that is bass, which is baked whole, garnished with sea salt and served at your table ($50 for two people). If you like pork, the tacos de cochinita pibil prepared with a red chile sauce are delicious as appetizers but can quina de los Milagros. This inexpensive($12 for two break- and is indeed little-known. fasts with coffee andjuice) out- Surrounded by a number of goodto middling restaurants in this upscale neighborhood, this door restaurant is best enjoyed midmorning, before the brunch and lunch crowds arrive. By then, the service of- isa relaxed restaurantbut with adress code requiring atleast a sports coat for men. The wait staff is attentive — you can't begin to remove that sports coat with at least one rushing over to help. The food, a mix of Europeanclassics and Mexican fered by the tattooed and wayhip waiters deteriorates. The best items on an otherwise standard Mexican menu are the hot, huge lattés, the mixedfruit juices and the cazuelas — bowls of boiling tomato sauce haute cuisine — is first rate, in which two eggs are cooked with specialties ranging from and garnished with cheese and your choice of meats or vegetables. For lunch, visit Entrevero for the best pizzas in Mexico City ($10) done Uruguayan London broil under a strawberry-pepper sauce ($19), fresh trout stuffed with salmon under a rosemary-white wine sauce ($18), to cactus pads stuffed with Veracruz snapper undera garlic-chile sauce ($19). Los Churrascos is a meat- style a lively mix ofItalian and Argentinefood theory. Entrevero features great gnocchi, purist’s dream: an Argentine restaurant that serves gener- fresh salads and a hearty list of ouscuts of beef with few frills. Side dishes for the meatinclude red wines from the southern triangle of South America. For dinner, Los Danzantes potatoes, simple salads and a nice minestrone soup. The steaks (around $20) are among the best-prepared in Mexico City, but the real gem on the menuis a half chicken grilled and painted with a garlic oregano or garlic-chile sauce is a must, if anything, for its extensive tequila and mezcal menu and one of the bestdesigned bars in Mexico City. The place is expensive ($80 for two dinners with wine,tequila, dessert andcoffee) but features a greatfondueofhuitlacoche — a dark corn fungus whipped into a smooth, earthy sauce — andnice seafood dishes. ($15). The meat-, cheese- or vegetable-filled pastries are soso, but the variety of sauces for the empanadas and the steaks are nonpareil. The standout is ASAPtickets.com 8 777-340-0900 375 465 465 395 also makea small meal($4). If you are in southern Mexico City, consider these dining spots. AIRS 708. JOHANNESBURG RIO DE JANEIRO BUENOSAIRES PANAMA COSTARICA PUERTO RICO RACAS PERU 565 695 545 ON-LINE PRICE RESEARCH : www.ASAPtickets.com 219 Costa Rica 265 JustFares.com $1199 _SLC , Hawa $1399 Bargnck Vong ag ‘ein pean La izesin leisure travel and Altamont, Utah Whatis Falcon’s Ledge? ede scene ae BRO ASA AAR Londen $28 Joyan$633 Jory $20 all major cruise lines and throughout Europe, Russia, Egypl, Hawaii, Mexico, the Parts $383 Hong Kong $529 Nairobi ‘Teich $433 Manila Australia, Africa and China. hen - Sat a. Bed & Breakfast d. Private Pheasant Hunts b. Luxury Lodge e. Romantic Hideaway c. Flyfishing Resort f. Company Meeting Place $808 Frain 4 atk $549 Tele $55 Canbbean, Greece, Rome travel-zone.com 300 727-1606 $460 Bali S080 Aachland $1248 $778 Syiney $1288 800-766-3601 of Au of the Above! You have passed the test come on up andseeus! pax) ce AEE Fares are subject to change without notice. cs mes r 801-531-1606 79 CoeReead i ereta edeeet INCLUDES AIR AND 2 WIGHTS HOTEL PLUS AN EXTRA DAY FREE OW A DISNEYLAND® RESORT PARK HOPPER TICKET starting from: 7 Caminal’sprices include almost everything — fabulous meals,Vegas-style shows, friendly casinos and Carnival’s cruises to the Mexican 4, from Los Angeles aboard ELATIONe pampering service. And with a wide choice of cruise vacations to all the most popular destinations, it’s your rT 133 Prataece VUaratt ea For breakfast, it’s La Es- Los Irabiencalis itself “The Hidden Jewel of San Angei” prepared at your table. you're into seafood, try the sea ‘RC- London nda Bergen cruises, and has traveled on se m * 6 Mdews and ites, reviewed by Dallas Morning Newsstaff. She special- eee i iby Pie en) hs Pete mis etd HOPPER TICKET actors politicians. The salads and soups are excellent Marcy Johnson has beenin the travel industry since 1979. cc] oe in front of the coyote fountain { m 7 HS sm = 7% se ci Danzantes as a group. All are guests. Just ask. 8 Days on the Gulf of Alaska BOCTee | eaeBrey the chimichurri sauce for the steaks, a pestolike mix ofherbs, garlic and olive oil. The wine list is short but features one of the best and rarest Mexican labels: Valmar, from the Baja California wine micro-region. Take La Esquina de los Milagros, Entrevero and Los On the walls in a couple of LaFonda’s upstairs rooms are napkins autographedby such notables as artist Diego Rivera, Mexican movie stars Cantinflas, Ricardo Montalban and Maria Felix and novelist Octavia Paz. The waiters, some of whom speak English, will give you a history of the place andits MexicoCity has thousands PRINCESS CRUISES 7. | We don't sell travel, a MEXICO CITY If you are looking for classic Mexican iyieee) Air, car and hotel packages ie tourism office. The numbers are: 5250-0027, 5250-0123, 5250-0292 and 52500493. Also,(800) 446-3942. ticket in advance. we sell. an inconspicucarry on your feel uncomfortreason, get off and takethe nexttrain suggests visitors take a taxi 6-Day Packaces . * Kadima(20 Keite 9, otaee Wilhie MMVecesoss A MealFit for Mick Jagger — or Diego Rivera THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS It's a shame that the historical treasures and modern excitement of Mexico City The government Sunday, April 7, 2002 DISHEY'S PARADISE PIER HOTEL ‘482° FREE ‘506° FREE best vacation value. At prices like these, you can't from oy99 afford to stay home. DISHEY'S GRAND CALIFORNIAN HOTEL” ‘537° FREE’ Vand 4 day cruises to Baja Mexico from Los Angeles day cranes to the Caribbean from Marni,Port CanaveralTampa, For reservations and information, contact you travel agent or America West Vacations tol ire at aboard ECSTASY. New Orleans and San juan 1-800-356-6611 tonere pn rd pga. © Darey May 702. 9 Sarmphe prices are per od. tamed on x tarmity of lene fe tract om be $ 4 ; $ s : CALL OUR TRAVEL PARTNER CARNIVAL SPIRIT. $ s +Carnival. The Mow Poputer Cruite Line 1 the Workd, OR |-600-CARNIVAL OR VISIT CARNIVAL.COM MORRIS 7 day Glacier Route ‘cruises to Alaska aboard sessions sorte Rimtot. mae Risen tletears8 ramen MURDOC, (n=1482 Wa Sra RompeinWas | Men Morris Murdock is the #1 seller of vacations in Utah. ! 0 he we re 985 comemerseae 4) YN) we ed yn pone Maes wekatte co we wang ort eres aty GML Carnet Caryer ter 1res maar et ‘taHogqry Te owe where i t) : |
