Park Villa

Dear Friends,

Jerry and I took a trip to Mexico City last week and I’d like to share some pictures and stories with you.

We arrived on December 26th and met our friends and neighbors Jeff and Lydia at our modest hotel near Chapultapec Park called Park Villa. This hotel/motel hadn’t changed much in the 30 years since Jerry had lived there in the 70’s when he had his camper van parked right outside his room.

Even though he raved about this hotel, I got nervous - the rooms were only $50 a night!!! I couldn’t imagine what kind of a fleabag place we were commiting to! But I grew to feel very warmly towards the place as the days went on.

The rooms were spartan, but spotlessly clean. To me its best feature was this lovely restaurant where I would have my huevos, fresh fruit, and tea each morning.

Around noon the parrots would be freed from their cages and squawk lustily throughout the rest of the day.

(Jerry said that back in the 70’s they also used to have lions in a cages. I can’t imagine!!!)

Our friend Jeff wasn’t so crazy about the fancy breakfast at the hotel.  Instead he preferred the neighborhood tamale vendor a few blocks away - for about 50 cents every morning he would get a steaming tamale and coffee. Here is Jerry getting his morning fix.

All the best,

Mary