Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2001 17:05:46 -0700
Reply-To: PSavage <psavage@SABER.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: PSavage <psavage@SABER.NET>
Subject: Re: Trip Report to Mexico City - no Vanagons :-(
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Hola Joel!
So, you've been mucking about in DF, I see!
I was last in Mexico city many years ago--when it was still
a reasonable place to be. I urban camped at a nice little urban
"campground" not far from the University. It was owned/operated
by an eccentric, elderly German expat woman. There were several
acres of grass & gardens surrounded by an old rock wall with a gate
house & gate keeper. Hot showers & water spigots at each parking slot.
Very shady, quiet, safe, & right on Ave. Insurgentes & the bus line
into downtown. I think, back then, I paid $3 US a nite to stay there
in my (then) '69 Westy.
I "camped" in Mexico City for two weeks, & never had the least bit
of trouble--except for the nite, coming back late on the bus from the
ballet. A drunk on the bus produced a hand gun & held it to my head
for ten minutes, while all the passengers look on in horror. He was
mumbling something, but was too drunk to understand. My biggest
fear was that he would pull the trigger by accident. I could see the bus
driver's eyes in the rear view mirror: they were nervous.
Finally, a handsome young man crept along the aisle to speak to me from
behind my seat. He told me he was getting off at the next stop & that I
should
wait till the door opened, then jump up quickly & follow him off.
He was a student. I got away unscathed & the student caught a cab &
got me safely back to the gatehouse of the "campground."
Now, since I've seen the Anthropological Museum & all the other worty
venues in D.F., I skit it when I'm in Mexico. The smog is too virulent, I
hear diplomats receive combat pay while in service there!
It's a fabulous city, tho--it's a damn shame it's so user-unfriendly now.
I would love to hear more about your time there!
Cheers,
Phaedra
'85 Wolfsburg Westy Basecamp
----- Original Message -----
From: Joel Cort <joel_cort@YAHOO.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Monday, July 30, 2001 9:34 AM
Subject: Trip Report to Mexico City - no Vanagons :-(
> Hi,
> I happened to be in Mexico City last week and MAN! VW owns this town.
> About 50% of the vehicles were VWs of some sort. Most were the
> "old" beetles in green and white without the passenger seat acting as
> taxi cabs. I say old to differentiate from "The New Beetle". VW
> still makes the old style Beetles here also the the bay window
> busses. They may make some Eurovans too... don't know?
>
> I did see a lot of bay-window vans used in all sorts of purposes.
> They have a fiberglass roof slightly higher than stock. They also
> have a big radiator in front most likely for the A/C cooling because
> they still run the old air cooled motor. I saw a few bay-Westies and
> lots of Eurovans but no Wedge/Vanagons. No Syncros either in town
> anyway.
>
> What a busy town. The worst NY or LA traffic jam has nothing on this
> town. It took us over 1 hour to do about 5 miles on the Periferico
> in polluted bumper-to-bumper traffic.
>
> It was cool seeing all the snow capped volcanoes around the city,
> whenever the smog and clouds did not hide them.
>
> Unlike Europe, I did not see many Diesel vehicles which would help
> reduce the polution levels. Gas was not much cheaper here than in
> the US and they have lots of service attendants do it all for you at
> the Pemex station.
>
> Happy Summer
>
> Joel
>
> 89 Syncro Westy..... Made in Germany and Austria
>
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