Mexico City- Opposing Views

It may be a while before I can enter new entries on a regular basis. But, for right now, I thought this might be of interest. While we were in Mexico, we briefly went through Mexico City. It is a city which has somewhere between 10 and 30 million people, depending on which source you cite for this disputed figure. As it turns out, "The Washington Post" ran a story about Mexico City on Dec. 31, ironically just one day before we were there. We did not get to the Frida Kahlo House, but we managed to see some ruins near the city. The Travel Section of the Post recieved two letters about Mexico City, which were published yesterday. Here is a synopsis of those letters:

Tatiana Alva of Manassas, Va., wrote that they stayed in the Santa Rosa district and took a public bus to the basilica without any problems. She added that there were many wonderful things to do in Mexico.

But, Sandy Goodman of Rockville, Md., said one should 'bring along an AK-47 or a Glock 9mm holstered to your ankle' if venturing into the city. Goodman said that he traveled to Mexico City many times, starting in 1962, but quit visiting the city when it became unsafe. Goodman added that one of his/her friends was mugged, robbed and kidnapped near the Zocalo in the early '90s.

There are of course other places with such concerns to travelers, including Rio de Janeiro and Los Angeles. One also has to wonder how you can get an AK-47 on the plane..............