12 Friday, April 22, • 1977 THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS American Airlines Promotes Mexican Tours NEW YORK—The color- ful diversity of Mexico and the dollar bargains it offers travelers will be empha- sized in an intensive mar- keting campaign by Ameri- can Airlines. "Mexico and American Airlines have been partners in travel and tourism for nearly 35 years," Randall Malin, the airline's vice president-sales and advertis- ing, said. "We have pro- moted Mexico with en- thusiasm and with encour- aging results since we began DC-3 service in 1942." Malin said that the vast majority of those who visit Mexico City or Acapulco on American have become fre- quent repeat travelers. "The friendliness of the people and the wealth of Mexico. offers have proven irresistible lures in bringing visitors back time and time again," he said. American plans a strong sales push for the 1977 sum- mer and fall seasons, put- ting heavy emphasis on the values awaiting tourists as a result of the devaluation of Mexican currency. American's selection of Mexico travel packages with trips featured to Mexi- co City, Acapulco, and varying combinations of the most requested Mexican destinations will be detailed in a new brochure that is available to travel agencies and American Airlines of- fices. Americana Hotels, a sub- sidiary of the airline, will join American in promoting the sale of Mexican vaca- tions. The hotel chain oper- ates the Fiesta Palace in Mexico City and the Con- desa del Mar, El Presi- dente and Fiesta Tortuga in Acapulco. There is a wide variety of lounges and restaurants at all three hotels, and under AmeriCana's exclusive "dine around" policy, guests at one Acapulco hotel can use the beach, swimming pool and dining facilities at all three. Acapulco will be featured in a short film that will be shown on all DC-10 flights of two hours or more and on all 707 movie flights. The flavor and flourish of a Mexican fiesta Will gar- nish a colorful new meal service on flights to Mexi- co. Two menus have been created to include a choice between a new entree and a proven favorite. Zesty side dishes, appetizers, salads-- The exciting lobby bar of the Fiesta Tortuga is and desserts round out the at th6 center of everything. The 250-room hotel has four— menu. Menus will be ro- restaurants and lounges. (American Airlines photo by Bob tated monthly to assure a Takis) greater selection. Choose your Charter LAS • PftAS SWITZERLAND WHAT EVER THE TRIP WE HAVE IT! SAN JUAN H44 WM/ J ule4 Dimwit "You will never disappear from the face of the earth Oh 'Israel! Nor will your deserts stop giving rosebuds. ...Place of struggles And heroic realities! Be ever blessed!" The above excerpted lines were written not by, a newly-emigrated Jew from the Soviet Union...nor a vis- iting-- landsman from our own country. Rather, they are the words of Margarita Lopez Portillo, the sister of Mexico's newly-elected pres- ident ! And were a direct outgrowth of her trip to Is- rael late last year. This, in itself, says a lot about cur- rent Mexico-Israeli rela- tions. Yes, important political and social changes have been taking place South of the Border over the past Several months. Indeed, one of these changes became immedi- ately apparent as our Amer- ican Airlines 707 taxied up to the main terminal build- ing in Mexico City. Looking out the window I spotted an El Al plane parked nearby, tangible evidence of Is- rael's recently-concluded landing agreement with Mexico. Then, two days later, I read in The News, Mexico's English language daily, that the Second Latin Amer- ican Conference on Soviet Jewry was being held right here, in Mexico City ! What the newspaper account failed to mention (but which leaflets posted in var. lous Jewish sections of the city did) was that Marga- rita Lopez Portillo was her- self a prominent participant in this three-day. meeting. that my trip here convinced me that actions taken both before and after Lopez Por- tillo -assumed his country's preSidency have materially strengthened ties with Is- rael, and with Jewish in- stitutions in Mexico and the United States! Indeed, I came away feel- ing that relations between Israel and Mexico are now very much on the mend; and that both countries are fully intent on building, posi- tively, for the future. Which, quite frankly, made my visit here all the mare "comfortable." Having said that, I'd like inow to describe some of the many enjoyable sights that you, the Jewish traveller, will find in this fascinating land. I'll lead off by pointing out that this, was actually my first trip to Mexico. And like so many before me', I chose to combine sev- eral days in Mexico City with the sunny pleasures of Acapulco. ' Then, too, one can cite the recent reinstatement of both the Bnai Brith and American Jewish Congress member travel programs to Mexico; also the fact that individual Jewish travellers are starting -to return in greater ;numbers. However, it is not my in- tention to dwell on past his- tory. (This, after all, is a travel story.) Suffice to say Here I especially recom-: mend any of the two dozen Mexico packages offered by American Airlines. I think you'll find, as I did, that American provides some most attractive vacation values. And speaking about s-t-r-e-t-c-h-i-n-g the budget, don't forget _ that the Ameri- It's estimated that more than 90 percent of Mexico's 45,000 Jews live in the capi- tal. The major social, recre- ational and cultural in- stitution catering to this community is the Jewish Sports Center, located at Avenida M. Avila Camacho 620. (Continued on Page 15) Pan Am Offers New Israel Tour Shown is the modernistic Holy Ark of Nidje Israel, Mexico City's oldest Ortho- dox congregation. ST. MAARTEN #04,1 CANARY ISLANDS TRAVEL AGENCY CERTIFIED TRAVEL COUNSELOR • 20 YEAR MEMBER OF ASTA r to VW MUMS ,a1. 1 , „, HARVARD ROW MALL • 11 MILE & LAHSER ROADS ' SOUTHFIELD, MICHIGAN 353-5811 can dollar buys even more these days, at Mexico's new rate of exchange. Mexico City is a sprawl- ing, tree-lined metropol- is...7,364 feet high...the- old- est city in the Western Hem- isphere...with some of the most breathtakingly mod- ern architecture you'll find anywhere. Plus literally hundreds of intriguing shops... and a fantastic array of excellent places, to dine. Our hotel, the well-situat- ed Fiesta Palace, was just minutes away from a host of "must visit" attractions including The Palace of Fine Arts, home of the world-famous Ballet Folk- lorico. Close by too was the Zona Rosa (or Pink Zone) with its smart boutiques, fashionable supper clubs and gourmet restaurants; also Chapultepec Park's 2,100 acres of wooded green- ery. This park is also where the not-to-be-missed Nation- al Museum of Anthropology is located. Among the mu- seum's many treasures— the fabled Aztec Calendar Stone' and superb artifacts recovered from the Maya in Yucatan. Well 'worth a visit too are the extraordinary Toltec Pyramids of Teotihuacan, some 31 miles northeast of the capital. Mexico City's Heluany kosher bakery and grocery. store is shown during Passover with a large stock of mat- zot. Pan Am has a new tour which offers a different way to go to Israel, via Rio and South Africa. This 21-day program starts with two days in Rio de Janeiro. From Rio the next stop is Johannesburg, the first of many places in South Africa that will be vis- ited during the next seven days. Other visits are sched- uled for Pretoria, Cape Town, Kruger Park for game viewing, Paarl and Stellenbosch, plus trips to a gold mine and an African village. Arrangements can also be made to meet with the local Jewish communities in Brazil and South Africa. After a week in South Af- rica the next stop is Israel where during the 10-day stay one may visit Tel. Aviv, Jaffa, a kibutz, the Golan Heights, Upper Gali- lee, Jerusalem, and the Negev, Dead Sea and Ma- sada. , For information, call a travel agent or Pan AM and ask for the Rio, South Africa. Israel tour.