FLYING HOLIDAYS

[Music] foreign [Music] on its way to mexico air france's daily flight touches down in new york giving passengers an opportunity to make a tour of this fascinating city what should you see on a flying visit to new york how the new yorkers live first of all let's begin with wall street part of the financial district and fifth avenue throne with shoppers [Music] today is columbus day a fact which might give us food for thought what if columbus had not set out to find a new sea route to india when would america have been discovered [Music] rockefeller center is impressive from the top you can see st patrick's cathedral from this height it looks like a toy you wind up your brief tour at times square teaming center of new york life a brightly colored taxi will drive you back to the airport goodbye new york we're on our way to [Applause] mexico a special air france crew flies the air route to mexico city only a few hours later when the myriad lights at times square are going off one by one your air france plane lands in mexico city [Applause] mexico city should be explored with loving care stroll over to the focal the immense square dominated by a celebrated cathedral life is exuberant in mexico city and nature is bountiful tomorrow is easter sunday today according to mexican custom is the day on which images of judas are burned paper and wickerwork giants stuffed with firecrackers stroll down the streets carried by delighted youngsters [Music] in takuba street the celebration has reached its peak window panes shake with each explosion judas tries to balance himself on a rope the smell of powder fills the air far from the excitement of the city are the peaceful gardens of tsuchimilco mexicans say the ghost of maria candelaria haunts these flowering islands modern architecture in mexico is one of the seven wonders of the world and architects from everywhere come to admire and to learn in ancient days the mexicans built magnificent palaces today their genius brings forth anew [Music] public buildings are decorated with enormous frescoes private houses are daring and beautiful have you ever seen such colors [Music] the university of mexico city is the biggest in the world stretching over more than 1500 acres it can accommodate 26 000 students and its size and architecture recall the great pre-columbian edifices [Music] [Applause] the most impressive remains of these ancient civilizations are located about a mile from merida only three hours from mexico city by plane [Music] chichen itza is the greatest of them all this is the castillo the sacred pyramid where thousands were sacrificed to bloodthirsty gods the temple of the warriors and the thousand columns [Music] the temple of the jaguars overlooking the field where the ritual game of polar was played [Music] this monumental stairway leads to the palace of the sacred virgins they kept the sacred flame alive on the [Music] altar and here is the snail an observatory where the main priests explored the sky and calculated the movements of the [Music] stars [Music] me [Music] in chichen itza you'll find the hotel mayaland nestling amidst luxurian tropical trees and flowers the villagers perform their native dances for your pleasure this particular one is called the harana and calls for beautiful costumes the best dancers can move their feet without moving their bodies one inch if you think it's easy try it [Music] sometime [Music] you'll drive down the pan american highway from mexico city to puebla the handsomest colonial town in mexico its baroque houses are decorated with multi-colored tiles filling the streets with light and color the walls of these attractive old houses hide exquisite patios with cool green gardens and fountains [Music] it boasts a church for every day of the year a dazzling array of golden domes [Music] [Applause] [Music] the most beautiful of all is probably san francisco akatepec more than a century of work love and faith were required to build it the mexicans are fervently religious traces of the old pagan beliefs remain alive among them is the extraordinary ceremony of the volador at the very top of a 90-foot pole stands a tiny platform and on the platform a man dances four other men hanging from ropes twirl in the air fulfilling a right thousands of years old it stems from the legend of the voladors half men half gods who accompanied the sun in its race from horizon to horizon the legend says that if one of the valadores is killed he will become an eagle and fly away into the setting sun [Music] so the festival is a curious mixture of christianity and paganism lasting nine days if your trip to mexico coincides with the celebration plan to attend it in papantla in the state of veracruz peace another fascinating town some 250 miles from mexico city is pat square you'll take the winding road that runs up hill and down dale across some of the most beautiful landscapes in mexico this is the ancient kingdom of the taraskin indians situated at an altitude of six thousand feet and this is the mysterious grey lake of [Music] patskull [Music] for centuries have been expert fishermen with nets shaped like butterflies wings they bring in silvery heaps of pescado blanco a fish as delegate as trout [Music] and now we're off for the market at patswaro the great attraction for the people of the region here are stalls heaped with fish with flowers and fruit and with beautiful handmade objects produced by the local artisans [Music] [Applause] foreign [Music] some of these strange yet pleasing objects are also on sale at the museum of popular arts in mexico city the curators have collected artisan production from every village and [Music] province [Music] look at these terracotta ashtrays many colored monsters and these copper plates [Music] it has become quite the fashion to return from mexico with a shawl and with these handsome and extravagant feathers which the oaxaca women wear on great occasions [Music] let's go exploring near oaxaca is a village called quilapan here in the old convent whose ruins dominate the picturesque village there is dancing dances whose history goes back to pre-columbian times [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] it [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] no holiday in mexico would be complete without a visit to acapulco one of the most celebrated resorts in the western hemisphere laughter of children paddling in the water brightly colored hats and smiling young girls when you see this enchanted landscape you too will fall under the spell of acapulco [Music] [Music] um are you interested in deep sea fishing even if you're not come along for a look at this fabulous sport [Music] there are dolphins sailfish shark tuna fish barracudas and hundreds of others to test your skill and courage [Music] this is a sailfish well hooked too he is struggling furiously but in this particular battle between fish and man the man will win some of these sailfish weigh up to 175 pounds think what a magnificent trophy it will make and how impressed the onlookers will be when you chug into the dock at acapulco [Music] but perhaps you prefer more peaceful activities nothing is nicer than just relaxing in one of acapulco's superbly comfortable hotels tomorrow if you feel energetic you can water ski across the olympic bay [Music] where [Music] or if you prefer lounge on the edge of a swimming pool nestling in the cliffs near the sea [Music] here without stirring an inch you can see a breathtaking sight a true feat of daring a brief prayer to the madonna [Music] and he dives more than 100 feet into the waters of the narrow cove [Music] exploring mexico is an unforgettable experience there is no place on earth quite like it today its beauty its picturesque customs and places its fiestas are within easy reach on a swift air france plane you