A Mexican beauty and a parent’s anxiety

What a great front-page photo by Wally Skalij for the Puebla, Mexico, article [“Prides of Puebla,” by Christopher Reynolds, March 18].

Also, the “Staying Safe on Spring Break” On the Spot column [Catharine Hamm, March 18] and the Cancún photo resonated with my wife and me. When our son Alex was in his early 20s, we gave him a college graduation present of bare-bones travel through Eastern Europe — on his own.

We were among parents who got that phone call, in our case, a crackly line that kept dropping — from Bulgaria (oh, great!) — where Alex alerted us that he had slipped and fallen at a Black Sea disco “foam party” (he’s not much of a partyer, really) and had to get 20 stitches to close a gash in his chin.

All’s well that ends well, but we were anxiety-ridden for the next four weeks until he landed safely back in California.

Bill Blanning

Corona del Mar

No love for resort fees

Re: “Palazzo, Venetian Raise Resort Fees” [Jay Jones, March 18]: I first encountered resort fees several years ago at a place I was staying. When I learned what they were for, I told them I did not partake of the amenities they wanted me to pay for, nor was I aware of some.

I refused to pay for something I was not told of in advance. I was told not to return. That’s been no problem.

The Need to Know item that the Palazzo and Venitian have raised their resort fees reminded me of that earlier scam. Resort fees are a dishonest attempt by a hotel to advertise lower rates and then backdoor them.

Bruce N. Miller

Playa del Rey

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