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Desierto de los Leones LbNA #8877

Owner:Adoptable
Plant date:Jun 26, 2004
Location:
City:Mexico City
County:Mexico
State:Mexico
Boxes:1
Planted by:Global Nomads
Found by: Not yet found!
Last found:N/A
Status:a
Last edited:Jun 26, 2004
Decreed Mexico's first national park in 1917, Desierto de los Leones is neither a desert nor populated with lions, but a pine and oak forest covering almost 1,529 hectares of mountainside centered around the remains of an early 18th century monastery. This welcome retreat from the pollution and hustle of Mexico City is actually located within the boundaries of the Federal District (Distrito Federal), and is a short drive from the center of Mexico City. The park is popular with picnickers, hikers, runners, and mountain bikers, and with tourists who come to see the well-preserved monastery. This letterbox is located in the catacombs underneath the monastery.

(What's the deal with the name? Desiertos were distinctive Carmelite monasteries; the name was thought to be an allusion to Christ's 40 days in the desert. "De los Leones" is thought to refer to the Leon family, who acted as the monastery's representative in affairs with the Spanish crown for many years.)

The monastery building is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 7 pm. There is a 10 pesos/car fee to enter the park, plus 10 pesos/person to enter the monastery.

Directions to the box:
Enter the monastery past the ticket booth, through the front gardens and through the front door. Turn right and follow the hallway to your first left. Take this left, and continue down this hallway until just before it opens to the outside. Take the last right (just before exiting to the main courtyard) to enter the side garden.

The entrance to the catacomb is a low arch to your left. Proceed through the entrance (watch your head!), and go ahead about 5 feet and through an archway. To your right is a small stone spiral staircase. The letterbox is tucked far back under the stairs.

Continue exploring once you've found the letterbox! The catacombs are laid out in a square, so you can continue straight ahead, turn left at the last room, and keep going straight and then turning left and end up back where you started.

NOTES:
--There are no lights in the catacombs. There is often a vendor who sells candles, but it's best to bring your own candle or flashlight as he's not always there. Also, the catacombs are, to me, delightfully spooky. Not truly frightening, but just dark and unfamiliar enough to be interesting. The letterbox is not far from the entrance, but if you have a strong fear of the dark, this may not be the letterbox for you.
--The letterbox is placed in a fairly high-traffic area. Please make sure that no one sees you. I suggest you remove the letterbox, take it with you as you explore the catacombs, go outside to stamp in, and then replace it.
--I'd love to hear how this letterbox is doing! We planted it when we were living in Mexico, but we've since left the country. Please use the contact the placer feature to give me an update.

Enjoy!

NOTE: UNFORTUNATELY THIS LETTERBOX WAS REPORTED MISSING IN NOVEMBER 2007. WE HOPE TO REPLACE IT NEXT TIME WE ARE IN MEXICO.