Feb 3, 2023

CHECKED OUT

We had booked just 3 nights in this place. Our work was not yet over, so we were shifting to an apt for a week.

We checked out, took pics... laying out the extra kitchen stuff and fan they had given

Food for the day was ready

we ubered to our next apt. it's just 2 km apart but CDMX is full of one way streets, so we went there in a round about way.

we kept our bags there and ubered to Chapultepec park,

Lat visit we had enjoyed the museums there as can be seen in this link

https://adventuretrav.blogspot.com/2021/10/mexico-day-2-national-history-museum.html

Chapultepec Park

Chapultepec, more commonly called the "Bosque de Chapultepec" (Chapultepec Forest) in Mexico City, is one of the largest city parks in Mexico, 686 hectares (1,695 acres).Chapultepec Park is the second largest city park in Latin America, after the Santiago Metropolitan Park in Chile, it is one of the world's largest and most visited urban parks, along with Bois de Boulogne in Paris, the Imperial Gardens in Tokyo, and Central Park in New York City.

The name "Chapultepec" means "at the grasshopper hill" in Nahuatl and refers to a large rock formation that is the center of the park's first section

In the pre-Columbian era, it became a retreat for Aztec rulers. In the colonial period, Chapultepec Castle was built here, eventually becoming the official residence of Mexico's heads of state until 1934, when Los Pinos, in another area of the park, became the presidential residence.

Bosque de Chapultepec is divided into four sections, with the first section being the oldest and most visited. This section contains most of the park's attractions, including the castle, the Chapultepec Zoo, the Museum of Anthropology, and the Rufino Tamayo Museum, among others. It receives an estimated 15 million visitors per year.

The Nezahualcoyotl Fountain

The Nezahualcoyotl Fountain was inaugurated in 1956. It measures 1,250 m2 (13,500 sq ft) and surrounds a statue of the Aztec ruler nine meters tall in black stone.

monumental fountain is shaped in a set square, The sculptor also carved eight low relief scenes on the fountain, representing the life of the Tlatoani of Texcoco, from his birth in 1402 to his death in 1473. The aforementioned scenes are the birth of Nezahualcóyotl, the death of Ixtlilxóchitl, Tezozómoc´s dream, the occupation of Azcapotzalco, the creation of the Triple Alliance, insertion of Chapultepec water to Tenochtitlán, the coronation of Nezahualpilli and the death of Nezahualcóyotl.

Throughout the first section, there are different kinds of trees; the most common one is the Montezuma cypress, locally called "ahuehuetes". A number of these are hundreds of year

The Fuente de las Ranas (Fountain of the Frogs)

The Fuente de las Ranas (Fountain of the Frogs) is a replica of the fountain made in the 1920s in Seville, Spain.

When Spanish lawyer Miguel Alessio Robles was named Mexican government minister in 1921, he ordered the fountain made. He wanted to bring to Mexico City a piece of his home country.

The fountain is covered in Sevillian tiles. Surrounding the outer edge is a series of eight golden painted frogs. The duck sits atop the tortoise in the centre of the fountain shooting water from its mouth.

The frogs mouths spray water towards the bronze duck and tortoise

Chapultepec Carousel

The carousel arrived here in 2018 from the Alameda Central, it was previously in Chicago and prior to that in Venice, which is why the motifs of its frescoes represent canals and gondolas, which makes it more charming.

It is a hand-painted Venetian-style carousel with a capacity for 70 people, illuminated by 2,500 spotlights, 42 steeds with tails made of horsehair and several carriages from other times distributed over its two floors, its total radius is 34.55 meters, 10 meters high and weighing 6,700 kilos. They have two floors and you can get on the horses, floats, swing benches or the spinning cups.

ZIPLINE/TIROLESA

bought ticket with cash. 45 pesos... cc not accepted.

it's an obstacle course with swinging planks on a ropeway and then the zipline.

GREAT FUN

There are spiderweb climbing frames as well as large tire swings and bouncy bridges

FUN RIDE ON THE CAROUSEL

We saw the lights on the carousel and people having a ride. We bought tickets 30 peso each at the nearby kiosk ONLY CASH and the guy started the ride just for us 2. We sat in the spinner cup and had an awesome time

Lovely face painting kiosks

Local crafts

LAGO DE CHAPULTEPEC

One of the most popular features in the first section is an artificial lake called the Lago Menor (Smaller Lake). It is one of two lakes in the park; the larger one, Lago Mayor, is in the second section. Lagor Menor, however, attracts more visitors than the other. Visitors can rent paddleboats and small rowboats at the lake. The Lago Menor was created in the late 19th century, when the first section (then the entire park) was redesigned.

Mexico City...Ciudad de México (or CDMX)

FUN BOAT RIDE

we went to the pier and chose the yellow paddle boat 65 pesos for an hour. They accepted credit vcard but wanted us to leave an ID as security with them. We did not have any. Instaed we left 100 pesos in cash [we collected it back when we returned our life vests after the ride]

we thought it would be just the lake views but they have create a nice waterfall which can be seen only from the boat in a corner of the lake.

such a nice surprise!!

This sis the Casa del Lago seen from the boat. At the same time Lago Menor was created, the Casa del Lago was constructed. It is shallow with an average depth of a little over one meter. The Casa del Lago is now a restaurant