On Sunday our local Human Resource Manager, Pilar, and her boyfriend took me to visit the Park at Chapultepec. The Park is massive, 1,600 acres in all, and is between where I am staying and downtown, and the Western edge is close to the Jeanswear offices. Right after we parked the car we happened upon a demonstration of a native ritual called Danza de los Voladores, where four men climb a 100 foot tall pole and then suspend themselves that slowly lower them to the ground as they spin around the pole. Quite a site. Then we walked to Chapultepec Castle,which has a rich history including being the home of Maximilian I when he was Emperor of Mexico, and was also where the US Army fought a battle and took the castle during the Mexican-American War of 1847. It is now a museum.After getting a guided English tour of the Castle, we walked to another section of the park and visited the National Museum of Anthropology. We spent several hours at this fascinating museum, which depicts all of the various tribes and their development in Mexico and then the invasion by the Spaniards. One of the most interesting things I have found is how Mexican history portrays the Spaniards in a very poor light, even though about 80% of Mexico's population has Spanish heritage. After finishing at the museum we had a very nice lunch on Polanco, a nearby section of the city which has numerous hotels and restaurants, and features Mexico City's version of Rodeo Drive.
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| The dancers of Danza de los Voladores start their ritual. |
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| Climbing the 100 foot pole. No safety wires. |
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| As they spin, their ropes unwind from the pole and they are lowered to the ground. |
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| One of the lakes in the park. |
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| Lots of people and street vendors |
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| The Castle Chapultepec |
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| A ceiling mural depicting the young boy who was shot by the US Army and fell to his death saving the Mexican flag. |
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| A very large mural depicting the Mexican Revolution |
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| A mural depicting the Battle of Puebla on May 5, where the Mexican Army and locals defeated the French Army. |
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| From the Castle, looking down the Paseo de la Reforma, towards the Angel of Liberty statue. |
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| The tower on which the young soldier saving the flag was shot by the US Army. |
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| Looking towards downtown from the Castle. |
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| The rooftop gardens |
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| More of the gardens. |
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| Tourist taking a break. |
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| Pilar and her boyfriend. |
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| The view from the opposite side of the Castle. |
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| Walking down the hill from the castle. Lots of people!! |
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| A monument to the Heroes of Mexico. |
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| In the Anthropology Museum, a model of the Aztec pyramids in what is now Mexico City. |
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| A picture of the island that became Mexico City during the Aztec Empire. |
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| Aztec sun thingamajig. |
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| The god of the dead. |
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| Recreation of Mayan ruins |
It was a great, fun day!!
