Another Long Walk

Once again I must thank Scott, the author of the blog "Gringopotpourri".  He wrote about a pedestrian / bicycle path that follows the old railway tracks heading toward Cuernavaca.  On Wednesday I followed the route that he described in his blog.

I took the subway to the San Joaquín station, and went a couple blocks to the Grupo Modelo brewery (the manufacturers of Corona beer, as well as numerous other Mexican labels).  This was going to be my starting point.

You can see the path next to the old rail tracks.  This photo is looking in the opposite direction from which I was going to walk.  The path extends in that way beyond the brewery for some distance, but for some reason it was closed off.

The first part of my route passed through a neighborhood that was not particularly attractive although it not feel dangerous.  There was however a great deal of litter and graffiti along this section of the path.

I have no idea what the deal is with these shoes strung across the electric lines, but there were dozens of pairs along this first part of my walk.

Before very long I enter the area known as Nuevo Polanco (New Polanco) with its new office and apartment towers.

Polanco is one of Mexico City's most affluent neighborhoods, but just to the north of it was a largely industrial area.  In recent years that area has had a radical redevelopment as an upscale center for business, shopping, and culture, It also has over 24,000 housing units.  There are also plans for the U.S. Embassy to move to this neighborhood.

The heart of Nuevo Polanco is Plaza Carso, a development owned by multibillionaire Carlos Slim.  It was built on the former site of a tire factory.  The centerpiece of Plaza Carso is the Soumaya Museum, which houses Slim's art collection.

The striking building was designed by Slim's son-in-law Fernando Romero.  It is covered with 16,000 aluminum tiles.

The museum is free to the public, and contains an eclectic collection which includes Old Masters, Mexican art, and sculptures by Rodin.  I visited it several years ago, and enjoyed it.  The museum however has its critics.  Some have said that it is a collection of second-rate art by first-rate artists.

Plaza Carso also contains the Jumex Museum, a contemporary art museum owned by the Mexican juice company.

I have also visited that museum and found it a ridiculous and pretentious assemblage of what passes for "art" these days.  I do, however, regret having missed the Andy Warhol exhibit that was there earlier this year.

Next to the Soumaya Museum is the underground Telcel Theater.  (Telcel is a Mexican telecommunications company owned by Slim.)

A couple years ago, Alejandro and I saw a Spanish-language production of "Wicked" there.  Currently "El Rey León" (The Lion King) is playing there.

There is also a ritzy shopping mall which includes a "Sak's Fifth Avenue".

Across the street from the Soumaya Museum is the newest attraction (which I visited earlier this year), the Imbursa Aquarium.  (Imbursa is an insurance company owned by... guess who... Carlos Slim.)

I continue down the path, leaving Plaza Carso behind me.

This flour mill, complete with grain silos, is a remnant of the industrial past of this neighborhood.

Crossing over from Nuevo Polanco to Polanco there is another shopping mall, this one anchored by Sears.  As I have mentioned before, Sears in Mexico is a much more upscale store than in the U.S.  And unlike its counterpart north of the border, it seems to be doing fine.  And Sears-Mexico is owned by, yes, Carlos Slim.

Next door to the mall is the Ferrari dealership.  I read that you have to make an appointment to go inside.

This kosher delicatessen is testimony to the fact that Polanco is the center of Mexico City's Jewish community.

The path crosses and goes under a tangle of major thoroughfares.

Once I have passed that traffic nightmare, I have entered the neighborhood of Lomas de Chapultepec, which is arguably even ritzier than Polanco.

The landscaping along this stretch of the path is impeccably manicured and free of litter.  The nearby businesses have taken on the responsibility of maintaining the gardens.

The signs make it explicitly clear that canine doo-doo is a no-no.

Whenever I am in a neighborhood such as this, I think of the ignorant people who think of Mexico as a backward hellhole, and I want to laugh in their faces.

The path ascends to become a bridge...

...in order to avoid another jumble of streets and freeways.  In the center of it all is the monument to the "petroleros", the petroleum workers.  

But since the view of the monument is not very good from the pedestrian bridge, I go down to street level, brave the traffic, and take a better photo.

 Next I come to a very striking office building called the "Torre Virrey" (Viceroy Tower).

At the base of the tower is a Starbucks.  I am not a big fan of Starbucks, but they do come in handy.  I went inside, ordered a smoothie, took a break from walking, and used the restroom (my main reason for stopping there).

The place was crowded with business people, both Mexican and foreign.

I come to another pedestrian bridge, and looking back I have a better view of the Torre Virrey's distinctive shape.

This bridge also takes me into the second section of Mexico City's vast Chapultepec Park.

I am approaching the end of my walk.  I want get on the subway at the Constituyentes station which is not far from this part of the park.

I pass by the amusement park, "La Feria de Chapultepec".

I am expecting an exit from the path to take me to the subway stop, but now I have passed Chapultepec Park completely and I am hemmed in on either side roads and freeways.  (I later find out from Alejandro that this path goes on and on for miles and miles.  He doesn't know if it actually goes all the way to Cuernavaca, but it does follow the old train route all the way up into the mountain forests to the south of the city.  It passes through some rough neighborhoods, however, so he doesn't recommend that I return to do more of the path.)

At last I come to a bridge that takes me up and over the traffic.

At this point I am not quite sure where I am, but I manage to find my way to the subway station without even asking directions from passersby.

It was a very enjoyable walk, and it wasn't as strenuous as I thought it might be.