A Walk in Chapultepec

A week ago Sunday, before Alejandro was in the clear from COVID, I wanted to get some exercise.  I walked from my apartment to Chapultepec Park... a little over 2.5 miles.  I have written about Chapultepec Park (it's name is really "Bosque de Chapultepec" or Chapultepec Forest) many, many times on this blog.  So, I apologize if this information and the photos are repetitious for those of you who have been reading this blog for a long time.

I entered the park through the main entrance at the Gate of the Lions and headed along the pedestrian boulevard which leads straight to the Monument of the Boy Heroes.

 Chapultepec Castle can be seen on top of the hill behind the monument.

The Monument to the Boy Heroes honors the six teen-aged cadets who died while defending the castle from the invading U.S. forces on September 13th, 1847 during the Mexican-American War.

Most tourists would turn right at the monument to head to the path leading up the hill to Chapultepec Castle (now the National Museum of History) or past the lake and across the Paseo de la Reforma to the National Museum of Anthropology.  But I was not here as a typical tourist, and, besides, those two museums are currently closed due to the pandemic.  I was here for a Sunday walk in the park, and I turned left to follow quieter, less frequented paths through the enormous park... areas that the majority of tourists never see.

The Templanza Fountain dates from 1931, although the statue of David with his slingshot dates to 1910 and was rescued from a government building that was torn down.

Many of the trees in the forest are cypress trees that are centuries old.  One of them, known as "El Sargento" was a giant tree that dated back to the 15th century.  It died in 1969, but the trunk still stands and is a landmark in the park.

The trunk of a fallen cypress tree

A monument to the Mexican air squadron which fought with the U.S. forces in the Pacific during World War II

In the center of the park is a Canadian totem pole which was created by native Americans from British Columbia.  The 36 foot high pole was given as a gift by the Canadian government to Mexico to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Mexico's independence.

An antique carrousel in the park

The Fountain of the Frogs was made in Spain in 1921 and is an exact replica of a fountain in the María Luisa Park in Seville.

The most monumental fountain in the park is the Nezahualcóyotl Fountain.  Nezahualcóyotl was sort of a pre-Hispanic "Renaissance Man".  He was not only the king of Texcoco, a city state which was a partner with the Aztec empire, but he was a philosopher, poet, and architect.  

The entire fountain covers an area of over 13,000 square feet.

At the end of the fountain is a large statue of the philosopher king.

I exited the park on the western side not far from the fountain and walked back to the  apartment.