The Big Wheel

Last week I took one of my long walks.  I took the Metrobus from my apartment to the Paseo de la Reforma, Mexico City's most famous boulevard.  I then walked down the Paseo to Chapultepec Park, across the entire first section of the park, and then crossed the bridge into the second section.  From the bridge, which crosses the busy highways which separate the two portions of the park, I could see the large Ferris wheel which dominates the new amusement park which is being built in Chapultepec.

For 55 years, "La Feria de Chapultepec" had been a popular amusement park in the second section of the park.  Then, in 2019, an accident on one of the park's roller coasters left two people dead and two others injured.  Subsequently, the amusement park was shut down.

In its place, plans were announced to build a new amusement park, "Parque Aztlán".  The centerpiece of the park is a Ferris wheel, more than 270 feet high, the tallest in Mexico.  

"Parque Aztlán" was supposed to open last September.  But as I peered through gaps in the barricade surrounding the park, it is obviously far from completed.

The new roller coaster is still under construction.

I'm sure that the former mayor of Mexico City, Claudia Sheinbaum, was ticked off that she wasn't able to preside over the grand opening of the park before leaving office to begin her Presidential campaign.  The official website for "Parque Aztlán" says nothing more than "opening soon".  I found one article on the internet saying that the opening date will be on Palm Sunday.  That's only three months away, and I have my doubts that it will be ready by then.

Whenever it opens, I do want to go to park mainly to ride the big Ferris wheel.