It looked a bit gloomy out this morning so we were slow to start. The weather in Mexico city seems to be pretty consistent; cool in the morning around 6-10 degrees C and warm in the afternoons around 22-25. It looked like it might rain today but the forecast said otherwise. Our plan for the day was to go back to Chapultepec park.
We caught the Capital City Tour bus right outside our hotel and took it to the Soumaya Museum. The gallery is filled with someone's personal collection which he wanted displayed, for free, in an incredible building. The bus dropped us right in front and after a quick security and bag check we were in.
The building is circular in style with the walkway to the next floor curving along the wall. The entrance had a huge gate like sculpture when you walked in.
The first floor consisted of collectables such as coins, watches, silverware etc.
The second floor was extremely impressive and sad at the same time. It was filled with intricate ivory sculptures, some on tusks from formative animals.
The third and fourth floor houses a variety of paintings, much of which were religious in nature.
The fourth floor was entirely dedicated to Venice and housed an abstract original of a Salvador Dali (Tim's favourite artist).
Top floor was filled with impressive bronze and marble statues.
We spent about an hour here, but someone more interested in art could probably spend that much time on each floor. By the time we were leaving, there was a lineup of several hundreds of people; glad we got there early!
We hopped back on the bus and took it to the National Stadium. We walk alone Paseo de la Reforma and enjoyed the large photographs they hung on the fence. Turning into the park we saw that the paddle boats were not as busy as yesterday so we decided to give it a go. For 50 pesos, $3, we got a 2 seater for an hour. I thought it was fun but Tim was happy to back on shore.
We wandered into the Zoo (free) and were looking for a bathroom when Tim randomly bought a plate of Chinese food. I was definitely hungry, but since we were sick, nothing tastes very good. The food was what you would expect from a food court, except really cheap.
After finally finding the bathroom, we started looking around the zoo. While the entrance is free, this zoo is seriously neglected; half the cages were empty. We have been to zoos around the world and this one is the most in need of help. The place was packed and if they simply charged 1 pesos per person, they would be well funded. The pandas were cute though, and surprisingly active.
We enjoyed our walk through the park and stumbled across a huge carousel. I couldn't help stopping at it, it was two stories, and taking a ride. It was fun, but Tim got dizzy.
Our second attempt at the Castle in the park was another bust. By 3:00pm the line was well over 1000 people lined up for at least a half kilometre. Instead we walked around the Paseo de la Reforma financial area in search for a patio; also a bust.
Finally, we made it back to our hotel and opted for beer and coffee on the roof top terrace. It was very nice, quiet and relaxing. They played soft lounge music that made us feel like we were at home; couches were comfy too.
The evening we did some housekeeping, enjoyed a bottle of champagne and snacks; and simply relaxed to a couple games of cards. It's nice having time, as you do not need to pack too much into a single day.
