Mexico City | Bosque de Chapultepec

I flew into Mexico City on January 1. I'll be staying in arguably the coolest neighborhood, Roma Norte. The first thing I do when traveling to a new space is make time for a long run around the area. I look for a large park because they show off the best parts of the city: scenic views, the type of people, architecture, art. The mornings are particularly amusing. Watching a city wake up is like catching someone undressed by accident. It's not what you thought would happen. It's not crowded. Weather permitting, you're much more inclined to deviate and explore a little.  

Roma Norte looked close to Bosque de Chapultepec. Turns out, it is three times the size of Central Park and has a castle in the confines. I took advantage of my first morning by getting an early start. The sun started rising around 6:45 AM local time on January 2; I was jogging towards the park by 7:00 AM.

I met up with a friend on the way. We came in from the south of the park crossing paths with hurried commuters. Lines of of people stand patiently around a traffic circle; waiting for busses to start their commute to work. It's wicked crowded. Everything is humming along at a snail's pace. Not optimal for running through.

Once inside, I made my way towards 2 lakes in the center of the park; in front of the National Anthropology Museum (Museum Nacional de Antropologia). When I first saw the water, there was a light fog that hovered over an onyx pool.  It was only disturbed sunlight coming through the tress. It was only small drops of light; gently prodding the scene around us to wake. But, by the time I moved on, heavy beams were cutting into the fog. The warming air was slowly eating away at the dewy morning; almost like taking the blanket off someone that didn't want to be disturbed. It's moments like this that seem very still. Making any sudden movements would upset the balance. 

As I make my way towards the east side of the larger pond, off the path, there's a waterway leading towards a flock of small cranes. They are picking at the water. Their feathers rustle to clean their plumage. In an otherwise sleepy environment, they seem to be the only other ones awake this morning. I liked the way the sun reflected off the water they bathed in. It's like they were washing themselves with the light. 

Bosque de Chapultepec is a little oasis amidst a few looming high rises under construction. These pillars of modern mechanics stand in defiance of all the nature in Mexico City. Something about them makes me think that they foreshadow an end to all of the trees we pass on the way; but these are thoughts better left for another time. The only real conclusion I can offer here is that there was an element of release when moving through the trees and worn down paths. I've run through Central Park for the better part of these last 3 years. Each time, there are hoards of runners and running clubs - morning, noon and night. Rarely do you get a moment to yourself the way that it felt like here. The peace and quiet feels like the first step towards something better.