Parque Metropolitano

On Sunday, I decided to go on an adventure to a very well known and huge park in Guadalajara.  It's called the Metropolitan Park.  Needless to say I've been having to practice the word in secret cause I have the hardest time saying Metropolitano in Spanish.  No idea why, but oh well... there are just some words that'll trip you up.  Anyway, the park is about two blocks from my apartment.  I decided I'd take a walk around and see what there is to see.

I get there and it's insanely busy.  Guess I figured out where everyone goes on Sunday.  There are walking paths, biking paths, tons of trampolines and playgrounds, picnic tables, covered areas for parties and an overwhelming amount of brown grass.  The first thing I really notice however is how hard it is to walk on the paths.  I feel at any moment I'm going to get killed by people on bikes or roller blades.  Apparently they're driving skills cross over to biking and any other wheeled transportation... I then notice that the paths are split down the middle by a faded yellow line.... oh... I'm on the bike path.  Now I realize why I feel I'm going to get killed at any moment.  So, I move over to the supposed walking side of the yellow line.  After five minutes of walking on that side I realize that it's almost better on the other side.  This is because on the walking side of the line, you have the children who don't know how to steer and stay on their side of the line.  Generally, I found myself almost frozen in place ready to hurl myself out of the way of any stray children on their trikes.

I finally get to a less populated area of the park and find a map of the park and think, "Oh, how great!  I can now figure out where I am and what I want to see!"  Wrong.  Why don't they make "You are here" stickers mandatory on every map??  So, I continue to wander.  Keep in mind the park is full of crossing paths.  It's seriously a maze.  I walk for a while and find myself at a dead end a kind of mini canyon in the park.  No way to cross... at least not in flip-flops anyway.  So... it's back the way I came and to find another path that will take me out of the "mountaineering" section of the park.

After trekking through gravel, rocks, dirt and almost some dog poo, I finally make it back to the front area of the park.  I hear music so I decide to head over that way and I find a huge crowd around some gymnastic display.  It was interesting and odd at the same time.  At the end of the demonstration they bring out flags and I realize they’re from Denmark.  No wonder there were so many with blonde hair.  After that I decide to head home.

The greatest thing about this park is they apparently have outdoor cinema.  Um.  Awesome.  I’m excited to go.  When I’m on the roof of my apartment I can actually hear the movies playing.  So, it sounds like I’ve got some good entertainment at my doorstep in the future.

The website, for those who’d care to look.   http://www.parquemetropolitano.com.mx/