If you’re hanging around Mexico City this weekend, consider checking out the Festival Olímpico Bicentenario. This Bicentennial thing just keeps on coming!! It wouldn’t be a festival in Mexico if a major thoroughfare wasn’t closed off, so of course several blocks of Reforma are shutdown as of last night through Monday. Unaware of this excitement, we chose the Marriott Reforma for our “last few nights in Mexico” hotel, which turns out to be right in the thick of the action. Luckily I can sleep like the dead, but John awoke this morning to the soothing sound of hundreds of angry drivers honking up a storm at the ensuing traffic cluster. 
I’ve not had much luck finding a detailed itinerary of what’s happening on Reforma (this programa offers the helpful guidance of “start of activities & exhibitions” for 2 full days). But I do know they are setting up multiple olympic-sized pools, basketball courts, gymnastic areas, tennis courts, rugby fields, and more. This is basically the equivalent of setting up a mini-Olympics along Lakeshore Drive in Chicago & completely blocking the most heavily traversed part. It just makes sense, people. You can see the general area below, but you have to go to the website to see the map showing exactly how many fields/courts/pools are getting set up. Hilarious.
Come to Mexico City's pseudo-Olympics & see money being well-spent!!
Additionally, word on the street is that Michael Phelps is supposed to be town for the excitement. This begs the question: how do I get to see Michael Phelps, one of the few people in the world who probably has even longer monkey arms than me? Anyone with a Michael Phelps connection, please advise. Maybe I can get access as a member of the press??
Photo of someone who may or may not be Michael Phelps stolen from the Festival Olímpico website. We are totally going to be hanging out this weekend, I'm sure of it.
After 2.5 full days of packing/loading, the movers seem to be almost done packing our apartment here in Polanco, so I am excited to return to our hotel on Reforma to see if the pools are ready for me to take a dip!
P.S. I think there might be synchronized swimming. This is going to be awesome.
on Oct 8th, 2010 at 5:56 pm
Julie-
Moving to another city/country/continent is no excuse to cease this blog about life in Mexico. Just so you know.
Safe travels.
on Oct 8th, 2010 at 9:30 pm
So that’s why my bus got detoured into traffic so heavy I just got off and walked…..
Thanks for all the links! I’ll have to pop along on Sunday and check it out. Providing I get permission from She Who Must Be Obeyed…
on Oct 9th, 2010 at 9:35 am
I hope you begin a new blog about life at your new post, and please send me a note if or when you do. I have certainly enjoyed this one; thanks for the view of Mexico City, our next post.
on Oct 10th, 2010 at 1:00 am
[...] other news today, the Festival Olímpico Bicentenario was as random as you might have expected. Favorite sights included: Hot guys playing sand [...]
on Oct 12th, 2010 at 11:09 am
Martin- Thanks! I may keep it going for a little while with stockpiled photos I have of other trips/random DF sights… We’ll see how long the novelty continues!
Gary– good to see you made it down to the Olympics. I share your blogged-about sentiments of “What exactly was the inspiration behind this???”
Donigan- Thanks so much! I hope to stay updated on DF through your commentary once you arrive??
on Oct 13th, 2010 at 11:55 am
[...] The closest I got to seeing the much-heralded Michael Phelps at the Festival Olímpico Bicentenario was in these photos for sale on the street. (But I did read a great quote from another Mexican [...]