This archive report was first published on 23 December 2019.
On a chilly winter morning in Mexico City, the thermometer reads 21 degrees Celsius (70 degrees Fahrenheit), but the Zocalo, the city's main plaza, is transformed into a winter wonderland with a sprawling sheet of specialized plastic ice.
Installed by Swiss company Glice, the rink is the largest of its kind in the world, covering 4,000 square meters (43,000 square feet). According to organizers, it's a game-changer for the popular holiday attraction, which first debuted in 2007 using real ice.
"We don't need any water, we don't need electricity, we don't need fuel and we don't emit carbon dioxide," said Hans Broder, Glice's representative. "This rink, as you see it here, requires no energy."
Published on December 23, 2019, the rink has become a hotspot for locals and tourists alike, with around 10,000 people expected to visit daily. The best part? It's free of charge, and organizers have 3,000 pairs of skates available for those who don't bring their own.
As one nervous skater, Stephanie Minon, discovered, the rink is not just about gliding across the ice – it's also about having fun and making memories. "It's the first time I've tried ice skating. I'm afraid of falling, I keep losing my balance," she said, before slipping and falling to the "ice" in a shriek of laughter.
