Mexico City - Day 8 - Coyoacan

Back to Southern part of the D.F., we took the Metro down to Viveros station to start an exploration of Coyoacan.  Taking the Viveros stop rather than the Coyoacan stop allowed us to explore one of Mexico's national parks.  This tree nursery, founded in the early 20th century by Miguel Angel de Quevedo, a successful businessman who had seen the effects of industrialization and development on the health of the Valley of Mexico, was established to provide trees for Mexico City to mitigate the extensive deforestation that was occurring.  Among other problems, the loss of trees in the Valley of Mexico was causing erosion and flooding, and the Viveros now provides millions of seedlings for projects around Mexico City.

In addition to providing trees for the city, as a public park it provides a welcome green space for exercise and relaxation.

Additionally, the central rotunda of the park hosts a matador training program.  They don't use bulls for these sessions,  instead working on some cape skills.

Adjacent to the park is a section of the Rio Magdalena.  This is the last open river remaining in Mexico City, and while it is plagued by pollution, combined sewer outfalls and an abundance of trash, Quevedo's gift stipulated that the river remain un-piped at least in the section running through the Viveros.

A plan from Mexico City to improve the Rio Magdalena including the section adjacent to the Viveros (in Spanish) here

The flow of the Rio Magdalena continues into the "Rio" Churubusco, which forms the northern border of Coyoacan, and was one of the many rivers of Mexico City that was piped and covered with highway during the mid 20th century.

Images of the piping process and conversion to highways here

Article on proposals from Taller 13 to regenerate one of these rivers as public space in the city here

Also on today's visit to Coyoacan was a walk through historic Coyoacan and the Frida Kahlo house and museum.  Located a few blocks from Rio Churubusco, the house, like much of Coyoacan reflects a scale and speed of life very different from contemporary Mexico City.  Also of note are the beautiful scuppers on the house, pottery turned to direct rainfall away from the building and into the central courtyard.

Also, on one of the kiosks in the museum, a photo of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera enjoying a trajinera ride, perhaps in Xochimilco, or perhaps closer to their home on one of the now extinct waterways.