Mexico City - Day 3 - Xochimilco part 2

We arrived back in Xochimilco on Saturday morning by tren ligero.  The frequent pop and crackle of fireworks signaled that weekend days are a much different experience than the weekday.  We were shuffled and directed to one of the embarcaderos where plenty of trajineras were waiting.  After a little bargaining in my very limited Spanish, we were off cruising on the canals.

After leaving the embarcadero, the quiet interior of the canals appears.  The calm waters are kept that way by the flat-bottomed trajineras propelled only by poles.  Boats were numerous out on the canals, mostly families enjoying a relaxing cruise and enjoying the floating food vendors and mariachis that would pull up and offer to play a song.    

The buildings facing the canals serve this weekend party atmosphere with restaurants, nurseries (selling some of the many plants grown in the area), and of course W.C.s. raised slightly above the water level.

After disembarking, we explored on foot again some of the area to the East of the center of Xochimilco.   This trajinera lift connects two of the canal systems that are at different levels.  The process takes a few minutes, but lets the party continue.     

In the center of town, the canals only appear as you cross a bridge, but moving out of the center, the canals and roads start to appear in tandem.  

These two images taken from the same point, but in opposite directions show how the canal system influenced the later road system:  The axis travel remains the same, but the surface material has changed.

Mexico City - Day 2 - the edges of Xochimilco on foot

The town of Xochimilco is one of the last remaining examples of the system of canals and chinampas (floating gardens) that were once prevalent around the Valley of Mexico.  As Mexico City grew, the canals that once fomed the transit system of Tenochtitlan were filled and as the city expanded further the lake system that surrounded it was drained.

On our fist day in Xochimilco, Dave and I arrived by el tren ligero (light rail) connecting from the main Metro system.  Going off the tourist path, we hopped off the train a few stops before the terminus in Xochimilco to explore some of the edges of the canal in the proximity of recent developments.

Vestiges of the canal system still appear in the surrounding neighborhoods that have been filled: long alleys off the main streets, similar to the irrigation canals off of the major canals.

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The first impression is not the most picturesque.  Work crews were out in full force cleaning up this section of the canals.  The adjacent road replaced the transportation function of this canal, but extensive maintenance seems to be required to keep this canal clear of overgrowth.  

Intersections with other canals reveal the lush interior of this section.  Completely different from what is on the other side of the road:

Continuing on, the residences got noticeably more upscale, with more elaborate crossings over the canal.

Eventually, we meandered to one of Mexico City's largest open bodies of water: the Olympic rowing course from the 1968 games.  

Surrounded by a well used walking/biking path the course seems removed from the city.  Some livestock help reinforce the agricultural roots of this area. 

Upon reaching one end of the 2000m course, the town of Xochimilco is close by, but separated by the Cuemanco canal.  Luckily, there is a way across.  The trajinera ride takes about a minute, and connects the numerous playing fields and sports clubs around the Olympic course to the town.

Once across the canal, the narrow streets and alleys reflect a scale of living not suited for cars.  The ends of roads frequently end up back at the canals which were formerly the only way to move goods and people around.  

Back across the canal, past the sports clubs and soccer fields, is the Cuemanco embarcadero.  Even though it is somewhat removed from much of the city, it is lively on a Friday afternoon, as both a way to get onto the canals and just a place to hang out. 

A walk along the busy Periferico (the ring road that winds its way around the outer edges of Mexico City) brings us to the Parque Ecologico.  Built in the early 1990's, the park creates an ecological refuge for many native species and preserves waterways from being filled.  

A quick taxi ride takes us back the el tren ligero, and we're back in the city for the night.  We will return tomorrow for a trajinera tour and see some of the bigger canals in their weekend form.