You may think that Macha Mexico is obsessed with Xochimilco—but only until you are there you could understand why we go back again and again. Every time I have been there, I have enjoyed the company of great machas and savored great food made right in front of me by an expert woman who can prepare delicious quesadillas of flor de calabaza (squash blosson), delicious Oaxaca cheese, and my favorite, hutilacoche. Well, a couple of weeks ago I was lucky enough to visit Xochimilco again, but I have to say, this time was the best, and probably will stay in my memory as one of the best trips I’ve ever made.

The reasons: we decided to go to the famous Isla de las Muñecas, a legendary place where many years ago an old man–Julián Santana Barrera–was scared by the spirit of a drowned woman who used to visit his chinampa. In order to fight the spirit Julián started collecting dolls that he found sunk in the canals or in the garbage and hung them around his house. Over the years, the collection grew bigger in size and fame, up to a point that locals and visitors would bring dolls too, until long lines of dolls completely surrounded the whole land.

In order to get there, you have to cross the Reserva Ecológica, which compels you to sail far away from the touristy parts of Xochimilco usually full of families and groups of friends who are sometimes singing to the tune of a mariachi or a marimba. Once you leave behind that area, Xochimilco becomes water and sky, herons landing here and there, milpas, and some cows that stare at you as you pass by. As you drift on the water you can actually see everyday life in Xochimilco: a house guarded by a dog here, little shops there, a bridge used by locals, little kids waving with their hands, carps (yes, carps) jumping from the water…

When you arrive to the Isla de las Muñecas you pay 10 pesos and you get to visit a little “museum” which is a little room where you can see Agustinita, the favorite doll of the old man who collected the dolls, seating on her own shrine. Julián’s nephew will tell you the legend of the place while you probably take pictures and peruse the place until you find a fish tank with two ajolotes, the legendary aquatic salamander that undergoes metamorphosis remaining in the water and gilled. No doubt that the whole place has a weird vibe (as expected), but you can ask your guide to take you to see the rest of the land—and his garden. He grows chard, chamomile, and chilacayotes (a type of big squash)—everything organic.

This time we didn’t go early in the morning as many people recommend to “enjoy” the trip. In fact, we arrived to Xochimilco around five which turned out to be a great timing since going back to downtown Xochimilco from Isla de las Muñecas allowed us to see the sunset and enjoy the night during the last part of the trip.

The cost of the trip was 1200 pesos (around a hundred dollars) and believe me, it worth it (thank you Islandia!).

As we were on our way back to Distrito Federal I really missed the water surrounding us. Being in Xochimilco makes you think about an ancient Mexico City that used to have canals instead of streets and trajineras as its main way of transportation. What if we’d started all over again and bring water to this dry lake that makes Mexico City sink more and more every year? Below, a photo montage inspired on this idea.

Taken last Summer at the exhibition Citámbulos, at the Museo Nacional de Antropología.

*Pictures via Macha Mexico’s friends on Facebook

The Xochimilco canals are hardly an undiscovered secret in Mexico City; they are described in all the handbooks as a worthwhile destination for tourists and chilangos alike. Rightfully so. The afternoon I spent there for a friend’s birthday was one of the nicest I’ve ever had in Mexico City.

Lake Xochimilco was the breadbasket of Tenochtitlan. The canals that exist today were formed by chinampería, a method of farming developed by the Xochimilcas during the 12th through 14th centuries. Chinampas, often called “floating gardens”, were a way around the challenges faced by farmers in the Valley of Mexico (such as poor soil, irregular rainfall, and occasional frosts) because they allowed farming to take place literally on top of the lake. Created by staking off shallow areas of Lake Xochimilco and enclosing these areas with reeds or canes, these areas were then filled up with mud, silt, and dead plants until the chinampa rose about a meter out of the water. Because of the flow of water around the chinampas, the crops were easily irrigated and maintained.

Although there is still farming taking place in Xochimilco, the main draw is the canals, where you can rent a trajinera (boat) to take you on a slow, floating tour of what is left of the canal system. The trajineras are colorfully painted, covered boats, propelled by a boatsman pushing a stick against the floor of the canals. Each trajinera is named after a woman. They range in size to accomodate whatever group you bring, from a couple of people up to a group of 20. Rates are supposedly uniform, but be sure to set a price before you leave the embarcadero, and remember to tip the boatsman for good service.

I had read about Xochimilco in the guidebooks for about a year before I finally made the trip. I went with a group of gays and lesbians in order to celebrate my friend’s birthday. I have to admit, I don’t know if it would have been as much fun if I wasn’t in such good company. For our large group we got the largest size trajinera, for approximately 200 pesos per hour. Split between a bunch of people, it was well worth the cost.

Our boatsman made a special point of selling us a bucket of beer on ice before we left the embarcadero, and we bought, not knowing that anything we needed would be available to us on the water as well (for a slightly higher price). Indeed, we had not pushed off more than five minutes earlier when a girl making massive micheladas in paper cups paddled up to our boat and latched onto the side of it so her hands were free to play bartender. She was only the beginning: souvenirs, esquites, beer, botanas, dulces, flowers, tacos–all of them were available for purchase, sold by floating vendors that aggressively paddled after boats full of potential customers.

Micheladas on the go:

Manzanas acarameladas:

In addition to being able to purchase food, drinks, and recuerdos, there are also many floating bands available for hire, the most popular styles being mariachi and marimba. The boats carrying the musicians (including their large percussion instruments) can attach to your boat and provide you with music for your floating party. Rates are per song.

This video gives the viewer a sense of the pace of the Xochimilco canals. Please note the marimba band floating by on another boat.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_mVkyB7sIM]

The longer you spend on a trajinera, the further away from the touristy areas you can get. It is possible to tour the parts of Xochimilco where people live, where farming is still going on, and where there is more wildlife. To get deep into the remote sections of the canals, expect to lease the boat for at least three hours (accounting for the return trip to the embarcadero). On that note, please be aware that although the boats do not have bathrooms on them, there are several locations along the way where, for a few pesos, you can use the bathroom. (Note: some do not have soap or running water.)

If you are nervous about being affectionate with a girlfriend or otherwise being visibly “out” in front of the boatsman, I recommend, if your Spanish allows, simply being upfront about your needs as you negociate a price. There are many boatsmen competing for your business, and there are certainly those who will have no problem taking gays and lesbians on their boats.

The two main launches, Embarcadero Caltonga and Embarcadero Nativitas, are both a short walk from the center of the town of Xochimilco, which is nice to explore, and boasts a large and beautiful 16th century church, Parroquia de San Bernardino de Siena. I recommend going by taxi (to save time and energy), but for those who prefer public transportation, you can get to Xochimilco by taking the tren lijero to the Embarcadero Station. Other sights in the area include the Xochimilco flower market and the Parque Ecológico de Xochimilco which hosts a museum dedicated to the history (both natural and cultural) of the area.

Xochimilco is worth visiting if you are spending more than a few days in Mexico City. (If you are just in town for the weekend, the location, which takes a while to get to, makes it less attractive than other more central sights.) Although I enjoyed the energy that came from visiting the canals with a large and festive group, my sense is that a day at Xochimilco can just as easily be slow and romantic, perfect, say, for two couples on a double date. So relax, macha, rent a boat, get a little drunk, enjoy the music, and enjoy the ride.