Don't Miss the Boat in Xochimilco...
Written: Dec 28 '04
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Product Rating:
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Pros: A slice of local culture and a glimpse of bygone technologies...
Cons: Will be somewhat challenging for non-Spanish speaking tourists...
The Bottom Line: Xochimilco wouldn't be at the top of my "must see" list for Mexico City, but it can be a fun weekend jaunt or a place to see something TRULY unique...
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| mrkstvns's Full Review: Xochimilco |
Mexico City has such a rich tapestry of history and culture that it can be a bit overwhelming for a first-time visitor. While some of the biggest and most famous sites are very easy and straightforward to visit, others can be a bit more challenging. Xochimilco is definitely in the challenging category for a lot of visitors because it is not a pre-packaged kind of destination. It is a place where history lives, and it is a place that is very much embraced by and that caters to the locals.
Travelers who do not know what Xochimilco signifies and who are not comfortable dealing with Mexicans on an intimate, day-to-day basis will probably have trouble appreciating Xochimilco (and yes, that definitely means being able to speak Spanish, although you could easily get by in Xochimilco with just Nahuatl, though I suspect there aren't too many Nahuatl speakers reading Epinions).
Don't take this as discouragement though, because Xochimilco is a fascinating look through the sands of time and there is a wealth of ways to experience Xochimilco that can pay huge dividends for anyone who really loves Mexican culture, since this place is a look at the "real" Mexico. Most foreign visitors who want to see Xochimilco would probably be best off arranging a guided tour through their hotel concierge, that way you'll avoid the potential for misunderstandings that will mar your experience.
What Is Xochimilco?
Xochimilco is a neighborhood in Mexico City. People live and work in Xochimilco. But that's not why the place is famous, and it doesn't explain why UNESCO declared the area a "World Heritage Site". So why is it that Xochimilco is considered one of the most significant human cultural sites on Earth?
The reason is the network of canals that criss-cross the area and the gardens that lie just behind the banks lined with towering cypress trees.
Xochimilco existed even before the Aztecs founded Mexico City back in 1325. As the capital city grew, Xochimilco was one of several villages that were "floating gardens" on Lake Texcoco. Agronomists say that the agricultural methods used by the Aztecs were the most advanced in the world when the Spanish invaders conquered the country in the early 1500s. Even today, the "floating gardens" (which are called chinampas) are regarded as one of the most sustainable farming methods ever devised.
Yet, Xochimilco is an anachronism. The Valley of Mexico is no longer a place conducive to agriculture. It is a heavily urban area, with Mexico City being home to some 25 million people, and even outlying suburbs being too expensive and over-developed to make farming a viable occupation. Xochimilco is pretty much the last place where you can see how farming was done in the era of the Aztecs, and even though there are some gardens that still grow food crops, today, many of the gardens grow flowers.
The gardens are a place where the past still hangs on by a thread. They lead a fragile existence and have managed to survive through Spanish projects to drain the lake, abuse and neglect for two centuries, modern age problems of pollution and water shortages, and chronic ignorance on the parts of local politicians, the general population, and of course, foreign tourists. If you want to avoid being one of the legions of ignarumus (or is that "ignorami") who visit Xochimilco, you can find some good info on the place by clicking your way over to www.planeta.com (then navigate your way through Places => Mexico => Mexico City).
Fantastically colorful (and sometimes rickety) flat-bottom boats ply the canals of Xochimilco. The boats are called trajineras and if you visit the area, you must do a boat ride through the canals.
Riding the Trajineras...
Yeah, they look kind of tacky and hokey, but that's part of the charm! The boats meander through the canals, which are jam packed on Sundays, but practically deserted during the week. Along the way, boats may pull up to yours offering snacks or drinks, and others may pull up filled with musicians, offering your choice of song.
Riding the boats is a floating party for locals. They'll hang out for a couple hours, drinking beer, snagging tacos from passing vendors, paying a few bucks to have a mariachi croon out a favorite ranchera or norteno hit. There won't be many tourists meekly surveying the scenery.
The boats generally visit only a small portion of the canal network, and many visitors come away with the impression that the canal area is small. There are actually more than 50 miles of canals, and you can get a trajinera to take you into the less-explored parts of the area, though you should expect to pay extra for the privilege (especially since the "official" rates are per hour, not for as long as you want), you should expect reluctance on the part of many boat operators to do an extensive trip on a busy weekend (when the boat operator could easily find plenty of riders for shorter, easier, more profitable trips).
There are several docks from which you can hire a boat. Just look for the signs saying "Embarcadero" --- that's where you'll find the docks.
One of the pitfalls that seems to hit some Americans visiting Xochimilco is what I call the "cheap bastard syndrome". I've read some complaints on travel boards posted by tourists who seem to want to get something for nothing, as evidenced by their umbrage at being charged for an extra hour simply because they went 15 minutes over their arranged hour-long trip, or simply because they wanted to load 10 people into the boat while paying only the minimum charge for a 3-person ride. The boatmen are working for a living, not giving free services to foreigners out of the kindness of their hearts.
You can easily avoid the syndrome by just using some common sense and knowing what the going prices are and what they include. A boat ride is a boat ride, not a "guided tour", not a "custom excursion", and not an "all inclusive dinner cruise". You can arrange these things, but they will cost extra. Musicians charge extra. If you take food and drink, you will be charge for it. It is also customary to tip the boatman.
The basic boat rides are per boat per hour, not per person (unless you have more people than the posted number of passengers). Look for the official price list posted on signs near the docks --- and remember, the rates are per hour, if you go over the hour, expect to be charged extra.
To get the most out of a trajinera ride, try to act more like a local than a foreigner. I've been to Xochimilco and had a good time there --- and nobody tried to rip me off. It's not that hard to do. Be cool with the boatmen, tip them well and don't argue about local customs that you don't understand. Go with the flow. Don't sit in the guy's boat while insulting his home or his neighbors (you'll probably discover that he really does hable some inglis). Have a few brewskis. Relax along the ride. Show some interest in the place. Buy the boatman a drink once in a while and joke with him. Everyone will get along better and nobody will go home upset. It's not that hard.
What Else Is There to Do in Xochimilco?
The trajineras through the chinampas are the main draw of Xochimilco, though there are shops and cafes near the embarcaderos, and you may want to spend a little time just strolling around and soaking up the ambience of the place.
There is a fairly new ecological park that offers a surprising oasis of green space, and something of a counterpoint to the traditional emphasis of the trajineras as the crux of the chinampa experience.
There's some interesting colonial era architecture in Xochimilco, and if you're into old churches, you'll probably want to spend a little time exploring the San Bernardino Monastery, which was built by Franciscan monks between 1550 and 1590 (big churches didn't get put up in a year back in those days). The church wears its patina of age with grace and dignity, and while it does have some of the ornate churrigueresque details on the facade, the church's look actually shows a surprising restraint in the ornate excess that marks many churches of the era.
It isn't really in Xochimilco itself, but very nearby is the Dolores Olmedo Museum, which is famous for its extensive Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo collection. Ms. Olmedo was a patron of the arts and she had the vision to recognize talent when she saw it, and she definitely saw it in young Diego Rivera. Olmedo purchased many of Rivera's works throughout his lifetime, and was a very close friend of both Rivera and Kahlo.
The museum was opened in 1994 and its collection of 128 Rivera masterpieces is said to be the largest privately owned collection in the world. (The museum also holds 25 Frida Kahlo works.) Yet, the museum's largest gallery isn't for artwork, it is for archaelogical exhibits with more than 6,000 pieces from Aztec, Olmec, and Toltec cultures.
Logistics: Doing It On Your Own...
Getting out to Xochimilco isn't hard, but it will take some doing. As I mentioned in the intro, if you're not used to Mexico City or would prefer to do a guided tour, you might want to take the easy way out and have your hotel concierge arrange a bus or van tour with english-speaking guides (usually around US$35 per person).
A taxi out to Xochimilco will probably cost US$25 from the downtown area. You can also use Metro to get there: take Line 2 to Tasquena, then transfer to the light rail train to Xochimilco. The light rail ends a few blocks from the Embarcadero.
Bottom Line...
Xochimilco is definitely worth seeing, but to really appreciate the charms of the place, you're better off going on a weekday and getting off the beaten path, or doing like the locals do, and just being cool about the whole thing and chilling out on the boats, eating, drinking, listening to the music, and not being too worried about the whole experience.
Xochimilco is very much a local place loved and heavily used by the urban masses. It isn't a packaged tour kind of place, and if you go expecting an English-speaking mama to be there to hold your hand, well, you will probably be disappointed. I can see from the two short Express Reviews posted here that such is probably an easy trap to fall into.
I like Xochimilco. But then, I love Mexico City. It is a fascinating, sophisticated, very cosmopolitan urban landscape with cultural riches beyond description. Xochimilco is just one panel in the enormous quilt that comprises the world's largest city. UNESCO calls Xochimilco a "World Heritage Site". I call it a cool way to experience Mexico City the way the locals do...
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Students
Best Time to Travel Here: Anytime
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