Xochimilco - Bumfuzzle

We’ve known forever about this town/neighborhood/borough just a little ways out of downtown Mexico City called Xochimilco. It’s famous for its man-made canals built thousands of years ago when Mexico City was still a lake. On Sunday the families of Mexico City flood down there to hop on the trajineras for a ride on the water. We always thought this sounded really touristy—and it is, but the difference is that it’s almost all Mexican tourists and locals out for a day of fun.

We had a ridiculously good time. The kids loved hanging off the boat for hours and just watching all the interesting life going on around us. Boats are everywhere—boats with mariachi bands, boats selling food, drinks, plants, toys, whatever. They got so clogged up at times that we couldn’t move. To go to the bathroom we’d just walk across a couple of boats to land, use the facilities at some little restaurant, and walk back across the boats to our own. Even reading my own description of the place would make me cringe normally, but somehow this was just so much fun. Any time we can insert ourselves into the middle of the festivities that the locals enjoy, I guess it’s bound to be a great time. We were actually disappointed that we waited until the last Sunday of our stay to visit. We would have gone again.