Yesterday I enjoyed a boat trip on the canals of Xochimilco, a borough in the Southeast of Mexico City.
These canals are all what is left from an extensive lake and waterway system that connected many of the settlements of the Valley of Mexico.
The lakes and most of the canals were drained when Mexico City grew to its current size of around 21 million inhabitants.
The canals of Xochimilco have a total length of around 170 km. Between the canals you find articial islands called chinampas. The main means of transport are colorful gondola-like boats called trajineras. Among them you find small boats of merchants selling food, toy, artifical flowers and other stuff.
The chilangos, as the residents of Mexico City are called, love to spend their week-ends here. They would celebrate birthday parties or other family events. On many of the boats Mariachi band play traditional Mexican music.
Of course we hired our own Mariachi band as well and danced on the boat. It was great fun!