Wander logo

Xochimilco Canals — Party Down the Floating Gardens of Mexico City

The good, the bad, and the ugly of doing a full-day tour

By Sh*t Happens - Lost Girl TravelPublished 2 years ago 6 min read
7
Aboard a Mexican trajinera (photo credit to Joseph Mitchley)

Intro

This was the one thing in Mexico City that I was truly excited for, the Xochimilco Canals. A boat party and I don’t mean the kind of boat party you might go on in Malia ala the Inbetweeners. No drinking fish bowls and throwing up overboard, before snogging a questionable stranger. No, I mean a Mexican Fiesta onboard a trajinera! Xochimilco is a world heritage site. The waterways are left over from what used to be a vast lake used for transportation during the pre-Hispanic period. It is a charming scene of intense greenery and the wetlands are a habitat for migratory birds.

We were originally going to visit these independently but after reading a few blogs about how expensive it can work out to rent out a trajinera with just two people and how much more fun it is with a big group of people we decided to bite the bullet and book a tour. The tour certainly came with its up and downs, something to consider when booking a tour yourself.

The Ugly

Our first stop was a lame souvenir shop.

Each item had two prices on it, one being the supposed discount price for us and the other the price for “everyone else”. Except there is no everyone else. Almost the second we were out of the shop and back onto the bus, they turned off the lights and shut the shop, probably only to open it up for the same spiel to the next tour group unwillingly brought there.

We were imprisoned in the shop for over an hour and the real kicker was the fact that it was in the opposite direction to that of the rest of the tour. Passing again the place we’d been picked up 2 hours later was a real slap in the face.

So, if you’re doing this kind of tour, watch out for this kind of nonsense, if a shop is detailed in the itinerary, run.

The Bad

We then headed to the University to look at some enormous murals which were stunning, impressive, and full of meaning. Perhaps too much meaning…

Our guide droned on for at least 40 minutes about a single mural. Just when I thought he was done, there would be a pause, and there’s more. Every single element and tiny detail was covered, right down to the little blue monk in the bottom left-hand corner.

At this point, I didn’t give a shit about the little blue monk and I was losing the will to live.

Can you spot the little blue monk in the left-hand corner? (photo credit to the author)

Bored and tired we slumped back on the bus and vowed never to do a tour, ever again.

Our tour also was supposed to include Frida Pinto’s famous blue house. Except on that day the tickets had sold out. So advertising it as part of the tour felt like a bit of a scam. We got to wander around the lovely little town it was in, which was cute and had an interesting market.

The Good

All was forgotten and forgiven once we reached the canals.

We were incredibly lucky to arrive just in time for a performance of the Danza de los Voladores, also known as the flying musicians.

Five men looked glorious in their traditional dress. They were sporting letterbox-red trousers with multi-coloured, embroidered, stripy ankles, floral headdresses, and matching red floral capes with a yellow fringe that billowed out behind them along with bright, long, streaming ribbons.

Danza de los Voladores (photo credit to the author)

As we arrived they were near the top of their 30-meter climb. At the top they began to spin and spin, wrapping their ropes around the pole, just when we were starting to get dizzy just watching them, they leaned back hanging by the noose around their hips, and span round in the opposite direction. While one plays a flute, another a drum they cascade down towards the ground, getting lower and lower with every twist and turn.

They had us in a trance, I’m sure every bit as much as the original audiences many moons ago of this Mesoamerican dance ceremony.

Now, let's get this party started! I was practically hopping from foot to foot when we turned the corner and saw our trajinera. Her name was Carmelita and it was love at first sight. She was singing out in the brightest of reds, yellows, and blues. She was a joy to look at.

Our girl Carmelita (photo credit to Joseph Mitchley)

We tentatively trod the boards to take our places at the long table in the middle. As we pushed off, we passed a floating kitchen, and before I knew it orders were being taken for enchiladas and quesadillas, while another boat sidles up with ice buckets of light Mexican beers and lime, on the other is a boat whose sole purpose is to serve tequila. We’re not in Kansas anymore Toto!

Enjoying Quesadillas and Victoria beers (photo credit to Joseph Mitchley)

We floated down the canals, laughing and chatting and playing bumper cars with all the other rainbow trajineras. All having their own parties. Just when I think that this couldn’t get any better we hear the joyous brass of a mariachi band upon a neighbouring trajiner. We shimmy and smile along.

The smiles grow wider as they hop aboard our boat and play for us. We pay for songs and get to ask for what songs we want to hear. A mariachi jukebox!

This giant fiesta tells me I’m in Mexico alright and I bloody love it here! It’s a vibrant, colourful, celebration of simple fun and I couldn’t imagine a better “I’m in Mexico” moment. We were beaming from ear to ear the whole time. I could do this every weekend for the rest of my life and die happy.

If this is Mexico, then I’m all in!

Final thoughts

So should you do a tour of Xochimilco Canals? Yes and no.

For the Canals themselves, it’s a wonderful way to see them. Everything is all organised for you, no horrible haggling and no confusion about what an earth is going on. It’s really fun to do it in a big group and have a proper party. So, if you can find a half-day tour that does just this, then go for it.

That being said, I would say you can give the full day tour a miss. The other parts of the tour were not worth it and kind of felt like filler. If you want to see Frida Pintos' blue house, then book the tickets ahead of time and do that independently another time.

I hope you enjoyed partying on the Xochimilco Canals with us!

Thank you for reading! Hearts and tips are always welcome and your support is very much appreciated.

This story was originally published on Medium

If you enjoyed this, you may also like 👇

central america
7

About the Creator

Sh*t Happens - Lost Girl Travel

Hi! I’m Georgie and I share travel stories of when sh*t happens. I think that sometimes the worst things that happen to you traveling, are often the funniest

Follow me on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/sh.t_happens_lost_girl_travel/

Reader insights

Outstanding

Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!

Top insights

  1. Easy to read and follow

    Well-structured & engaging content

  2. Heartfelt and relatable

    The story invoked strong personal emotions

Add your insights

Comments

There are no comments for this story

Be the first to respond and start the conversation.

Sign in to comment

    Find us on social media

    Miscellaneous links

    • Explore
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Support

    © 2024 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.