The Canals of Xochimilco
Life the way the Aztecs lived it... sort
of...
19 Mayo 2001: The Canals
of
XochimilcoMy
last full day in Mexico City was another lazy one. We rose late and made our way
to Flor's house by cab. We took the Metro to the end of its
line--Tasqueña--and boarded el tren
ligero (the light-rail line). It was 19 crowded
stops, mostly standing, to Xochimilco. This area is south of UNAM and Cuicuilco,
where I was two days earlier.Xochimilco
is an area of many canals, some open to the public. They are also called the
"hanging gardens," but from what I saw, they are just verdant canals. This area
is a natural place for Mexicans of all races to flock for some relaxing but not
tranquil moments. Flat "gondolas" can take up to 16 people at one time. Some
parties we saw had more than 16 people and even a deejay and loudspeakers, all
there on the water. There are smaller boats with people selling food and drink
and even tacky souvenirs. Some are too persistent. But it was a good, relaxing
two hours on the water. Most of the houses off the canals were poor ones, but
there were some glam ones as well. All types of Mexicans were on the water that
day, and in some cases, some idiot Americans. You could spot them a mile away.
All seniors, in this case, wearing baseball caps and shorts. Some insisted on
posing as the gondaliers for the sake of their camcorders. They all sat quietly
facing in one direction, while the Mexican nationals danced, laughed, carried
on. It's interesting to see just how boring Midwesterners can be.
Innocents South of the
Border, if you
will. Some
say that the canal activity in Xochimilco is the closest approximation we
might ever have of the Aztec water culture. At one time, much of what is now
Mexico City was a giant lake, with the Aztec emperor's cities on
islands.In general I have avoided eating
street food in Mexico City, but I couldn't resist the grilled corn on the cob,
with fresh lime rubbed over the surface, and then salted. Ab had one dipped in
mayonaise and sprinkled with chile pepper powder. Ab enjoyed that. My belly
rumbled for quite a while afterward,
though.Limes are all over the place in
Mexico. I forget the exact reason why, but they accompany every meal. They even
used spent lime rinds in the trowel-style urinals at the gay bar last night.
Much more envirofriendly than cakes of antiseptic soap, and
cheaper.
There's
nothing like sitting around drinking and smoking in the great outdoors (top).
Stray dogs line the shore as Mexicans feast and party on the canals, day and
night (center). And who doesn't enjoy some corn on the cob smothered in mayo
and red pepper powder?After the boat
ride, we took a stroll to the cathedral. Like last time, and like some other
trips, there was a wedding in progress. The bride and groom couldn't have been
more than 20. Less than 20 and being married in a church that's at least four
centuries old. It's amazing. Later, we saw some sort of dance performance in an
adjacent area of the church. Near the loos in the back, there was a one-stop
medical
dispensario;
a clinic for all your needs: optical, gynecological, podiatry, pediatricians,
orthodonture, and psychology. So if you're a crazy blind girl with bad teeth and
a limp, you are in
luck!This
pink cathedral didn't have a date on it, but once inside, it definitely looks
like it cannot be younger than at
least 350 years old. The same goes for the little clinic out back. However, no
lines. Note the empty
chair.It was a long ride back to
Polanco. The entire tren ligero trip, plus almost an entire subway line back
north, and a transfer to the east-west line to the Polanco stop. We went to a
chi-chi area where there are upscale restaurants and an art cinema. We ate at an
organic foods restaurant, a small chain called La Tierra Buena. We shared a
wonderful plato
arabe (all middle-eastern foods). Afterward, we
went to see
Malena, the
new movie from director Tornatore, who made
Cinema
Paradiso. Like his earlier film,
Malena is
set in a small town in Sicily. It was not impossible but not easy to hear them
speak Italian (a language I studied briefly), with Spanish subtitles (a language
I studied for seven years), and trying to absorb it all without over-anglifying
it. It was also difficult last year to see AMerican movies where they talk in
English and have Spanish subtitles. I can never "turn off" subtitles, and I find
it difficult not to bristle at nuances lost for the sake of readability for the
lowest-common denominator.The following
day, I got to the airport before the air got too polluted (you could tell it was
starting to get smoggy), and since it was Sunday, there was no traffic. I was
there way too early. I sat reading quietly while the silent surface of the
morning was broken, once again, by Americans. Hyper children played hackeysack,
joined by adults. Meanwhile, about a dozen "dewds" discussed buying duty-free
rum. Of course, some suspected a one-world conspiracy about it not really being
duty free. "What's to stop them from slapping taxes onus when we get back?" Um,
deeeewwwwwd! Your receipt, duh?On the
plane, I watched an edited version of Almost
Famous (they (wisely) cut the scene where the
plane nearly crashes). Meanwhile, three Mexican men in two rows up were looking
out the window on and off throughout the flight. It occured to me that they have
probably never flown before. I've taken that for granted as well, having been in
planes since I was six. Imagine being an adult and never having flown before.
Imagine being older than 40 and never going anywhere, never having looked down
upon the world where we live.
Posted: Sat
- May 19, 2001 at 01:21 AM
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Published On: Jun 20, 2009 07:04 PM
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