If there were a scenic beauty contest, Xochimilco would get the first prize!
(Paramahansa Yogananda, 1950)
Identified as one of the five cradles of civilization, Mexico - at the heart of Mesoamerica, is a fascinating place to visit.
Everything in Mexico City (the capital) is colourful and warm. The striking purple colour of the Bougainvillea adorning the streets, shops, and house entrances. The distinctive song of the Longtail Grackle and the 'magical' sight of the hummingbirds visiting delicate flowers without even moving a petal, all put on the charming hospitality of the city. Mexican food is spicy and delicious! It has a distinctive aroma due to the domination of maize in the Mexican diet. Churrus is one of the recommended desserts if you're visiting Mexico. But be careful of the context, Churrus also means 'weed' among locals as I've been told. Traditional Mexican snacks also include the Chapulin (fried grasshoppers) - which I was keen to try.
Buying Chapulin en el Mercado de Coyoacan!
Mexico is also a country of murals. The Mexican art of murals is stunning! The most fascinating murals I saw were in the Supreme Court of Justice (yes!). Other great murals I saw in the Palace of Fine Arts and the Ministry of Education. If you fall in love with the Mexican mural art, here is a name you should know: Diego Rivera (1886 – 1957)!
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A 1928 Diego Rivera FrescoPolitical Vision of the Mexican People; en la Secretaria de Educacion (Ministry of Education, Mexico City) |
Mexico has pyramids; lots of pyramids; tens of pyramid sites across Mexico which I only had time to visit the Teotihuacan's (Pyramid of the Moon) and the Archeological Monuments Zone of Xochicalco's to the Southwest of Mexico City.
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| At the Pyramids of the Sun, Teotihuacan |
The canal in Xochimilco and its Chinampas (aquatic gardens of Mexico) are the remainders of the pre-Hispanic era which made Xochimilco a World Heritage Site. To get to Xochimilco you get to ride on “trajineras” which are colourful boats in around the 10 miles of canals.
Floating islands are a natural phenomenon found in many regions of the world. Man-made floating artificial islands also exist but are less common. Floating islands are called as such because of how they appear to the onlooker and not necessarily because they really float on water. One of the most famous floating islands in the world is the 'Venice of the Middle East' or Ma'dan; also known as the Marsh Arab or the Mesopotamian Edin. Half a million of tribal dwellers living in houses built by reeds and move about using canoes in a “rare aquatic landscape in the desert.” Unfortunately, the political upheaval in the Middle East resulted in displacing the marshes' inhabitants when the wetlands were drained during and after the 1991 uprisings in Iraq. Food became scarce and the little water remaining became reportedly poisonous. Attempts to restore the wetlands resulted in 50% revival of the marshes but the restoration of the whole ecosystem might prove challenging.
The floating islands of Mexico, on the other hand, are an example of resilience and sustainability worthy of admiration and global support. The islands are not for housing and exist only as agricultural batches for growing food. My guide in the trip to the Chinampas (floating gardens of Mexico' was the pioneer of urban agriculture Ricardo Rodriguez. I found Ricardo on his Facebook page RicardoChinampa.
A breathtaking tour along the Xochimilco (Pronounced: sotshimilko). The Mexican tamales wrapped in banana leaves, and the 'taco' together with Mexican herbal tea served in hand-crafted pottery cups were unforgettable. So was the sight of the egrets fluttering its wings across the canal.
On the islands, there are no machinery, no electricity, and no houses. All the work is carried out using simple tools including building greenhouses. Fertilisers come from animals and water hyacinths (Eichhornia crassipes) which are collected from the canal surface and spread out to dry in the sun then used to nourish the plants; an environmental hazard turned into a blessing! Ancient Mesoamerican farmers are famous for their companion crops. The Three Sisters (maize, beans, and squash). Ricardo plants them together but also adds chili to provide a natural deterrent to aphids and other pests. He also experiments saving different varieties of maize.
Flowers are planted to attract pollinators and the water for irrigation comes fresh from the canal. Although no one calls this permaculture in Mexico, the model is technically (and spontaneously) is a permaculture model since it's man-made/designed yet is in harmony with nature and intensifies synergy among its community members.
One of the chinampas' functions is to provide shelter for wildlife. The most iconic species to Xochimilco is a salamander species believed to be an incarnation of a god by the Aztecs. Due to its ability to regrow certain body parts and its possession of gills, it has been revered for centuries. The name of the animal is the axolotl and is unfortunately highly endangered. The Park is reserved mostly by government agencies and universities and is considered a World Heritage Site.
Challenges of conservation all around the world have become paramount and it's always encouraging to see a silver lining every now and then to keep us going on the right track in spite of all the difficulties. If you're visiting Mexico any time soon, you surely need to put the Chinampas on your itinerary to enjoy and support such impressive efforts!
