Xochimilco

Little I knew. The entire area of CDMX was a giant lake just a couple of hundreds of years ago. Some areas of the lake was dried out throughout history by inhabitants. Xochimilco is the last living remnant of the lake-and-wetland system that once covered the Valley of Mexico, and the reason it feels so different from the rest of CDMX is because it still functions like a wetland. Ecologically, Xochimilco is a shallow freshwater wetland with reed beds, aquatic plants, and canals that act like long, narrow lagoons. It’s also the home of the axolotl (ajolote), a critically endangered amphibian that has become an icon of Mexico. Birdlife is another big part of the story: the canals and remaining wet areas support a wide range of resident and migratory birds. The chinampas are rectangular, human-made farm plots built up from lake mud and organic matter, separated by canals. Traditionally, farmers renew the soil by dredging nutrient-rich sediment from the canal bottom, which keeps the plots productive year after year. This is why chinampas are often described as an ancient, highly efficient form of wetland agriculture. They can grow vegetables, herbs, maize-based milpa crops, amaranth and flowers right inside the city, with the canal system providing constant moisture. So why do I know all this, no I didn't become a a Mexican farmer, but we were told all this by our guide who took us with his canoes. We booked the AirBNB experience last minute, but it was really worth the time. We arrived at the embarcadero right on time (dispite the heavy traffic). Renata and I were sharing one canoe with 2 seats. We floated through the extremely beutiful and quiet canal system. At our destination we were given the lecture with the above information and more, we planted beet, had lunch and went back to our embarcadero. Sunny, relaxing and also educational day.

Finally, please meet Esmeralda and Oliver, our beets we planted.