TRAIN AND BOATS AND PLAIN ROMANIANS

Took the newish Mexico City Light Rail to so-called "Mexico's Venice". The story is actually pretty sad ---- Xochimilco ("joe-she-MILK-o") was the centre of a many square miles of lake and river system south of the city. There were floating farms, lush marshes, and all the abundant nature that goes with wetlands. Then the population mushroomed around the lakes, drained or filled them in, and polluted the canals. Typical story. What is left today is maybe 2% of the original and has been turned into a tourist zone.

On Sundays there are hundreds of identical boats jostling in the narrow water lanes. Today there were few, but we got the full treatment of capitalist locals. Boats came up to us carrying xylophone bands ("Juan Ta Namera" for the 100th time anyone??), candy apples, warm beer, steamed corn, and of course roses for tomorrow's Valentine. Good thing our companions were 3 Romanian travelers with the same attitude as us ------- No Gracias!

The canals are murky though the boatman tried to convince us otherwise by offering to drink some. No sign of fish, although we saw what looked like a green heron spying something. Some nice gardens along the way but Venice has nothing to worry about!