Tourism Maintains Jobs for Thousands of Workers The highlight of
any trip to Mexico City is a visit to the canals and gardens of
Xochimilco, one of the original breadbaskets of the Americas and
once the agricultural hub of Tenochtitlán, a metropolis of
235,000 inhabitants. In the Aztec's Náhuatl language the name
Xochimilco means "garden of flowers." Xochimilco is divided into
a traditional area and a newer ecological park north of town
created in 1993 as part of a multi-million dollar "ecological
rescue project" spearheaded by the federal government. Both
areas offer excellent bird watching. The more touristed canals
are lively, particularly on weekends. Brightly-colored, squarish
boats (trajineras) carry up to a dozen passengers. Families
visit the park en masse and boats carrying musicians serenade
young lovers. There are always plenty of vendors (in smaller
canoes) with food and drink, souvenirs, and music. Hire a
floating mariachi band. Three songs for 200 pesos! The Floating
Gardens Today, as in centuri