Mexico, Guatemala - full stop

The Xochimilco https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xochimilco and Coyoacan https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coyoacán tour was disappointing.
They took us onto the canals of Xochimilco. We were supposed to first ship around one hour on the canals. It took us 90 minutes to get there because of the heavy traffic. I was lucky enough to sit in front next to the guide.
What actually happened was that there were floating kitchen, bars, mariachi singer and vendors and we were encouraged to consume. Our guide Sergio was very knowledgeable and funny, but the group was not interested in facts but kept eating, drinking and chatting away.
Once we got the Coyoacan (historically very wealthy neighborhood) it was dark and we couldn’t see anything. One (not so) not so fun fact; Only Ex-Presidents, politicians and big time drugdealer can live there:, it is so expensive:-).

More facts;
- The metro in CDMX transports 7000000 people every day.
- In 1818 the acting president of Mexicos (and his politician friends, of course all white Spaniards) pushed through a law that land could now be bought and owned. Before that the ones who worked the land were the owner. As soon as they left it, they weren’t any more. The consequence was that the President and his friends bought all the land around CDMX for 300 pesos and then sold it for much more. There was no urban planning and hence the city spread out in all directions. It’s is one of the reasons CDMX is so big.
- CDMX is in a valley and before the city was build there was water and lagoons. Until today houses are build on platforms. The indigenous had a perfect water cleansing system. The water was perfectly clean. Shortly after the Spanish invaders arrived, there was a cholera breakout...

Covered 2.1 kmLes mer