Touring Mexico City’s Xochimilco with Ruth Alegria
Xochimilco is known for its 100-mile network of canals. A World Heritage Site, these canals are remnants of Mexico’s pre-Hispanic past in what used to be an extensive lake and canal system that connected settlements of the Valley of Mexico. Today, locals and tourists alike enjoy Xochimilco as a peaceful respite from the bustle of Mexico City, riding on colorful boats called trajineras around the canals and system of artificially-made islands called chinampas. The chinampas are now home to a number of farms growing organic produce. Here to guide us through the canals and take us on a farm tour are Ruth Alegria and Ricardo Rodriguez, CEO and General Director of De La Chinampa, an organization promoting organic farming and ecological restoration of Xochimilco.