That’s right, mis amigos! Nothing better than celebrating my birthday traveling in Mexico! Since my birthday is Aug 10th (*hint, this is when you can give me gifts :p), usually around that time in the summer we go traveling. A few years back, I remember celebrating my birthday in the deserts of Abu Dhabi! We drove in Toyota SUVs across sand dunes, rode a camel for the first time and had Arab food and shisha on carpets on the sand, with Arabic music playing in the background. Those were the best days, although back then I didn’t vlog so I couldn’t share those adventures with you guys. However, we can always go back! 😀
I got sidetracked , let’s get back to story of celebrating my 25th birthday in Xochimilco, Mexico City…
The day was sunny, with a mild breeze. The leaves on trees flew to the ground as if it was autumn. And there I was, wearing my newest dress shirt waiting with my friends to start our new adventure.
LOL Jokes! We’re not writing a novel here. The day actually started by me coming out of the shower and being surprised my friends, Alejandro and Rose. They had went to the bakery early in the morning and had bought me pastry for my birthday. They then sang a traditional and popular Spanish birthday song for me. Haha very sweet and kind of them! It goes something like this “Estas son las mañanitas…”, meaning this is the morning song. After I munched the pastry I got, which was super delicious filled with cream and strawberry jam in the inside, we headed out.
We headed to Xochimilco. Which is one of the boroughs of Mexico City and is well known for its Trajinera boat rides across canals. Similar to that of Venice. Although, what differs is that in Xochimilco these boat rides are accompanied with loud music, parties, dancing, food and drinks and more.
To get to Xochimilco, we took the subway (Metro) from our Airbnb. The metro station is called Xochimilco and from there we walked to Pier Fernando Celada, where all the Trajinera boats are docked. I believe there are a few docks you can head to and the one we went to is just one out of many.
The price we paid for a 2-3 hour boat ride was 2800 Mexican Pesos, $191 Canadian in total. At first we thought we got overpriced but turns out some people can pay up to a couple of hundred dollars. You have the opportunity to pay using your credit card as well.
Overall, the Xochimilco is definitely worth the visit. The environment starts off calm and relaxing and then you enter the area where other boats are and the party starts. Many families and friends rent these Trajinera boats and on the weekend and even weekdays have get togethers and parties with loud Spanish music. People dance and enjoy their time. Food and drinks are offered as well.
The coolest thing you’ll see are other small boats that sell you snacks, clothes and food. It is basically like walking in a bazaar but on water :o.
When we ordered Sope (kind of like a thicker tortilla with vegetables and/or meat), we parked the boat to the side and boat that was serving us food was tied to us. The food was delicious and nothing beats having a good meal on a boat. It reminded me of the time my siblings and I had fresh BBQ fish in Istanbul on a restaurant boat.
Also, there are mariachis whom you can rent to play music for you for any celebrations. These guys are basically a floating band.
That’s all! Big thanks to our rower who guided us throughout the waterways. He told us one time he had to row a boat full of 20 plus people. Now that is crazy! These guys are really strong and have amazing stamina. I believe the true vikings are here :p.
Thanks for reading! Check out my vlog below. 😀
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Peace!
Eat, Play, Travel 