Los Espectáculos: Introduction
This was a city on the Gulf Coast of Mexico and a visit to this area can bring many surprises. The modern-day Voladores de Papantlá come and perform here for tourists.
The Voladores de Papantlá traditionally came from the region near El Tajín called Papantlá. Dressed in brightly colored uniforms, these men climb to the top of a pole and then fly down it with their head pointed downward. This was an ancient dance offering to the gods of these Indians.
With so many kinds of activities, such as these ruins, one can never get bored in a Latin American country. These kinds of ruins are not only in Mexico but also in Central and South America. By visiting these ruins you can get a look into the past.
An interesting and fun cultural activity that you can do in the Southern part of Mexico City is to visit Xochimilco. This area was once the chinampa (floating gardens) for the Aztec indians. Since the Aztecs founded their city on an island in the middle of Lake Taxcoco, they had to find some way to grow their crops. So, the Indians made gardens out of sod that they let float on the lake. These sod gardens eventually grew and grew and became anchored to the bottom of the lake. The result is an area with canals that people can visit and rent a trajineras (launch/boat).
A trajinera can be rented by a group of people and are run by a person who floats you around on the canals. While you are at Xochimilco, you can buy all kinds of things. Just recently, it has become a virtual floating market. There are vendors selling woven blankets, jewelry, foods, beverages, songs, flowers....just about anything.
In the Nahuatl language--the language of the Aztec Indians--the term Xochimilco means "place where the flowers grow." To this day in Xochimilco, there are many greenhouses and flower markets in this area of Mexico City where a wide variety of plants and flowers can be bought.
