There aren’t many tours I choose to take twice. Culinary Backstreet’s food tour of Xochimilco is an exception.
The town of Xochimilco is one of the last remaining bits of the lakes that once covered most of Mexico City. It’s only about seventeen miles from Mexico City’s historic center, though getting there feels longer. Mexico City traffic rivals New York City’s at rush hour.
Two years ago, I took the same tour. I loved it so much that I decided to do it again. By sheer coincidence, I even had the same guide, Victor.
We began in Xochimilco’s enormous market, eating our way through it. There were tacos, tamales, tortillas made in front of us, breads, fruits, cheeses, several kinds of mole, a corn-based drink, a chocolate drink, and more. This is not a tour on which you need to worry about where you’ll have lunch, and you won’t want dinner either.
And then there was the grasshopper. I was the only person in our group willing to try one. It was crunchy, high in protein, and tasted like…nothing. It had no flavor at all. So, if someone ever offers you a grasshopper, don’t be afraid. On the other hand, if the idea makes you squeamish, you’re not missing one of Mexico’s great culinary experiences.
Once we had eaten our way through the market, we climbed aboard a small three-wheeled motorized vehicle, something between a motorcycle and a tiny taxi, for a quick ride to the water.
And then everything changed.
We boarded a flat-bottomed boat and left the noise and congestion behind. The waterways were a world of green and were peaceful, filled with birds. Though I’d been there before, I was still amazed we were within one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world.
The area is famous for its brightly painted boats that carry visitors through the canals. Most are floating parties, complete with food and music. Victor told us that on weekends and holidays, the waterways are wall-to-wall party boats, many of them raucous. But in the middle of the week. Xochimilco was peaceful.
It is also a landscape under pressure. For decades it had been a very productive farming community. Now, development is encroaching on the wetlands, with some areas giving way to soccer fields. The very popularity that draws people here is threatening what makes the place so extraordinary.
I rarely repeat tours. But some places deserve a second look. Xochimilco was every bit as wonderful the second time around.