Amira and I Ubered down to Xochimilco, which is one of the 16 boroughs of the city. Before the Spanish arrived, this area was on the shore of Lake Xochimilco. The Aztecs built an elaborate series of canals and artificial islands here, which are still functioning.

The locals offer slow, leisurely rides in colorfully painted Mexican gondolas, which are called trajineras. Each boat has what is essentially a picnic table with wooden chairs on either side. Amira and I got one to ourselves.

Mexicans take full advantage of these boats by having floating picnics and parties. If the size of a party exceeds the capacity of one boat, they lash them together. We saw one floating event with four boats conjoined. 

It gets better. Smaller boats offer a wide variety of services, from meals to treats to booze and bands. Each service is provided from a boat, which is attached to the other boat. We got some grub from one boat and some surprisingly good pulque from another.  (If you're seeing this on the web site, click on the photo to see the rest of the pictures.)

This activity is on the top of our list for recommendations for what to do in Mexico City.