Photo Walk Nº71 was a special photography tour organized in conjunction with a local project in Tláhuac - "Navegando entre chinampas". We had the unique experience of learning about the ancient pre-Hispanic tradition of cultivating food on man-made islands and tasting some of the traditional recipes made using the fresh produce from there.We met Araceli and her two daughters, our guides, outside the church of San Pedro Apóstol in Tláhuac, had some breakfast consisting of atole (a hot corn-based drink) and pan de elote (corn bread) and an explanation about the history of this area. After photographing the church and the pre-Hispanic rings used in the juego de pelota, we made our way down to the canals and got on our trajinera, a traditional flat-bottomed boat used here.On the boat, we were treated to a lunch consisting of a delicious soup of courgette and greens, tacos with beans and vegetables and hot spicy sauces, and tostadas with a mushroom topping. For drinks, we had pineapple and lime flavoured water and tried mango pulque (a pre-Hispanic fermented drink made from the maguey plant). We learned about the "axolotl" or Mexican salamander which is only found in these waters and is in danger of extinction. Unlike other salamanders, it lives all its life in the water and has both gills and lungs and can re-generate part of its body when necessary. It is now a protected species and the guides brought along Emiliano II, a 2-year old specimen, to show us.Once on Juanito's chinampa, our guides told us about the unique method of cultivation carried out there. They scoop mud from the canal bottom, clean it, and make a bed. Then this is cut up into squares, a hole pressed in the middle of each square using their thumb or finger and seeds are planted in the holes. When the seeds have sprouted, they are transplanted into the fields and amazingly, the chinamperos can have more than four harvests a year. We were able to participate in this activity and then picked some vegetables to take home with us.With our arms full of fresh radishes, beetroot, Swiss chard, lettuces and cilantro, we got on the trajinera again to return to our starting point, photographing the canals and birds and even having a turn at pushing the boat along with a pole before making our way back to the church.Leaving this rural enclave behind us, it was back to the noise and traffic of the big city.
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Domingo de Ramos, or Palm Sunday, one week before Easter Sunday, is a day when Mexicans buy palm decorations and take them to the church to get blessed. A great place to photograph this tradition is at the Basilica de Guadalupe. If you go early enough, the light is perfect. Outside the Basilica itself are many small stands teeming with people selling and buying "las palmas", contrasting with the quiet solemnity in the church.A procession takes place and people jostle for a front-line position to get their palm blessed with holy water. Then they go into the Basilica to hear the special mass.All over the city you can see people selling palm decorations, some of them very elaborate. Why "palmas"? They are remembering when Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey and the crowds waved palms. Once blessed, these "palmas" will be kept in their houses, possibly even until next Easter.Imagine being in Mexico City but instead of being stuck in a noisy traffic jam, you are gliding along a tranquil canal in a canoe, photographing the birds and reflections and learning how the ancient Aztecs used to grow their food on "chinampas", islands that they made with mud and sticks on the lake. On the "chinampa", we were shown how the farmers continue the centuries-old tradition of scraping out the nutrient-laden mud from the bottom of the shallow canal and make beds which are cut up into small squares like brownies. A hole is made in the square with the finger and seeds planted. When they have sprouted, they are transplanted to another bed.Juanito and Araceli showed us around, explained about their very small local project and picked armfuls of fragrant vegetables for us, while we took photos.
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Margaret MetcalfeBorn to travel, explore and share photos and experiences Archives
May 2019
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