I recently posted photos here from Teotihuacan, seen on my Mexico City vacation. Friday’s column is about my visit to Xochimilco, a village within Mexico City.

First, here’s the San Bernardino de Siena church, where a bell ringer is about to go to work.

Colorful boats known as trajineras are lined up at an embarcadero.

A boatman uses a pole to guide a trajinera along a canal. It’s the only way to travel.

A boat of mariachis draws alongside a trajinera to play.

A couple of the homes nestled along the canal banks, almost hidden among the trees.

Sign on the men’s room at the plant nursery where we stopped. ‘Nuff said. The women’s room sign was more demure.

A view of the plant nursery.

And here’s our boat, waiting for us at the plant nursery. There was just a short trip from here back to the embarcadero, ending a pleasant two-hour cruise.