Jacob, Qing, and La Condesa

 On Christmas day, I finally found the Condesa flat, in an alley side-street: a nice place in a lovely tree-y neighborhood, but water only available sometimes. Qing and Jacob set up a poinsettia with presents under it; I was so touched. It was very thoughtful, and just right. Jacob gave me a book with anecdotes about China based on ten words, signed by the author; and Max sent an amazing necklace from a Chinese ethnic group that he had won for excellence in his Chinese class.
We did a lot of walking around, and relaxing at home as well; and the time went by quickly. The nearby park had dog lessons: rows of dogs sitting or lying patiently in line; or at other times, leaping joyfully in the fountain.
We walked all around Condesa, passing markets, looking into shop windows, and the like. In retrospect, it seemed quite leisurely, so I am not sure why I didn't do much writing or drawing.
We went south via the longest subway route and a further train, with views of the city, to Xochimilco, to ride the boats through the canals. In ancient times, the city was a lake; the residents formed islands by tying trees together and making rafts that collected saplings, then dirt, and became real islands that could be farmed. They used boats to travel among them. In a book about Frida and Diego, it mentions a picnic here, and it sounds less built up and crowded.

Dogs helping out

Of course it was far more touristy than I had envisioned, but there is something about being on the water. We walked through a quiet, junky town to get to the canals and to a boat. Many families and groups rented a boat and had picnics, sometimes even bands of around 6 mariachis. They were pretty bad. Once we got away from the most urban part, with walled apartment buildings, the banks were backyards of houses or cafes -- with trees overhanging the water. Small boats scuttled between the barges selling drinks, snacks, and souvenirs. It was a very pleasant and relaxing time.

Max' chupacabra-repelling necklace

The boats had fancy name plates.