Jardin Etnobotanico - Acapatzingo

The village of Acapatzingo, now part of Cuernavaca, attracts hundreds of visitors, since it is the site of a country house known as Casa de la India Bonita, bought by Maximilian of Habsburg to visit the mysterious Indian Bonita, the beautiful Indian woman who so entranced him that the emperor frequently absented himself from his royal duties to spend time in her company in this idyllic setting. The 'Casa de El Olindo' is now the Jardín Etnobotánico de Morelos, housing a small Museum of Traditional Medicine and Herbs which provides original displays of the biological diversity of Mexico, the relation between man and plants and the medicinal uses of many of the latter. The thoughtfully designed garden paths enable visitors to have a close up view of eight hundred plants of various genera and forms that comprise the largest collection of medicinal plants in Mexico.

The Jardín Botánico and the Museo de Medicina Tradicional y Herbolaria are open every day of the year from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

La casa as well as the Museum


The garden grounds


The garden grounds


The garden grounds


Herb displays in the Museum


Herb displays in the Museum

Day trip to Xochimilco - Mexico City

We went into the southern part Mexico City on a Saturday by bus from Cuernavaca. The tour included a visit to the museum of Diego Rivera, the house and museum of Frida Kahlo and the very nice grounds and museums of Dolores Olmedo Patiño. This visit to Xochimilco was the end of the trip.

Xochimilco, the Federal District, South Central suburb of Mexico City. Mainly a commercial and tourist center, it is famous for its canals lined with poplars and flowers (Xochimilco is a Native American word meaning "plantation of flowers"). In pre-Hispanic times the Xochimilcas built soil-covered rafts (chinampas) in Lake Xochimilco on which they grew vegetables and flowers to be shipped to Mexico City on the canals. Eventually the rafts became islands rooted to the lake bottom. Boating on the canals is popular among tourists and city residents.

This was part of the Museum tour to end our day in Mexico City. I suggest you go with friends for a few hours if at all possible. Tour groups lack vitality ... and Xochimilco is all about having fun. Take food and beverages with you.

Sign on the foot bridge


Boats lined and ready to go


These painted boats used to be all done in flowers


Floating food and party


View down on canal and boats from the foot bridge


More fotos of our Xochimilco trip