Xochimilco and the Island of the Dolls

Xochimilco is located in Mexico City south east of the city center. It is known for its water canals that flow throughout this neighborhood. People can rent a gondola like boat, trajineras, and enjoy the beautiful scenery. The boats have long tables on them with chairs. A lot of people will bring food and beverages and have lunch on them.

The trajineras are decorated in bright colors and have different names.

I was with Ariana, her brother Steve, our friend Taryn and Olivia. We rented a boat to go visit the Island of the Dolls. It's more expensive then taking the typical route most people go on but between the four of us it wasn't that bad. It took quite a while to get there, about an hour and a half.

More boats

Ducks

Another boat that was being serenaded by a mariachi band.

Olivia having a blast.

A broken down trajinera.

A pretty flowering water plant.

More photos

At last, we arrive to our destination. It's a pretty creepy place. Nothing like seeing a bunch of rotting dolls strung up in trees and along fences. Some history behind Isla de las Munecas. This small island, chinampa, was inhabited by a man named Don Julian Santana. One day he discovered a young girl who had drowned by the island. He was haunted by her death so when he saw a small doll floating by shortly after discovering the girl he fished it out of the water and hung it up in a tree to please the girl. He had hoped to appease her tortured soul and protect the island from further evil. One doll wasn't enough though. Don Julian continue to fish out doll parts whenever he saw them. When he couldn't find any in the water, he would scour trash piles whenever he made a rare trip to town. Later in his life he would trade his farm raised vegetables and fruit in exchange for dolls. In 2001, Don Julian dropped dead from a heart attack where the young girl was buried. People speculate different reasons why and even how Don Julian died but the people at this place, which is ran by family members, told us he died of a heart attack. The island didn't get much attention while he was living but it has become a popular tourist attraction since then. Visitors will still bring dolls to be strung up.

The entrance of the island.

There was a small museum set up in a shed. This was where we were told about the history of the place. It was creepy sitting there listening to the story while being surrounded by decrepit dolls and cobwebs.

Inside the museum

Close up of doll head

Don Julian Santana, he's holding broccoli in case you're wondering.

Dolls in trees

Part of an overview of the place.

Another overview, you can see Olivia in the bottom right corner. She was scared of this place at first, which was understandable. She warmed up to it though.

Dolls on a fence.

This was where the girl was buried. There is a gravemarker for Don Julian too but I'm not sure if he is actually buried here.

At this point, I tried taking a Polaroid but my camera would not work. Super weird since I hadn't had any problems with it. Click, click, click...nothing. I was so disappointed.

Everyone was pretty ready to leave. I really wasn't but didn't say anything. I could have stayed there all day but it was long boat ride back. I hear this place is even scarier at night.

Your boat is that way.

Ya'll come back now, ya hear?

We get back in the boat and start floating away. I decide to test out my Polaroid camera one last time. Ka-zhoooo...yeah it started working but no film came out. Apparently I had already shot the last of the film pack. The camera said I had more shots but I forgot with this newer Polaroid film (Impossible Film) you have two less shots then the original stuff. Crapola! I did have another pack of film with me and Ariana was saying we could go back but I said no. I felt like it just wasn't meant to be, fate. Plus, this other film I had brought, PX70 Color Shade PUSH!, requires extreme amounts of light. The brighter the better. It wouldn't have turned out anyway. This place was in the shade.

How do I know it wouldn't have worked? Well, just yesterday I visited Museo Estudio Diego Rivera and had taken a Polaroid of the entrance. It was pretty dang sunny but part of the building was slightly shaded, and I mean slightly, and it came out dark and almost indistinguishable. A disappointment to say the least but I went ahead and photographed it anyway. It has kind of an abstract feel to it. Sometimes you just have to roll with the punches. I will blog about that experience soon.

Next blog: Museo Soumaya - art museum