Back to Morelia, Sidetrip to Patzcuaro, May 22, 2007

Wim wanted to leave at 7 in the morning to Morelia since he is not sure how long the trip would take. He does not like driving when it gets dark. My best for as long as he will study the route carefully. I am hopeless when it comes to map. I am not used to reading road map in the Philippines as there is always someone somewhere to ask for direction. Besides, travelling the national and provincial highway in the Philippines is so easy. There is only one road!It appears that it is the same case going to Morelia. We just followed the toll highway and be sure that we don't miss the direction. There are only very names of the places to remember. From Lazaro Cardenas, it is less than 300 kms to Morelia, the capital of Michoacan. With the speed Wim is driving, we will arrive in Morelia before 1 pm so I decided that we visit Patzcuaro.

Patzcuaro is built on the hills sloping back from Lake Patzcuaro with a population of about 48,000 people.

Here’s what Frommer’s tourist guide book says about Patzcuaro:

It is located at 370km (231 miles) NW of Mexico City; 285km (178 miles) SE of Guadalajara; 69km (43 miles) SW of Morelia

Pátzcuaro is perhaps the loveliest town in Mexico. Crooked cobblestone streets, smooth stucco walls painted white with dark red borders, blackened tile roofs that join to form ramshackle rooflines -- it is a town meant to be photographed and painted. During the rainy season, when low clouds roll in and curl through the tall trees, and water drips from the low-slung overhangs, a sweet melancholy descends upon the town.

Pátzcuaro is in the heart of the Purépecha homeland. Beside it is Lake Pátzcuaro (one of the world's highest at 2,200m/7,250 ft.), whose shores border dozens of Indian villages. In these villages and in town, visitors frequently hear the soft sounds of the Purépechan language in the background as they take in the sights. Although distinct regional costumes are seldom seen today, Indian women still braid their hair with ribbons and wear the blue rebozos (long woolen wraps) that serve them in so many ways.

Source: Frommer's tourist Guide Book

The market in Patzcuaro

It is a busy day at the bank today. I wonder if these people are coming from the villages to get the remittances they receive from their families working abroad.