In early April 20+ travelers re-joined with Roberta Valdez of Alegre Events & Tours to experience our third trip of the year to Mexico’s beautiful and splendid interior. This time the trip took us the state of Michoacán and, initially, to the magnificent city of Morelia. Our bus stopped in Tonala for lunch at the restaurant Hacienda la Divina (a favorite), then on to Morelia where we checked into the Hotel Virrey de Mendoza, located on the Main Square in the historic district. Originally built in 1565 and the second story in 1744, this magnificent hotel has 41 Rooms/15 Suites/3 salons. Arrival cocktails were hosted by Roberta in a large suite that overlooks the Main Square and Cathedral.
Morelia was known in colonial times as Valladolid (or Nueva Valladolid), because it reminded the "Conquistadores" of that Spanish city. In 1828 the name changed to Morelia, in honor of its most famous hero Juan Maria Morelos y Pavón, a priest who led the struggle for Independence against Spain and was executed in 1813. Morelia is considered to be the most noble of all Mexican Colonial towns. The architecture has been kept in the tradition of old Spain. The Cathedral by the main plaza, was constructed of pinkish stone (cantera rosa) dominating all surrounding buildings with its 200 ft. towers, which took over 200 years to build. Another significant landmark is the massive and yet elegant aqueduct built in 1790 with more than 250 arches. As it should be at the capital city of Michoacán, the handicraft activity is predominant, mainly wood-carvings, pottery, copper and lacquerware, and woven goods.
On the first evening we walked several blocks to Los Mirasoles, a nice renovated, avant-garde space in a 17th century house with an aristocratic aura, decorated with furnishings that evidence the craftsmanship of the area - large granite rocks form the walls, hanging inverted patio umbrellas trimmed with fine lace, and which features the areas largest Mexican wine cellar. The walk back to the hotel was a welcome exercise by most of us.
The next day consisted of tours , visiting the highlights of the city (viewing the Aqueduct, Sanctuary Guadalupe, Monument San Morelia’s, Fountain Tarascan women holding fruit basket) then shopping at Casa de las Artesanias. That evening we joined at San Migueletos, famous for High Mexican cuisine, and a whimsical decor replete with Michoacán crafts, antiques, paintings -- 95% of everything is for sale!...even the furniture and tableware. This is a fun restaurant where every table has a different design and setting. One of the dining rooms called “El Cuarto de las Solteronas (The Spinster’s Corner ) is decorated with 365 distinct statues of St. Anthony set upside down. The belief is that if you stand this saint on his head and pray really hard, you’ll get a husband! El Altar de las Conversaciones (The Altar of Conversation) is a communal table decorated as an altar.
Leaving Morelia the following day on our way to Patzcuaro, we stopped briefly in the village of Tzintzuntzan to visit an ongoing bazaar then on to Ranchero La Mesa, located on the San Jose Plateau and surrounded by a forest of pine, willow, and oyamel trees (a fir tree sometimes called Sacred Fir due to the use of its cut foliage in religious festivals in Mexico) coupled with a magnificent view of Patzcuaro and the lake of the same name, Lake Patzcuaro. The outdoor restaurant-bar serves delicious dishes such as fish, rabbit, turkey, chicken, beef and their specialty, ostrich, which is grown at the Ranchero. On the way down from the plateau we a stopped in Santa Clara del Cobre to visit a Copper factory to see a demonstration at the foundry of pots/pans/etc. being formed. I noticed the foundry foreman had a sling/cast on his left arm – when I asked how many injuries occur in the foundry he said very few to none during his 15+ years. Asked what happened to his arm, he “sheepishly” admitted he‘d been trimming a large tree in the courtyard and fell out of the tree.
Finally arriving in Pátzcuaro we checked into the hotel, then toured the teinda being setup in the main square. Pátzcuaro, which means "city of stones" in the Purepecha language, is a city and its surrounding Municipalities in the central part of the Mexican state . Its early inhabitants believed Pátzcuaro to be the doorway to heaven where the gods ascended and descended.
Pátzcuaro is hidden high in the mountains of Michoacán at 7130 feet of elevation. It is veiled from the outside world by a curtain of high fir trees and Oyamel trees. To the north is Lake Pátzcuaro one of Mexico's highest lakes. The butterfly fishermen who dip their nets into the lake in search of whitefish, have become a trademark of Pátzcuaro.
The Dance of the Viejitos (Old Men), one of the best and most widely known native dances of Mexico, is presented in the Plaza Grande on weekends. The dancers wear wooden masks that depict smiling old men to show that, at least in Mexico, old age is not a time of listless despair, but rather a season to enjoy the fruits of life.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5219031765679231955
On day 5 we departed to Uruapan, a city and municipality in the west-central part of the Mexican state of Michoacán. The town and surroundings are world famous in part because of the great quantity of avocado farming and packaging, exported in large parts to the United States and other countries.
Uruapan is one of the oldest cities in Mexico. Its main natural attraction is the Cupatitzio River (dubbed "the river that sings"). The National Park Eduardo Ruiz is home of "La Rodilla del Diablo", the source of the river which courses through the city and out toward "La Tzaráracua" and "La Tzararacuita", waterfalls on the southern outskirts of the city, and flows eventually to the Pacific Ocean. Paricutín volcano emerged in the vicinity in 1943, scaring away much of the population.
Our arrival in Tonala was not in time for shopping so most had dinner and rested in their rooms. We left Tonala at noon the following day and arrived back in Puerto Vallarta with wonderful memories.
