Patzcuaro

As we continued our Southwards voyage along the Mexican coast it became clear there was a vast amount of the country inland which we had not seen.
We took a couple of short trips but the place we kept hearing about from fellow cruisers was Patzcauro.
While we were anchored in Zihuatenejo, a cruiser friendly safe anchorage we arranged for several nearby boats to check on ours for a few days.
We caught an early morning bus which was, as we have found all long haul Mexican buses, extremely comfortable with reclining seats with a lot of leg room, movies, snacks and bathrooms on board. Mexico also has a great system of toll highways so the five hour trip up into the mountains was painless.
Patzcauro is 7400 feet above sea level so the temperatures in the day are hot but you need a light sweater in the evenings, a nice relief from the heat on the coast.
The history of this region dates back to the Tarasco people who built pyramids dating back to 450AD. They repelled the Aztecs but were friendly to the Spaniards when they arrived. Conquistador, Nuno Bertrande Guzman was sent by Spain in 1529. He was a very cruel ruler and after a period of carnage Spain decided to send Vasco de Quiroga a judge and cleric from Mexico City to repair the damage. He established a society in which education and agriculture self sufficiency was emphasized and each village developed their unique craft specialty. These traditions continue today and he is revered with plazas and towns named after him. The next turbulent time was during the independence movement in the early 1800’s when another heroine Gertrudis Bocanegra was shot by firing squad in 1818 after both her husband and son had been killed in the fighting. She is also remembered with a plaza named after her.
The architecture and buildings in the town date back to the 1500’s and it is very picturesque town of 30,000 people with cobblestone streets and beautiful buildings with tiled roofs, it is hard to remember you are in Mexico not in Europe. The treed central plaza from which the rest of the town radiates is the hub of activity. It is surrounded by former mansions which have been converted to hotels and restaurants, most of which supply outdoor seating. We had most of our meals outside on the square as life went by. Tarasco soup which is a tomato and cream based soup with beans and crispy tortillas was a delicious specialty. American style desserts including cheesecake and black forest cake were available with cappuccinos so it was quite a treat.
We stayed in the prettiest hotel imaginable. The central courtyard was blue and orange stucco with plants everywhere and huge wooden beams, breathtaking.
The people appear to be affluent and well educated, we talked to a local man who currently lives in Houston but was having his children educated there to avoid the drugs and violence in the USA schools. The friendly people are justifiably proud of their community which has a deeply rooted colourful culture.
As we ate our breakfast on the square on our first day it started to fill with people. Hundreds of kindergarten age children all dressed in costumes, most girls were butterflies or some beautiful winged creatures and the boys various animals—there is no gender confusion here!!! They had a parade complete with marching bands around the town and it appeared it was the first day of spring. There is always a reason to have a celebration in Mexico, it seems every weekend there is a festival.
It was also Friday which meant market day and all of the surrounding villagers bring in their wares. One of the most unique was the native Indian people who have herbal remedies for all that ail you. They had cures for cholesterol, asthma, back pain and blood pressure to name a few; these appeared to be roots and plants from which you would make tea.
We continued to explore and found the former convent which had been converted into working craft studios where you could watch people make their crafts as well as purchase their products. Lacquer ware, brightly coloured woven fabric, painted wooden masks and corn husk dolls were amongst the local crafts.
The basilica was lovely with a domed ceiling and had a revered figure of the Virgin; this particular one is believed to heal. Pilgrims come from all over Mexico for a miraculous cure.
The library had a huge and beautiful mural depicting the history of the region from the original Tarasco Indians to the present day.
In the square in the weekends an energetic dance troupe performed the dance of “The Old Men” regularly. The origin of this is not clear but adds colour to the already colourful town.
In the evening we happened upon a dance performance put on by two local dance troupes, one was traditional Mexican dancing and the other Mexican style country western. The caliber of the concert was amazing and it appeared that they were raising money to send them to Chihuahua for Easter weekend for the National Championships. They should do well.
We hired a taxi for one day to take us to the surrounding local villages.
We started at the village of Quiroga which specializes in wood products. These ranged from trinkets for $1 to beautifully hand crafted wooden furniture.
We then went to the archaeological site at Tzintzuntzan where huge pyramid structures dating back to 450AD are being excavated. In 1978 an intact tomb full of ceramic offerings was found and the explorations continue.
Santa Clara del Cobre another town we visited was based around a copper mine and every craft imaginable made from copper was available. Jewelry, platters and vases and even the bandstand in the town square were all made of copper.
There are towns which specialize in huge stone carving, ceramics, one of straw where corn husk dolls are made and one which makes guitars. The guitars are beautifully crafted and range in price from $50 to about $500 for one inlaid with beautiful woods.
We finished our tour at the small lovely Zirauin Lake which is of the tears of a Tarascan princess who lost her loved one and her spirit lives on in the lake.
We would have loved to have had more time in this area as it is a craft lover’s paradise but the season is running down and we need to move on.
We continue our voyage and are readying to cross the Tehuantapec to go to El Salvador but are thankful that we had this window to this lovely region.
It is a place to consider as a vacation spot for anyone traveling to Mexico.