Thursday, February 8, 2018

January 2018 Patzcuaro Highlights


View of Lake Patzcuaro from above Erongaricuaro

I've been busy, time has flown by and I'm way behind on blog posts - so I'll just post some highlights from last month.

On January 3rd I led an exploratory hike for the Friends of Cerro Blanco group through the forest of Mal Pais.  Many members had expressed a desire to check it out, and we finally got there.

View from a country lane on the way to Mal Pais
In the forest, on a ridge parallel with the trail I usually take, is a natural tower of volcanic rock that I've seen and photographed numerous times.  On this particular hike, though, Jergen looked at it and said "Look at the face on it".  Sure enough, in the right light, you can see a face that I now call La Llorona - the weeping woman.  Can you see it?

La Llorona
On the 5th I took a beautiful long hike with Patzcuaro and Morelia friends - 12 miles with 2,680 ft.of elevation gain:

We walked up out of the edge of Morelia and into nice open country, heading for that peak El Quinceo, in the background

The final ascent to the peak of El Quinceo was quite steep - but afforded gorgeous views.
My friend Jodi Seaver, whom I first met at massage therapy school back in 1989, came for a visit from January 10th to the 18th and I enjoyed sharing this special place with her.  We went to the market, climbed El Estribo,  walked down to the waterfront, ate out at some great restaurants, hiked around the area and listened to some wonderful live music:

My dear friend Jodi
From the dock on Lake Patzcuaro, a view of a tour boat and its destination, the island of Janitzio.
White pelicans on the lake
On the way to a fine 5-course dinner at Santo Huacal on the 14th, Jodi talked me into climbing up into a niche above a fountain:

I finally found my niche!
 On the 15th we hiked out to the petroglyphs:

On the way, we passed a field of grain with mountains in the background.
A petroglyph I hadn't noticed on previous trips. I see a resemblance to the Venus of Willendorf - do you?
On the 16th, Jodi and I did the loop hike through Mal Pais:

Jodi on the lane leading towards Mal Pais

Vermilion flycatcher in a meadow we passed.
Afterwards we enjoyed lunch at Campestre Aleman, the German restaurant in Arócutin. Jodi had trout and I had roast rabbit.

The next day we took a combi to Tzintzuntzan  to visit the pre-Hispanic pyramids as well as the Franciscan convent founded in the 16th century:

View from Tzintzuntzan, above Lake Patzcuaro.
Jodi in front of an olive tree planted in the 16th century by Bishop Quiroga, on the grounds of the convent.
Woman working on her embroidery in the doorway of the church

View out a window of the convent
View out a door of the convent

The indigenous Purépecha ruins sit on a huge courtyard held up by retaining walls, giving them a commanding view of the lake and its surroundings. On my first visit a few years ago, the museum wasn't open - so I was delighted that we could explore it this time.

The main ruins at Tzintzuntzan consist of a line of five yakatas - rectangular pyramids with circular bump-outs on the back - atop a raised platform.
I was impressed with the artifacts in the museum - including the wind instrument in the foreground.

Back in Patzcuaro that afternoon, just another caballero was crossing the street:


Jodi left on the 18th - totally enchanted with Patzcuaro and the area.

This hasn't been a great year for bromeliad blossoms here, but on a hike on the 22nd I saw a couple trees that were loaded with them. Most of them were already gone by and turning brown, but at least one was still in its glory:



A nice benefit of living in Patzcuaro this winter is that I can walk out the door and go for a stroll through town in the evening:

Fountain with a statue of Bishop Quiroga on the Plaza Grande
The convent across the street from my place - with the basilica's tower above.

On the 24th I started out to walk around the base of El Estribo, but then I spotted a way to get to a bridge across the Uruapan toll road that I hadn't yet been able to access - so off I went to explore where that lane would lead me:

The dirt lane I started out on had some very basic housing along it - but with colorful clothing on the line.
 
The new lane I explored was at times lined with tall bushes with yellow flowers.

The lane led to a huge avocado grove that we had hiked through previously.   It went around the plantation, rather than through it, and joined the lane we had used on previous hikes.

As I crossed the bridge over the Uruapan toll road, I saw a good example of the Mexican Third Lane: Here, if there’s a 2-lane road with breakdown lanes, it’s easy to pass someone. You pull out into the middle of the road, creating a “third lane”, and the vehicle you’re passing pulls over into the breakdown lane, as does any vehicle that’s approaching from the other direction. It seems to work quite well:



On the 25th I went to my dentist, Liliana Salto Maldonado, in Erongaricuaro and had my teeth cleaned - for about $14.00. She recommended I get my 30-year-old bridge replaced next year. That would set me back about $300.00. I'll have to give it some thought......

Meanwhile, here are a couple of photos from Eronga:

The Erongaricuaro Church
40 years ago I would have been standing in the lake to take a photo here, at the edge of the Eronga. Now this canal extends about a kilometer to connect this spot to Lake Patzcuaro since the lake level has gone down.
Cool clouds in this view toward Patzcuaro from the canal.
On the 26th the Morelia friends came here and Patzcuro friends and I led them on a hike to two of my favorite places: the petroglyphs near Uricho and the loop through Mal Pais.  We started in the fog and ended in the sun. The rain waited until we were driving home from lunch at Doña Mary's in Eronga. Fun hike - but I didn't 'take many photos.

Cattle and egrets seen on the way to the petroglyphs
On the 27th I joined the local hiking group for nice 2.5 hour hike up through the forest and some meadows off the road to Cuanajo:

Hikers heading up, up, up,,,,,,,
....to not a bad view.
I'm always delighted to find a great deal at the Patzcuaro market, especially when it involves one of my  favorite fruits:

Mercado buy of the day: 10 small mangoes for about 80 cents. And they’re ripe!
On the 30th, I took a hike with friends in the pueblo of Ihuatzio, between stone walls, through open meadows and pine forest and past Purépecha pyramids:

Friends Meg, Nicola and Henriette at the start of the hike

Mexican fritillary along the trail
We passed by the yakatas above the village of Ihuatzio - once the center of the pre-Hispanic Purépecha kingdom.
And to finish off the month, here are a few of the flowers I enjoyed in January:

A gentian, I believe.

Colorin