Mexico: Pueblos Majicos part 1
Patzcuaro is a small city in a valley with hilly streets. It had wonderful old colonial buildings surrounded by a central plaza where they sold chocolate skulls and sugary coffins, skeletons in ceramic called Catrinas and of sugar. Stalls with wooden masks, straw dolls, baskets and rush matts, rings, necklaces, all types of ceramic and glazed pottery, tapestry clothes, embroidered blouses, wooden toys and masks crowded the plaza. Along the sidewalks you could buy street food, pizzas, tacos, salads have your face painted or have a cup of coffee. The cobbled streets were full of music and dance and tourists. I saw beautifully costumed locals, flowers for sale, market style food and clothes, red tiled roofs and while climbing up steep streets lots of tall churches surrounded by cute plazas.
We arrived late to our digs- Jamie’s place as the taxi couldn’t find it. Our accommodation was basically someone’s house with a garden and, as he has done all the electricty himself, the shower was cold or barely luke warm, kind of cute with no street signs, of course! In Patzcuaro we bought sugar skulls and coffins, wandered round the most amazing market, ate lovely salad and watched the world go by.
Day 2: We visited Tzintzuntzan with its straw crafts, ceramics and atmospheric ex-Convento de San Francisco with great wall decorations -the olive-tree lined courtyard provides tranquil access to see the other Templos and the Capilla within the walls.The Purepecha ruins of Las Yacatas, graves of a bygone age. It is also the spot to be for Dia de Muertos-we visited graves decorated with a type of Marigold golden yellow in the candleloight. In town, we made a visit to the Virgin, Nuestra Señora de la Salud (Our Lady of Good Health), where she is said to perform miracles.
Tzintzuntzan – Meaning “place of the humming birds,” Along the main road through town, there are numerous stores selling straw goods, wood furniture and ceramics. Tzintzuntzan is very crowded during the night of Dia de Muertos.
Bus journey to Taxco. Lovely place on mountain top. Climbed up to Jesus statue (13th). Shopped for silver. Transport was mini volkswagons which barely held two people and our luggage. 302 Volkswagen taxis in this small town. Every one kind but everyone trying to sell mainly silver, straw baskets and large colourful plates. Very aggressive selling. Good pizzas, nice coffee. watched the Marachi bands on the square. 14th shopping. danced in the square.
