Central Mexico - Morelia and Patzcuaro, April 2008

Dixie B · 06-04-2008

We recently traveled to central Mexico -- Morelia and Patzcuaro -- not PDC, but a good trip, nonetheless. We flew to Mexico City and stayed overnight at the Hotel Maria Cristina. The next day, we went to the Poniente Bus Station and took the ETN deluxe bus to Morelia (4 hours to the minute). We stayed at the Hotel Posada de la Soledad and enjoyed exploring the historic heart of the city. We taxied to Patzcuaro on Lake Patzcuaro and stayed at the Hotel La Parroquia. Patzcuaro is more indigenous and very interesting with two central squares -- one large and one small. We visited La Casa de Once (eleven) Patios -- now a series of handcraft stores -- very interesting. We visited the Tarascan ruins of Tzintzuntzan. We took the boat across Lake Patzcuaro to Janitzio Island. We then went back to Morelia for a few more days. Unfortunately, the municipal cultural workers were on strike, so all of the museums and stuff like that were closed, but we had seen most of them on an earlier trip. We then returned to Mexico City (by ETN) and stayed overnight at the Hotel Geneve in La Zona Rosa.

Hotel Maria Cristina in Mexico City

One of the tourist polic vehicles in Morelia

Entrance of the Hotel Posada de la Soledad in Morelia

Naptime at the Hotel Posada de la Soledad in Morelia

The main courtyard at the Hotel Posada de la Soledad in Morelia

Manhole cover in Morelia -- I couldn't resist shooting this because of the design. .

Animated traffic signal -- note little running man, and the countdown of time remaining. . .

Morelia Cathedral at night

We then went to Patzcuaro, which is on Lake Patzcuaro. This is the courtyard of the Hotel de la Parroquia

We visited the Casa de los Once Patios and saw this wooden mask in one of the craft stores

We visited the Tarascan (Purepecha) site of Tzintzuntzan. This is a Yakata, or burial mound for a Tarascan king, along with his entourage and funerary goods -- as well as the doctor who failed to cure him of his last illness. This could give a physician a little more incentive to cure a patient.

We took the boat across Lake Patzcuaro to Janitzio Island -- this wasn't it

Janitzio Island as seen from the boat

A market stall on Janitzio

Traditional medicines in the market in Patzcuaro

Kids doing La Danza de los Viejitos (Little Old Men) in Patzcuaro

La Panteon Municipal (Municipal Cemetery) in Patzcuaro

The Hotel Geneve in the Zona Rosa in Mexico City.
After spending the night at the Geneve, we went to the airport only to find that American Airlines had cancelled 3000 flights using MD-80's, so we were accomodated by them at the Camino Real Hotel in the airport. They also provided meal vouchers (even though we had to pay for our own wine at dinner :wink:, and accept seats on a Mexicana Airlines flight (in first class, no less - along with the privilege of waiting for the flight in Mexicana's VIP lounge) to Chicago O'Hare, where we were brought back to reality by transferring to American Eagle to get back to Fort Wayne, only to find that my suitcase went to Flint, MI. (Of course, AA delivered it to our house the next day, and its lips were sealed as to what happened in Flint]

Sol · 06-04-2008

What a great trip. Thank you for posting your trip report and pictures. I have stayed at the Maria Cristina and I just love that hotel. . Your picture brought back some fond memories. Five years ago, I traveled to Morelia on business and stayed in the area for five days

On a Sunday, I went on a tour of the region and visited Janitzio, Tzintzunzan, Patzcuaro, and Quiroga. The latter town was having its market day when we stopped there. Janitzio is such an interesting island to visit. There was a lot going on that Sunday. We had the best lunch while we were there. The majority of the local women were dressed in traditional dresses; they looked so beautiful. I enjoyed staying in Morelia a lot. I don't remember the name of the hotel but it was a mansion that had been converted into a hotel. We didn't get to stay in the main area of the hotel but in a section that was in back. It reminded me of a motel. The staff was kind of rude and they would lock the front gates early in the evening, so when we would get back late at night it would piss them off to have to come open the gates. After the weekend when all of the Mexican tourists left, the staff turned off the water heaters. Hell...that made for an ice cold shower in the morning.

But I got over it because the location was great, the food was very good, and it was a cheap place to stay that was close to where I needed to go for work. The hotel was close to the law school and a beautiful Catholic church. Across the street from these two places was a park where the drum and bugle corps would practice in the evening.

roni · 06-04-2008

How wonderful!! Thank you for posting it!!!!

There is a journalist retired in Tzintzunzan who is married to a Mexican woman there. He has a blog Tales of Zapata Street (Vol. III)

I enjoy it.

Kathy and I have been talking about vacations we will take around Mexico after we retire there. Morelia and the Lake Patzcuaro area are high on the list

**Susie Q Roo** · 06-05-2008

Beautiful pictures and I envy your trip! How did you know of/choose this particular area to visit?

jevans · 06-05-2008

great report. morelia, patzcuaro, and playa azul were some of my favorite places to visit.

06-04-2008	#1 (permalink)
Dixie B very sparkly Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Fort Wayne IN Posts: 33	Central Mexico - Morelia and Patzcuaro, April 2008 We recently traveled to central Mexico -- Morelia and Patzcuaro -- not PDC, but a good trip, nonetheless. We flew to Mexico City and stayed overnight at the Hotel Maria Cristina. The next day, we went to the Poniente Bus Station and took the ETN deluxe bus to Morelia (4 hours to the minute). We stayed at the Hotel Posada de la Soledad and enjoyed exploring the historic heart of the city. We taxied to Patzcuaro on Lake Patzcuaro and stayed at the Hotel La Parroquia. Patzcuaro is more indigenous and very interesting with two central squares -- one large and one small. We visited La Casa de Once (eleven) Patios -- now a series of handcraft stores -- very interesting. We visited the Tarascan ruins of Tzintzuntzan. We took the boat across Lake Patzcuaro to Janitzio Island. We then went back to Morelia for a few more days. Unfortunately, the municipal cultural workers were on strike, so all of the museums and stuff like that were closed, but we had seen most of them on an earlier trip. We then returned to Mexico City (by ETN) and stayed overnight at the Hotel Geneve in La Zona Rosa. Hotel Maria Cristina in Mexico City One of the tourist polic vehicles in Morelia Entrance of the Hotel Posada de la Soledad in Morelia Naptime at the Hotel Posada de la Soledad in Morelia The main courtyard at the Hotel Posada de la Soledad in Morelia Manhole cover in Morelia -- I couldn't resist shooting this because of the design. . Animated traffic signal -- note little running man, and the countdown of time remaining. . . Morelia Cathedral at night We then went to Patzcuaro, which is on Lake Patzcuaro. This is the courtyard of the Hotel de la Parroquia We visited the Casa de los Once Patios and saw this wooden mask in one of the craft stores We visited the Tarascan (Purepecha) site of Tzintzuntzan. This is a Yakata, or burial mound for a Tarascan king, along with his entourage and funerary goods -- as well as the doctor who failed to cure him of his last illness. This could give a physician a little more incentive to cure a patient. We took the boat across Lake Patzcuaro to Janitzio Island -- this wasn't it Janitzio Island as seen from the boat A market stall on Janitzio Traditional medicines in the market in Patzcuaro Kids doing La Danza de los Viejitos (Little Old Men) in Patzcuaro La Panteon Municipal (Municipal Cemetery) in Patzcuaro The Hotel Geneve in the Zona Rosa in Mexico City. After spending the night at the Geneve, we went to the airport only to find that American Airlines had cancelled 3000 flights using MD-80's, so we were accomodated by them at the Camino Real Hotel in the airport. They also provided meal vouchers (even though we had to pay for our own wine at dinner :wink:, and accept seats on a Mexicana Airlines flight (in first class, no less - along with the privilege of waiting for the flight in Mexicana's VIP lounge) to Chicago O'Hare, where we were brought back to reality by transferring to American Eagle to get back to Fort Wayne, only to find that my suitcase went to Flint, MI. (Of course, AA delivered it to our house the next day, and its lips were sealed as to what happened in Flint]

06-04-2008	#2 (permalink)
Sol Chupacabras Whisperer Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: The Gem State Posts: 10,459	What a great trip. Thank you for posting your trip report and pictures. I have stayed at the Maria Cristina and I just love that hotel. . Your picture brought back some fond memories. Five years ago, I traveled to Morelia on business and stayed in the area for five days On a Sunday, I went on a tour of the region and visited Janitzio, Tzintzunzan, Patzcuaro, and Quiroga. The latter town was having its market day when we stopped there. Janitzio is such an interesting island to visit. There was a lot going on that Sunday. We had the best lunch while we were there. The majority of the local women were dressed in traditional dresses; they looked so beautiful. I enjoyed staying in Morelia a lot. I don't remember the name of the hotel but it was a mansion that had been converted into a hotel. We didn't get to stay in the main area of the hotel but in a section that was in back. It reminded me of a motel. The staff was kind of rude and they would lock the front gates early in the evening, so when we would get back late at night it would piss them off to have to come open the gates. After the weekend when all of the Mexican tourists left, the staff turned off the water heaters. Hell...that made for an ice cold shower in the morning. But I got over it because the location was great, the food was very good, and it was a cheap place to stay that was close to where I needed to go for work. The hotel was close to the law school and a beautiful Catholic church. Across the street from these two places was a park where the drum and bugle corps would practice in the evening. Last edited by Sol; 06-04-2008 at 11:18 PM.

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06-04-2008	#3 (permalink)
roni Happy Curmudgeon Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Oregon Posts: 26,956	How wonderful!! Thank you for posting it!!!! There is a journalist retired in Tzintzunzan who is married to a Mexican woman there. He has a blog Tales of Zapata Street (Vol. III) I enjoy it. Kathy and I have been talking about vacations we will take around Mexico after we retire there. Morelia and the Lake Patzcuaro area are high on the list

06-05-2008	#4 (permalink)
Susie Q Roo paradisiac Join Date: May 2003 Location: Q Roo Posts: 10,929	Beautiful pictures and I envy your trip! How did you know of/choose this particular area to visit?

06-05-2008	#5 (permalink)
jevans life=playa Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Nevada Posts: 920	great report. morelia, patzcuaro, and playa azul were some of my favorite places to visit.

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