Positively Pátzcuaro

We spent four nights in Pátzcuaro surrounding Día de Los Muertos. The city possessed a tame sort of energy from all of the activity and visitors, and we enjoyed it all from our temporary garden home. Even though it was loud and crowded, it wasn’t as rowdy as I thought it would be.

There was one stretch of candy vendors that I must have walked by a dozen times, all selling the hand-painted sugar skulls in all sizes. I have successfully reached a ceasefire agreement with the amoebas so I enjoyed a lot of delicious pan de muertos, but I’m avoiding chocolate and sugar still.

The tiny Isla Janitizio in Lake Pátzcuaro is supposed to turn into a giant party for the festivals, but we decided to go check it out the day before to avoid the crowds. It’s only accessible by boat, and when you get there it’s pretty steep and car-free. I’m always a sucker for a boat ride, and this was about an 80-passenger ferry.

We had a three-piece band entertain us on the way over, and even fresh sorbet brought on board.

The next day we went to Tzintzuntzan, one of the bigger cemeteries, to see the dressing of the graves. The whole cemetery was awash in gold and magenta. I was touched to see so many families working on the decorations together.

It was a really wonderful experience to be there. Even Milo got into the spirit.

I shot a lot of photos, more of which I’ve posted here.

At this point, Juan and I are completely enchanted with Mexico. It seems like every time we tear ourselves away from an incredible place, we just end up somewhere even better. I keep making fun of Juan because upon arrival in every town, he exclaims, “This is awesome! Want to stay here for a few weeks?” Of course, then we end up leaving a few days later. We’re not exactly on a schedule, but we do need to make it to Quintana Roo, the easternmost Mexican state, for the holidays just six weeks away. We’ve seen an astounding amount in the past six weeks, and it seems like we’re moving at such a leisurely pace. I can’t wait for the next post about where we are now! It might just be our favorite city yet…
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