Lift Off

This morning, very early, we fly to Austin.

A Beautiful Day

It is a pleasure to walk in colonial Pátzcuaro on this mild and sunny January day.

Milk Run

Many patzcuarenses only like the taste of fresh, unpasteurized milk, which is delivered to their door. A beep of the pick-up truck's horn summons the customer, who emerges with a container to get the milk. The milk is then boiled (usually?) before use.

Marketing Technique

This travel agency set a metal plane on a stand in the street to lure in prospective travelers to purchase tickets. The aircraft inspires great confidence.

Purhépecha Woman "Marikua"

We brought Marikua (which means woman in Purhépecha) home to grace our garden at La Jacaranda. Driving from Pátzcuaro, just before one enters the pueblo of Tzintzuntzan there are at least a thousand carved stone statues of diverse size and conception offered for sale by artisans.

Purhépecha women fish for carp in Lake Pátzcuaro. This successful catch is at Uranden, which we visited by canoe.

Delectable "Granadas"

In Pátzcuaro, these are called granadas, the same name used for pomegranates. Break a fruit in half, and eat the inside with a spoon. Savor the crunchy seeds and the mildly sweet, slightly citrusy flavor.

They look like maracuyá / maracujá, but they do not not have the distinctive, pungent flavor that for me characterizes the maracujá.

?Quién sabe?

Yum. Beef Lips for Lunch

Pátzcuaro does not offer fine dining, but there are a number of restaurants where one can eat a tasty and enjoyable meal. From time to time we need a fix at the Pemex (gas station) restaurant--although it really sits behind the gas pumps and its official name is the Camino Real. No restaurant in the area turns the quantity of food that does the Camino Real. It caters to Mexican families and people who want to eat their comida (the mid-afternoon main meal) out during the work day, as well as serving copious breakfasts and brunches, and lighter food in the early evening. One can rely on food that is varied, tasty and always fresh.

There are several choices of comida of the day, which is a menu consisting of a soup, choice of a second dish such as rice or pasta, choice of one of several main courses, and a small, flavorful dessert. The cost per person is $55 pesos, about US$5.00. The comida is ready early, by about 1:30 pm, and the lunch rush hour starts at 3:00 pm. On Sundays it is very difficult to get into the Camino Real.

Today the Camino Real offered Beef Lips.

"Solo labios de res?" I queried.

"No, señora, the dish includes cheeks as well as lips."

So Glen and I both lunched on Tarascan soup, Beef Lips braised in a tangy sauce, rice, salsa, rolls, tortillas, and a sweet-tart mini serving of tamarind pudding.

The Beef Lips were luscious. The Camino Real scored again.

How Culture Affects Communication

Go to http://culturespan.blogspot.com

New Year's Day in Patzcuaro

Happy New Year 2008!

The kitchen at La Jacaranda augurs a year that will bring a bounty of good things.