Videos - Noche de Muertos in the Lake Pátzcuaro Region
1. An interesting video of Noche de Muertos Traditions on La Pacanda island of Lake Pátzcuaro.
2. A video of the Purhépecha fire ball game - Uarhukua Chanakua
More about Night of the Dead around Lake Pátzcuaro.
Pátzcuaro living.
Flor de Ánimas
Flower of Souls
Flor de Ánimas, Yunuén Island
Laelia autumnalis
All over Mexico the ubiquitous zempasúchitl flower(marigold) marks the observance of death. On the Meseta Purhépecha, the high Purhépecha Plateau, in addition to the marigold, a flower less well known is important and traditionally used for celebration of Night of the Dead. This is the delicate purple orchid, endemic to Mexico’s central highlands, called Flor de Ánimas (Flower of Souls). This orchid blooms abundantly in the fall in high oak forests. I have seen these blossoms in profusion on the nearby island of Yunuén on Lake Pátzcuaro.
The Orchidaceae epidendroideae epidendreae laeliinae laelia autumnalis grows in Mexico in the central to southern mountains at elevations of 1500 to 2600 meters. The blooms are fragrant and long-lasting. The bulbs of this orchid is one type of those traditionally used to make a paste mixed with cornstarch to mold figures such as that of the Virgen de la Salud in Pátzcuaro’s Basílica. Some medical research indicates that an extract of this orchid has antihypertensive and vasorelaxant properties; it is also said to cause abortion.
If you are an orquidophile, visit Artesanías La Mojiganga on Patzcuaro’s Plaza Vasco de Quiroga. The owner, Felipe de Ortega, helped me indentify the exact species and scientific name of the Flor de Ánimas. He has many types of orchid plants and items necessary to cultivate orchids.
The myriad orchid plants that Glen has put in the trees in our garden at La Jacaranda are busy pushing out the long, thin shoots that will bear the Flor de Ánimas. And soon we will see vendors offering long stems of these orchid blooms in the streets around the central plazas of Pátzcuaro. These and the street full of flowers that is set up next to the Plaza de la Basílica will herald the individual altars and the decorations in homes that are traditional for Night of the Dead.
Hasta más.
P.S. October 12th - Flor de Ánimas blossoms opened today on two of our plants in the trees at La Jacaranda. What a pleasure.
Links:
Mexican Association of Orchidology http://amo.com.mx/
More about Night of the Dead around Lake Pátzcuaro.
Photos on Flickr of The Flowers.
Why not live in Patzcuaro?
Night of the Dead Tour - Pesos $470 per person
November 1st, 7:45 PM
Depart from Plazuela San Francisco, Pátzcuaro
Look for the Animecha Tours sign.
Note: Tickets for commentary in English were immediately sold out. Tickets are available for commentary in Spanish.
Kuperantzcua Tzan Animecha
Encounter with the Souls
Tickets available at the Biblioteca Federal Pública Gertrudis Bocanegra on the Plaza “Chica” in Pátzcuaro
M – F 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM
Sat. 9:30 AM to 1:30 PM
Sun. Closed
If you purchase your tickets at the Biblioteca, a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the library.
Ticket includes:
Make sure you have warm clothing and comfortable walking shoes.
More about Night of the Dead around Lake Pátzcuaro.
Photos on Flickr of The Flowers.
Photos on Flickr of The Cemeteries.
Why not live in Patzcuaro?
I love plump, palate-pleasing papaya and can eat this fruit in astonishing quantities. I have eaten it most of my life, except for stints in cold so-called temperate climes from which I have fled. In Pátzcuaro I can buy my ripe papaya at the street market by Plaza Chica in every month of the year and I do not have to pay a king’s ransom to end up with a greenish, unripe, tasteless fruit.
Here are some exciting facts to wade through on your way to the anecdotes following. The probable origin of the papaya is Mexico and Central America. Even though it looks like a tree, the papaya plant is classified as a large herb, Herbaceous perennial. It grows worldwide in tropical climates. Papayas are the only natural source of papain, which naturally aids digestion. It breaks down protein and cleanses the digestive track so that less food metabolizes as fat.
Papayas are rich in vitamin C, folate, and potassium, as well as providing fiber, vitamin A, vitamin E, the eye-saving carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, and lycopene. For nutritional value, papayas rank in the top three fruits. They have 13 times more vitamin C and more than 2 times the potassium of apples; they have 4 times more vitamin E than both apples and oranges. All that and it tastes good, too.
Did you know that papain is the tenderizing ingredient in Adolph’s meat tenderizer? Check the label in a store somewhere sometime. In Tahiti we used to use the papaya leaf to tenderize a tough cut of meat. We would buy “steaks” and wrap each one in a washed papaya leaf. We then placed the packets in the refrigerator overnight and the next day, voilà, we had tender steaks instead of having to attack the slabs with our machetes. If we left the meat in the leaves for a second day, I accidentally found out that it had begun to predigest—rather slimy and not at all appetizing.
On a holiday week-end, when we had more time off from work, we would hike two hours past the end of the road on Tahiti-Iti (the little part of the island’s figure 8) and camp by a river and waterfall. There we would spear fish and grill them on coral heated in a wood fire. Once a hapless feral chicken showed itself and it was hunted down with a fishing spear-gun. It was a tough, wiry bird, before and after its untimely demise. I shinnied up the trunk of a papaya “tree” and picked several green papayas. We peeled and seeded them and cut them up like squash. We simmered the chicken with chopped onions and garlic which we had brought, and the green papaya. The papaya tasted like squash and it tenderized the chicken beautifully. Healthy and tasty over rice.
When my children were infants, to introduce fruit with vitamin A and C into their diet, I would scrape the papaya flesh with a spoon and feed the resulting purée to them. Much less acid than orange juice, babies can have papaya when they are tiny. They digest it well and it is very good for them.
In Patzcuaro I eat papaya almost every morning (I confess that I do like variety from time to time). I am so spoiled. Maybe ripe, voluptuous mangos mañana…
Practical travel information always seems to be of interest to those contemplating a driving trip. A female friend made the following driving trip by herself in August, Patzcuaro-Tucson-Patzcuaro. With her permission, I publish the following:
Sent: Tuesday, August 17, 2010 7:56:46 PM
Subject: Driving Gringa and Sola
Lest you have been fearful of driving from the central area of Mexico and Tucson, I want everyone to know I just did this trip. I drove from Patzcuaro to Tucson, up what I call the middle road. The route encompasses Morelia, Leon, Aguascalientes, Zacatecas, Torreon/Gomez Palacio, Chihuahua, Nuevas Casas Grandes, Agua Prieta and on to Tucson via Bisbee and Tombstone. The pavement is fine along the way with minor blemishes in the blacktop between Nuevas Casas Grandes and the border. The scenery is gorgeous, and the tolls are reasonable (more so than other routes north).
Going north, the biggest delay was at a Mexican military stop, 10 minutes south of Agua Prieta. We waited nearly an hour, amongst lots of semi trucks with no car lane. That was okay as far as I was concerned because I am a birder and it was nice to have time to watch bird activity as we inched along the road. The
gendarmes were most polite and waved me on with "have a safe trip". I also handed them a package of shortbread cookies that I had on hand. In case you are
wondering, they were not concerned about my living in Michoacan, the supposed home of La Familia.
Coming back, the biggest hassle I experienced was on the US side of Agua Prieta. The US Border Patrol combed through my car, asked me if I was carrying arms or $10,000 or more in USD, and why I had Texas plates if I lived in Patzcuaro. Again, I was okay with this process, because, after all, someone is providing the narcos with arms and I didn't want to be treated any differently than anyone else driving this route.
I was stopped at both Aduana's (Mexican Customs). One stop was at the border; the other was near the confluence of traffic from Cuidad Juarez and Agua Prieta. My vehicle was pretty full with condiments I cannot buy here, a power washer for cleaning tiles on my steps, a new laptop for a friend, a case of hummingbird feeders for the Patzcuaro Birding Club, and 30 pairs of binoculars for the Audubon Society located in San Miguel. After minor questions at the first stop, I was passed on with friendly wishes for a safe trip. At the second Aduana, I had to produce my permiso for the car, which is in my husband's name. They asked
me to pull over for further questioning by a higher official. Rather than have everything in my car examined, I told them that I was transporting 30 binoculars for educational purposes by SMA Audubon. I had three letters attesting to this. One officer read the letter from the Mexican Dept of Ecology out loud while the other opened a box of binoculars and looked through them. They promptly allowed me to pass on, didn't want these documents, and bid me a safe journey.
Mind you, my Spanish is fair to middling so my easy passage wasn't due to fluency.
I am not saying that everyone's experience will be like mine; however, I have never had problems with my trips to Tucson or McAllen. All Mexican officials have been polite and professional.
Courtesy of ”G.C. on Lake Patzcuaro, Michoacan”
Lisa Orr, MFA and potter, has a passion for the pottery of Mexico. When she could not find any videos or films to share her love and knowledge of the craft and art, she decided to produce her own with the aid of a cinematographer. Her first documentary was Pottery of Mexico Vol 1: Pineapples of Patamban and San José de Gracia (Michoacán). Lisa sent me this video and with the collaboration and kindness of Eric and Vicky of Patzcuaro’s charming Posada Yolihuani, last week we were able to show the documentary to a number of interested people. It is well done and informative. One sees the renowned piña pottery with new appreciation.
Lisa will soon release a documentary on Mexico’s Árboles de Vida (Trees of Life). The third documentary in the series will feature the pottery of Ocumicho, Michoacán, and show the influence of master potter Marcelino Vicente. Some of maestro Vicente’s pieces are in the collection of the Museo Regional de Artesanías de Pátzcuaro. It is a pleasure to see the tribute that Lisa’s documentaries pay to Michoacán artisans.
I was put in contact with Lisa Orr by friend and fellow writer Philip Russell, an historian of Mexico. We expect both Lisa and Philip to visit us in Pátzcuaro within a few months, on a trip relative to the Ocumicho film.
Some links:
www.lisaorr.com – Lisa Orr, MFA, Potter
www.potteryofmexico.com – Buy Documentary DVD
The History of Mexico by Philip Russell (2010)
Posada Yolihuani, Pátzcuaro
Folk Art & Crafts – MyPatzcuaro blog
When this young man was introduced to a Pátzcuaro dama she exclaimed, "¡Es un taco de ojos!" (a taco for the eyes). I love this Mexican expression for good-looking, a hunk... Mexicanos wax poetic about their favorite kinds of tacos and taquitos so the metaphor is a supreme and piquant compliment.
Hospitable and smiling Susi from Argentina, owner of the Mistongo Restaurant.
Eating and dancing while doing good works...
Among many very nice items donated for the fund raiser was a luxurious, boxed art book entitled Frida de Frida. The evening's silent auction concluded with an overt bidding war over the book. This final mêlée was not so silent, quite humorous and very profitable.
Aha. Got your attention in a devious way.
We planted a little stick of a thing at La Jacaranda and it has flourished into a lush fig tree. This year, after practicing for a few seasons, the tree is laden with fruit. The figs ripen into a deep wine color and taste delicious. I love birds, but right now I wish my blankety-blank little feathered friends would stop beating us to the ripe figs.About two months ago, to visit some friends, mi prima from France (by the way, happy Bastille day) traveled from Patzcuaro to Mexico City and back by bus. She found the trip easy, convenient and comfortable.
Several times a year, we travel by bus from Pátzcuaro to Mexico City, and return. Since my last posts on this a few years ago, there have been changes in both schedules and the buses themselves. Here is what I've learned, with some of my personal opinions on service quality, principally on Grupo Herradura de Plata's AutoVias line. Some references will be made to ETN, but we use it less, as it no longer stops in Pátzcuaro. This will describe what I consider the easest way to do this, with one alternative option.
First of all, our travel always is from La Central de Camioneras in Pátzcuaro (with one exception) to Terminal Poniente (Observatorio) in Mexico City. We have never used the Terminal Norte in Mexico City on these trips, as it's not convenient for us. Someday, it may be useful, but for now, we always go to Poniente/Observatorio. If you are a savvy Mexico traveler, and travel with very little luggage, say, a small pack, you can save taxi fare by emerging from the Terminal Observatorio, crossing the busy avenue (there is a light), wend through a tianguis, and enter the Metro at Estacíon Observatorio. That is the western end of Linea 1, a major Metro line in the city. It's easy to find a seat at that station. Linea 1 can take you in 15 or so minutes to Metro Insurgentes, a major street hub, where you can walk to La Zona Rosa or Colonia Roma Norte; or continue to points beyond, including the Airport. But that's out of the discussion at hand, and it's not simple.
The bus trip has become easier in the past couple of years after the opening of the Toluca bypass via the outskirts of Lerma, Estado de México. The entire trip is just under 5 hours, with a 15 minute stop at the Central de Camioneras in Morelia to take on and discharge passengers. (Sometimes there are only us or 1 more passenger on the 45 minute Pátzcuaro-Morelia run.)
In the last year, HdP-Autovias has trimmed its Pátzcuaro schedule to have less frequent departures. I have posted recent schedules to the Files Section under Travel and Leisure. Or, you can look here, http://www.hdp.com.mx/ Enter the required info to see the most recent changes, if any. Although you can order online, we never do, as it's so easy to just get the tickets a day or so in advance going out, and on the same day with an hour or so in anticipation coming back. The only time it might be worth booking online is for travel during heavy holiday seasons, or if you qualify for an INAPAM (INSEN) discount (50% !) and want to be sure to get one of the allocated discounted seats.)
On our return, Mexico City-Pátzcuaro, we arrived early to avoid rush hour traffic and were able to easily get two INAPAM discounted seats on the 7:20 departure. The AutoVias buses are modern and comfortable. On the this route, we have so far taken mostly double decker buses. There are two classes, Servicio Plus and the slightly more expensive (at present the difference is $19 pesos Mexicanos), Servicio Ejecutivo. We took Ejecutivo recently, and for us, there is absolutely no advantage to it, unless you don't want to climb a short flight of stairs or want to be closer to the restroom. The limited seating Ejecutivo section is lower ceilinged, has leg rests (which for me were useless), fewer windows and is generally darker and more confining. Downstairs, in Ejecutivo, there's no overhead shelf space for carryons, but there is limited yet adequate space in the upper, Servicio Plus deck. Note: there is some lateral sway motion noted on the upper deck. Personally, I'll take that over the poorly ventilated confining lower deck.
In the past, we would be given an unappetizing lunchmeat and yellow cheese sandwich and a bottle of water or a can of Boing! If offered the Boing!, take it. It's a delicious, non-carbonated fruit drink. On our last trip, a 7:15 a.m. departure from Pátzcuaro, there was no sandwich nor water. We'd brought our own, much better, homemade tortas, Boing! and water. I think passengers boarding at Morelia got a snack and a drink.
The newer AutoVias buses have Internet aboard. It works slowly, but it usually works, if you are not in the station area. I was able to check email and browse a few websites on my iPod Touch. The upper deck Servicio Plus is airier, better ventilated (at least, in our experience) and the views are much better. If you want in your face, over the road thrills, book one of the front row seats which have a panoramic window looking forward. These seats also have the most leg room. The line has been thoughtful enough to provide roll down shades against sun glare.Most of the onboard movies are now in Spanish. This is useful for learning or improving your Spanish. A few movies are actually good. Most are either totally sappy or violent American B-movies.The free coffee dispenser was no longer present in the AutoVias Observatorio waiting room. It won't be missed.
There is actually pretty decent food to be had at the concession counters and in the cafeteria style restaurant in the Terminal Observatorio. I would avoid the carnitas places, though, on the dried out, unappetizing appearance of the product. There's an interesting and quirky bakery or two within Terminal Observatorio. One of the specialties are large turtle shaped breads. They are intriguing to see but the taste is nothing special.There's a bookstore, with, I believe espresso drinks! I haven't tried them.
Now, ETN. ETN, Enlaces Terrestres Nacionales lines serve Mexico City and Morelia, as well as major points west in central Mexico. It has a reputation of being the most comfortable bus service, akin to traveling first class air. Well, it *is* comfortable, but to me no better than the upper deck seats on AutoVias. [Per author and Cristina Potters of "Mexico Cooks!", an advantage is that seating is configured 1 and 2. Thus a solo traveler can choose to sit by themself if they want. That is only possible on AutoVias if the seat next to you is unsold.]
Since ETN no longer serves Pátzcuaro, you have to get to the Morelia Central Bus Terminal by secondary means. One way is an AutoVias bus! If you can coordinate the timing; or take the very frequent (every 15 minutes or so) second class Purhépechas bus departures, either from the Pátzcuaro Central or down at the "Estacíon", across from the ill fated Federal Police Station. You are not guaranteed a seat if you board there.It can be a drag if traveling with a lot of luggage, so sometimes it's best to make your travel simple, and just take the AutoVias all the way. Just less hassle.
Buen viaje,
Mike
