Leaving Patzcuaro, Heading for Chacala

I really like Patzcuaro and the little towns around here. They surround a big lake, Lago de Patzcuaro. The countryside is really beautiful, green and lush right now, in the rainy season. Today we drove around to some of the little towns and to a stone complex built by the predecessors to the Spaniard´s, called the Tarascara's (I think I spelled that right). It´s on a treed, grassy area overlooking the lake, and it really interesting to look at. I guess is was a combination fort and religious complex.

At the ruins near Tzintzuntzan, overlooking the Lago de Patzcuaro
Photo courtesy of DD

There were some beautiful trees at the ruins. Some of them looked just like eucayluptus trees, with the leaves and peeling bark, but they didn't have the lovely aroma or the cute little buttons. My friend thought they might be some kind of willow.

I love it that there are so many layers of history, with buildings still standing, in Mexico. The Basilica here is my favorite Cathedral-church so far on this trip. My posada is right across the way from it so I can go there all the time, and I do. There is a big outdoor market right in the front yard of the church.

This is a great town for shopaholics who like the relax after shopping by sitting at a restaurant overlooking the plaza and talking and visiting. This is a very pleasant town to visit, and maybe a nice place to live. I would worry about satisfying my addiction to English language books and magazines though. I did find copies of the Miami Herald, Mexico edition, in English, but that was it.

Have to stop writing. I am meeting my friend here for dinner over across the plaza. I am going to have to use my umbrella because it´s really really raining. Luckily there are covered walkways most of the way.

Stone structure at the archeological site at TsinTzunTzan

(Later: it turned out a very nice poster from Morelia Connect, a message board for gringos living in the Morelia-Patzcuaro area, left me a message suggesting we get together. At my invitation, he showed up at the restaurant and the three of us had a nice dinner at Surtides, a nice restaurant on the larger plaza. ) It's fun to meet people you only know from message boards. I look at the Thorntree-Mexico board alot, and have met four, no, five of those people when they visit Chacala. Or in this case, when I visited Patzcuaro.

I am taking the midnight bus to Guadalajara tonight, expecting to get home to Chacala mid-day Saturday. When I signed in at museum guest registers, I put my name, and wrote Chacala, Nayarit, for my address. It felt good.