Day of the Dead Market 2007 Video

In 2007 I did a post on the day of the dead market here in Patzcuaro.
It was a sort of photo tour of the market and talked about the crafts from the different areas.

If you like you can have a look at it here.
Patzcuaro Day of the Dead Market - 2007

It has actually been one of my most viewed postings.
At the same time I did a sort of slideshow/movie and posted it to youtube, but the quality didnt realy seem to be there, after the upload it just seemed a blocky and jumpy.

Well, I came across the file while cleaning up my hard drive the other day. After changing the format, so it would compress better, I tried uploading it again, and this time, it looks clean and crisp.

So, finally here it is! If your bandwidth is a little slow, you may need to pause to let the video load in a bit.

So enjoy, and hopefully you will be so impressed you will come visit and support these amazing crafts people, and you wont have to wait till day of the dead!

Cuitzeo, Another Pueblo Magico

We headed out to the other side of Lago Cuitzeo, north of Morelia. What's there? Well, what we were going to see were 2 things. First the ruins at Huandacareo and then, the village of Cuitzeo.

But on arrival to Huandacareo, we find the ruins closed. Closed, hmmm, perhaps for renovations. What we did find were Balnearios. It seems like the village is water park central. Here is an aerial view of what appears to be pool central, and I get the impression that there are a couple more in the area. We wandered around one, and it even had a swim up bar!

View Larger Map Wanna Go For A Dip?

So, after a peek at the water parks we head towards Cuitzeo. It is a Pueblo Magico, like here in Patzcuaro. A couple of other Pueblo Magicos you may have seen on my blog are Tlalpujahua and Bernal.

We were familiar with Cuitzeo from before the Salamanca cuota was put in. It used to route you through the village, but the face of Cuitzeo that you saw, was rather plain and uninteresting. It’s VERY clean, very very clean, without 100 wires overhead meeting up in junctions that resemble birds nests. Almost a “Stepford Wives” version of a Mexican village.

Too Clean?

As we continue into the center of town we find the personality and the charm that it has been shy in showing to the outside world. Peeking into a crowded cafe, we realize it is time for a little something to eat. After picking up a tasty combination of fruit, yogurt and granola, we wonder over to the plaza principal to eat and to watch.
The plaza is where she lets her hair down! Our shy little wall flower becomes the prom queen. A charming bandstand set in the midst of hand hewn stone and vibrant greenery. Light and laughter dance here where it won’t be wasted on those who think that Cuitzeo is only a speed bump on the road from A to B.
Who knew? I guess it is like very many Mexican homes, what you see behind closed doors can be very different than the view on the street.

Benches Waiting Patiently For Couples To Come Courting.

After our snack break we continue on to the main attraction today, the Ex Convent of Saint Mary Magdalene. After 4 years of work, the convent had recently been restored to what it once was. Photo ops await!

Built 1550, Restored, Last Thursday.

Entering the edifice you wander through ancient corridors. In many places you will see what seems to be carvings in the stone above the arches and on distant walls.

Centuries of Atmosphere Soak These Stones

As you approach you realize that they are all painted on. Murals are sprinkled throughout the convent, and in some rooms, you are hard pressed to find a surface not covered with scenes or painted accents.
As you wander through the rooms, you come across a strange dichotomy, museum exhibits, in a building from 1550, lit by halogen lights on electronic timers triggered by ultrasonic motion detectors. While the rooms have all been restored, exhibits have yet to be put in many of them, giving you glimpses of doorways through doorways with the light growing as you approach the courtyard.

Looking Back Almost 500 Years

When I say all the rooms have been restored, I mean all, even the ancient bathrooms. They are basically a row of outhouses on the second floor, I always thought the most important thing about an outhouse was that they are outside, hence the name. Sadly these are not out, they are in. I would not want to live on the first floor.
Yes I took a picture. No , I am not going to post it. You know what an outhouse looks like.

As we approach the end of our tour, a young gentleman beckons us with a medieval looking key. An ancient door opens onto a timeworn pipe organ, then as we enter we realize he has taken us into the balcony that overlooks the main church.

Here is Where a Picture IS Worth a Thousand Words.

As we turn to leave, we see Mary Magdalene, the Ex Convents namesake, immortalized in stained glass.

Come To Patzcuaro, Buy My House!

Wanna Buy My House? www.Wow-Nice-House.com

Yes, I am a glutton for punishment! After finally getting all the finishing touches done, and the landscaping completed we are putting it up for sale. For those of you who have built a home in Mexico you know how challenging it can be, how everything takes WAY longer than expected and how important it is to stay on top of things.

You really have to stay on top of things, double and triple check everything, and still Murphy's Law, will do its best to intervene! I remember one time we went to Texas for a week during construction, when we came back, the garage foundation had been put in. Wow, fast work, but….. it had been put in the middle of the back yard garden!! Hmmm, plus there was a wall in the house where a big picture window was suppose to be. You see, we like it bright, bright and fresh.

So, now we that have had some time to relax, I think we might be getting cabin fever. So let’s do this again! Hmmm, maybe this time we will do a fixer-upper. That should make it even more of a challenge, because you never know what you might find behind that wall, or under that floor. I guess we are the sort of people that always have to have a project or 4 to keep us busy.

So, if you, or someone you know is interested in buying a house, send them this blog posting or give them the URL to my house website, I made it easy to remember! Now, I think I will go have a soak in the Jacuzzi with a book while I still have it!

www.Wow-Nice-House.com

PS, the book I am starting is “God and Mr. Gomez”, written by LA Times columnist about his adventures of building a home in Mexico.

PPS, A special thanks to Steve at same life -- new location for telling his readers about my house here in Patzcuaro! Thanks Steve!