Pages

Thursday, January 5, 2012

A visit to Patzcuaro

Ever since we became fascinated with Mexico, we've wanted to visit Patzcuaro. Yesterday, we took the collectivo minivan bus from the place where we are staying, all the way around the west shore of the lake and down to the city of Patzcuaro.

It was approximately 37 kms (23 miles). The cost was 20 pesos ($1.52) each for the hour long ride.

(A) Where we are staying (B) Where we got off the bus.

We headed to el Centro (downtown) first. The streets were not very busy until we got right to the plaza. There was a lot of traffic there because most of the public transportation also begins and ends at the central plaza. 

We passed a couple of churches along the way and of course had to stop in and see what they look like.

This one had an interesting facade.

And the interior was beautiful as well.

This is the main cathedral near the plaza, but we didn't go in because there was a funeral going on.

This church is no longer a church! Now it's being used as a library...


We wandered around the two main plazas in the central area. There is also a market with the best looking fruits and veggies, but we didn't want to carry them around with us. We had lunch at one of the many food stalls in the market area...3 tacos each for a total of 36 pesos ($2.74).


Very colorful market!

This was a very old church. The interior was very plain though.

Probably the most famous part of Patzcuaro is the island. There is a statue on the top of the island that you can go into and up into the arm for a view, similar to the statue of liberty in New York. There are no cars on this island, only walking. We didn't have time to visit yesterday, but we will make a point of going there before we leave the area.

Zoomed in on the island and it's statue.

The boats that take people to the island.

By this time we had had enough and started heading back to Sherman. We decided to take the route on the opposite side of the lake, and found the parada (bus stop) to go to Quiroga. We ended up taking a private taxi with another lady. The cost for the private taxi was 17 pesos ($1.30) each. Public transportation is so cheap and plentiful in Mexico. In Quiroga, we bought a few groceries and then took another collectivo from there to Sherman for 10 pesos (76 cents) each.

Sherman, parked in Jorge's driveway. We are fairly close to the road, but other than the collectivos during the day, there is very little traffic.

Jorge has a beautiful view from the back of his house!

We are walking distance from two different villages nearby, so I think that we will stay closer to Sherman today and do some exploring in the nearby area. 

16 comments:

  1. 1st church looks old, but they built a new structure around it.
    Couchsurfing there...are u still staying in Sherman or do you have house privileges?
    With food being so cheap there, I'd better stay away...I'd weigh
    400 lbs.

    ReplyDelete
  2. You had another great adventure, enjoying the local fare and great transportation system in Mexico. Its fun to check out all the old buildings as well

    ReplyDelete
  3. i think i could stay and visit that area for a while as well...

    ReplyDelete
  4. The fruits and veggies look sooo good,that is a nice area to see.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Great old churches. We always enjoy visiting them. Looks like they have to push the ferries to open water:)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Great pics. You've got an artistic eye.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Great city, we loved it there. The picture of the church on the curve, excellent shot!

    ReplyDelete
  8. wow.. that fresh fruit and veggie market looks WONDERFUL! That is the kinda place we would hang out. How do the prices compare with farmer's markets in the states?

    ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
    Karen and Steve
    (Our Blog) RVing: Small House... BIG Backyard
    http://kareninthewoods-kareninthewoods.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  9. Have you ever thought about making a screen saver of all your pictures and selling it? i'd buy it for sure your photos are amazing.

    ReplyDelete
  10. What a great day trip. I agree with others about your photos. They are great!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Wow, what a great place to stay and that market looked amazing. Looks like you a having an amazing time. :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. ooooo I loved all your pictures but I have what is probably a dumb question. Why do the boats and what looks like a bus look like they are sitting in the grass? Thanks for your answer.
    [email protected]

    ReplyDelete
  13. Made a comment earlier but looks like the Mexican grinch stole my comment...


    Love Quiroga, that is where we got our pelicano statues made. If you have time, be sure to check out the copper town.

    I so envy you right now....

    ReplyDelete
  14. Impressive churches and a great looking market! Love the photos as always!

    ReplyDelete
  15. We love looking at any church. This one is just so lovely! What a cool idea to put a library in an abandoned church.
    It seems the U.S. could learn something about public transportation for Mexico!

    ReplyDelete
  16. butterbean carpenterJanuary 14, 2012 at 5:44 PM

    Howdy R&K,
    This has been a wonderful day with y'all.. Sherman looks a little
    'tilted'.. The veggies are so fresh
    we can smell them.. I wanta go to the 'island'!!! Y'all don't walk so fast; my wheelchair can't keep up!!

    Thanx, for the experience!!!

    ReplyDelete

There are more comments on our facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/TravelwithKevinAndRuth

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.