Posts Tagged ‘Patzcuaro’

We had a wonderful Christmas celebration in Mexico with the family. While we spent a fair amount of time on the coast in Manzanillo, we spent Christmas upcountry in Patzcuaro. This is a lovely village, near Lake Patzcuaro. Around the lake are several villages, each of which specializes in a particular craft: ceramics, copper, masks, reeds/weaving, etc.

Check out the video. We recommend traveling to Michoacan. I look forward to returning soon!

Hosts Christina Sandoval and Eva Halpern really do a good job at this B-n-B in Patzcuaro. We rented the big three-bedroom home in their five-acre walled garden for $140 per night, plus $20 for an extra person: total $160 per night. A super deal, IMHO.

In addition to the fancy digs, they serve up a sumptuous breakfast each morning. Check out the video–then make the trip! Their website is down, but just google “Casa Werma Patzcuaro” and you can read the reviews on Trip Advisor, etc. That reminds me…I need to post one of my own reviews!

Trip report: Just coming back from Mexico after an 18-day adventure. Alaska Airlines flight 257 from Manzanillo to LAX was 30 minutes late, but the pilot made up 15 minutes en route.

The customs/immigration process at LAX is a little convoluted. However, the lines moved quickly, even though foreign nationals have to deal with fingerprints, photographs, etc. After clearing customs, travelers drop their bags to be loaded onto connecting flights–but they still must go through additional TSA screening before boarding those flights. This is nonsense, IMHO. But that’s LAX. In spite of the extra security-related steps, we were able to board our connecting flight to Seattle without incident.

Every time I go to Mexico, I love it. In fact, I love the land more deeply after each journey. During this trip, we started at our family’s favorite tropical getaway: Vida del Mar in Manzanillo. This is an enclave of Alaska ex-pats–and it’s a great place to lay in a solid suntan. Pool. Beach. Great food. Great people. Here’s a shot:

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Feliz Navidad from the McMurren family to yours. We’re at Casa Werma in this photo, getting ready to go to Mass at the Basilica in downtown Patzcuaro.

One of the great things about traveling is that it gives you a chance to see and do new things. This week, I feel like a stranger in a strange land. Usually, I’m at home in Anchorage, singing in the choir at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church. This evening, we joined the community here in Patzcuaro to celebrate the arrival of “El Nino” on “Noches Buena”. Aside from an occasional phrase, we couldn’t understand a thing. See photo below:

But we did feel included in the community celebration–including the nightly “Posada” celebration. Families set up bonfires outside the front doors of their homes and invite folks to sit, eat and drink well into the night. It’s a wonderful celebration.

So–from our family to yours: Feliz Navidad!