Holy Week In Pátzcuaro

Semana Santa, the week leading up to Easter Sunday is a huge holiday in Mexico.  It’s the type of week that makes tourism operators drool while causing peace and quiet types, gringos mostly, to curl up their toes with dread. 

It’s a fact that most Mexicans who can take time off like to spend the week at the beach packed like sardines eating copiously and drinking  all with competing musical sources creating the sort of cacophony that makes me fear Hell may be a sound booth gone mad. 

In Pátzcuaro a mountain town we enjoyed on our way south the city has covered over all four sides of the main square and given it up to shopping. This is pure heaven for Lsyne who walked and touched and talked and bargained and bought enjoy small gifts to fill a plastic bag to be stowed aboard GANNET2. 

I followed gallantly along but Rusty copped out and let us know he was tired and wanted to stay aboard and rest. 

Hed already been walking a lot so it was fair enough. And we had a place for him to sleep because we’d found a parking spot in the heart of the action! 

In the evenings we have heard a few fireworks but since Rusty hung around with some campground dogs that paid them no mind he has got over his fear of bangs. One more positive thing he has gained on this trip so far. 

I figured the cops had pulled easy duty standing around at the fair! They were chatting and eating in a group as cops do separate from the civilians around them. You’ll see these trucks on the highways one officer standing up behind the machine gun. Gringos tend to get fearful but I find the Guardia Nacional professional well equipped and keen. Not that I have had much to do with them. They use radar but we are always well under the limit!

I had just been telling Layne in one of our long driving conversations when audio books are off that I don’t like fennel. I don’t like aniseed flavored food. Well I thought that was the case. This woman made delicious corn soup with anise. It was surprising and rich and delicious. Nowadays I have to say I dislike most anise flavored foods. 

In many respects it was a day at the county fair. We strolled and touched and tasted and watched the people. She was stopped to pray because it is Holy Week but for most it seemed this was simply  a little time off:

And for us it was some people watching. Not Mexicans, just people having a good time. That all the snowbirds have gone home surprised us but I’m not sure we saw any on the zocalo. 

With the usual warnings in place. 

And so back to the campground. One neighbor speaks only Chinese and has no patience with Google translate. The others in the big RV are a mother and daughter who live inside and only come out to smoke. They are waiting to complete their home purchase. We on the other hand are getting ready to move. 

The rest of the week is at the beach with Layne’s sister and her extended family who have rented a house in Mexico. We get to park in the drive, use their showers and washer while sleeping aboard GANNET2. Perfect.