It’s the Cupatitzio River that runs down a canyon in the city of Uruapan and local residents get to visit for free. We paid 30 pesos each and enjoyed two hours walking around. I made 102 pictures of which a few I offer here to illustrate what a lovely place this is.
Legend has it the founder of the city Friar Juan San Miguel met the Devil at the pond at the head of the canyon and forced him to his knees. I am not the least bit spiritual but this is a lovely place.
Hotel Pie De La Sierra where we are camping is about ten minutes away. We parked GANNET2 on the street about 7:30 of a cool sunny morning. There is no parking lot serving the park so an early start is good. We walked Rusty and left him snug in the van because pets aren’t allowed in the park. We arrived 15 minutes after the opening time on Thursday morning.
The interior of the park is a series of cobblestone paths radiating from the entrance. There are a bunch of fruit, drink, and taco stands which were almost all empty on our weekday visit.
Signs say masks are required but we took ours off when we were alone or socially distanced. The few other visitors we met did the same.
The park is about a mile long and consists of an intricate series of water channels directing the flow of water across and under the paths. It’s quite a feat of engineering.
The park is scrupulously clean with not a trace of trash. There is only one set ofc open toilets near the entrance and that was annoying but not fatal. Especially lucky as we drank a pint of cebadina each:
It’s a local drink made with barley water, tamarind, hibiscus and spices.
He added sodium carbonate for added fizz after telling us it is very healthy and good for us.
It was delicious and tasted like a slightly sweet kombucha and gave both of us a mild buzz. $2:50 for a pint each. Highly recommended.
We powered up the steps like two teenagers giggling while high on dope.
Apparently when Uruapan was a privately owned ranch some bright spark decided to import coffee beans from Ethiopia and they flourished in the mountainous climate here. They make excellent coffee as we found out later.
These songbirds are highly prized and are trapped for sake so they have been designated endangered and protected. In the park and outside too.
We enjoyed it all thoroughly. If I lived in Uruapan I would do as some local residents did which is come here for free to get their exercise power walking. Oh and the field trip.
We also met one weird dude who said he likes to dive off a platform into the pool thirty feet below. We waited while he prayed. Then he wandered off. Oh well.
We passed a kids playground on the loop back. Two mothers were having a picnic and out of sight their kids were playing unsupervised.
In the US they would be negligent; in Mexico they are normal. This isn’t a country where kidnapping and rape are the first thoughts that come to mind when small children are left alone to have fun.
Back to the entrance and out into the street bizarrely named “Culver City,” check Google maps if you don’t believe me.
Layne walking down Culver City.
De Mi Tierra (From My Land) was a cafe with two outside tables. Layne stood and waited while I walked the former prisoner in the back of our van. We got back as a table cleared and Rusty plopped in the sidewalk next to us ignoring the fascinated adoration of the wait staff. He is getting middle aged. I remain a helicopter parent.
Delicious coffee mildly spiced with cinnamon and orange. We had two cups each on trip of the cebadina so I was high as a kite.
After I saw another customers plate I really wanted pancakes. Yes yes I know I’m in Mexico but that’s what I wanted. Layne had steak in green sauce ( chile verde). Also superb.
An adventure filled morning for a small dog. He was delighted to get back to the familiar campground where he could sleep in the sun in the grass.
We swam the afternoon away. Far from the troubles of the world. Flag day in Mexico. Lucky us.
