Mariposas! Mariposas!

And Yet Another Adventure Begins....

We thought it would be fun to take my brother Steve and sister-in-law Lee to see the Monarch Butterflies in Michoacan when they visited.  I mean, really, what could be more benign than a trip to watch butterflies?  And they are totally amazing.  And they are here in the millions (like 140 million) after a few bad years when their numbers declined precipitously.  So, here's their deal.  They summer up north in Canada and the Northern U.S. and then, using their brains, which are literally the size of a pin, somehow manage to fly thousands of miles to land on the very same trees they used the previous years even though they have never been there before.  Yes, you read that right. It's a different generation (or several) from the ones that were here the last time.  Oh, and this year we had three hurricanes while they were migrating.  Butterflies do not do well in 100+ mile per hour winds but somehow they figured it out and detoured and made it.  Ain't nature something.

We set out the morning after Lee and Steve's arrival for the drive to the Rancho San Cayetano in Zitacuaro. Which was quite a place (photos).  It is run by Pablo and his wife Lisette.  She is French and cooks like it.  Terrific.  The next morning we were primed and ready to go.  We were to have a bi-lingual guide (not), a box lunch, horses and a memorable experience -- which it was if not in the way anticipated. Ascertaining rapidly that our guide was not bi-lingual, it fell to me to try to communicate our needs and desires in my horrific (but improving) Spanish.  The guide said we would be going to Rosario Butterfly preserve which was one and a half hours by car.  I whipped out my reservation and informed him that we would be going to the Cerro Pelon Sanctuary which was a half an hour away.

He said, "Oh, señora, but you must ride horses for an hour and a half up to them.  At Rosario it is only one half hour on horses."  Our intrepid (read silly) group decided we would rather spend an extra hour on a horse than in a car and opted for Pelon.  Our guide rolled his eyes.

San Cayetano is located in a beautiful sylvan setting.

Much to our surprise, while wandering the grounds, we encountered these turkeys...

perhaps this is why all the turkeys in the nativity scenes (see Christmas blog).

The two dogs joined us on our walk and decided to take a dip in the stream.

The virgin of Guadalupe is everywhere, even here. 

Now it is time for a cultural aside.  We should have learned this by now.  Mexicans are very civil and polite and do not want to argue with you or disappoint you.  Even if it may result in your severe injury or death.  I failed to pick up on the guides genuine reluctance to inflict Pelon on the geriatric tourists in his charge. My bad.

We arrived and were ready to saddle up.  We figured it would be all horseback so Michael suited up in cowboy boots, while I chose to wear my Top Siders which are great on a sailboat but somewhat deficient in mountains.  While my three compatriots agreeably mounted whatever beast was given to them, I asked for a "caballo casi muerto" -- an almost dead horse.  This was due to the fact that I had not ridden in decades.  They complied providing me with a 22 year old animal with a severe wheezing problem and (later) only three shoes.  We were off! Each horse was accompanied by its own guide (except for Michael) who would coax, threaten or beat the horse as required when it was reluctant to ascend the perilous slopes (phobia #1).  And perilous they were.  It was beautiful but the gradient was severe and went on for an hour and a half (as promised).  We pulled into an open area with log benches and dismounted. Huzzah!  We were there!

Lee next to her horse ... at the BEGINNING of the trip.  Note how happy she looks.

and Deirdre on her "caballo casi muerto".

No.  We were NOT there.  Our guide had not mentioned that post horseback we would have to climb for another hour up an incline even steeper than the previous ascent.  We were at about 9,000 feet.  I made it about 100 yards and announced that I would absolutely not continue and would just sit on the logs below and go home and watch the butterflies on the Nature channel.  I believe our guide had taken a shine to me due to my hideous language ability and ordered up my horse even though it was against all the rules (see Mexico and rules).  I mounted my 22 year old stead and wondered which of us would die first on the final leg.

Amazingly we both made it to the top.  And even more amazingly Lee, Steve and Michael made it to the top without a single myocardial infarction!  We were most pleased with ourselves.  Now all on foot, our guide motioned us to begin descending to where the butterflies were.  After being reassured that we would NEVER have to walk uphill again we went to witness the miracle.

The photos will tell it so much better. Imagine a giant pine tree that is literally covered in butterflies with closed wings.  Then, as the day begins to warm, they start to open and close their wings rapidly so that the tree pulsates.  And then they take flight -- not all at once -- and start to form what look like vortexes of butterflies.  I turned to see my brother with a butterfly sitting calmly in his hand.  It was a beautiful moment.  Then the butterfly fell over and died.   Steve was a little disappointed to realize that he was not actually a butterfly whisperer.

Oh, it was so wonderful to sit and watch the butterflies.  Particularly because we weren't walking up or down hill.  But now was the time for our descent and our realization that our boot/shoe choices had been somewhat inappropriate.  The floor of the forest was covered in slippery pine needles up to your ankles which obscured the rocks and scree hiding beneath.  I tried not to focus on whether it was also obscuring the random fer-de-lance or rattler (phobia #5- reptiles).  Even with walking sticks which we used to slow our free fall it was tough going.  But, a mere hour or so later, we were back at the horses and in the home stretch.  While my horse now only had three shoes and had been working for 4+ continuous hours, the thought of the barn turned her into a dynamo.  Off we went cantering happily and I was pleased to see that my horse mojo had returned as I sat her like a pro.

We fell into the car, voraciously consumed our delayed box lunch and compared injuries.  Michael's knees were crippled, Lee's ankles were raw from clinging to her mount, Steve's butt -- we'll just leave it there -- and my thighs were immobile.  I had also managed to impale my ankle with a twig. Yes! Another successful outing.  Moral:  Worth it -- but GO TO ROSARIO!

Before mounting our horses, the guide showed us a Monarch caterpillar.

Here you can see a cluster of Monarch butterflies huddled together with other Monarchs resting on branches.

This Monarch fell to the ground and will not be making the migration North.

As the day warms up the Monarchs leave their clusters and fly around or rest on the branches.

These next two photos show how closely the Monarchs huddle together.

To see a very short (but not very professional video) of the Monarch butterflies click on this link:
https://youtu.be/O-um-Ute9eQ

On To Patzcuaro

But our day was not done.  We now were driving to Patzcuaro -- our second tour destination. Patzcuaro is famous for two things:  1) Probably the best Day of the Dead celebration in Mexico; and 2) a series of artisan villages surrounding Lake Patzcuaro.  When the Franciscan Fathers arrived and started working with the indigenous people they hit upon a plan.  They would teach each village to do a specific form of craft.  So around the Lake you have a village that does copper, one that does reed weaving, one for pottery, one for wood carving -- well, you get the idea.  There is even a town that makes only metal doors. That's a little weird.  How this specialization plays out in today's world is hard to tell but it makes for a fun trip.

We pulled our aching, weary bodies into our next hotel. Casa Encantada is really wonderful and we recommend it highly.  Fortifying ourselves with pizza and wine we fell over and slept the sleep of the exhausted.  The next morning we set out for Santa Clara de Cobre, the village known for its copper work.  We first visited the Copper Museum which was very cool and interesting. Michael and I have been meaning to get a couple of copper basins made to order for over a year and here was our opportunity.  We went from shop to shop until we found something similar and then worked with them on the custom design.  Presto!  In two weeks they should be ready.  We asked for a lunch suggestion and were directed to this little out of the way restaurant that the shop owner loved.  It was the first restaurant I had ever been to that had nothing to drink.  No Pepsi. No beer.  No water.  We kept trying to order drinks and he kept saying he had none.  I assumed it was my deficient Spanish but no, he really DIDN'T have any drinks.  Steve volunteered to go across the street and pick some up.  The owner of the restaurant saw entering a W store and ran and stopped him (it was a vegetable store) and redirected him.  Why would you not have drinks at a restaurant?  Quien sabe.  But the food was great.

La Casa Encantada had many interesting items decorating the courtyard as can be seen from these photos.

This statue of Jose Maria Morelos, a great hero of Mexico's independence, stands 40 meters tall on the Isla de Janitzio, the largest island in Lake Patzcuaro.

In Santa Clara de Cobre, there is copper everywhere...

as can be seen with these hanging copper pots,

and  these copper pans.

In the copper museum there were several examples of award winning copper creations, as seen in this series of photos.

The museum also had an example of a coper workshop, with a forge and the tools to shape the copper.

The House of Eleven Patios

An explanation of the House of eleven patios.

Right next to the hotel was The House of Eleven Patios which house all forms of artisan's work. We roamed around there and bought some stuff but the real draw was the architecture (cue pictures).  We were still a bit stiff and tired so Michael and I opted for massages while the Intrepid Two hiked more through the town.

As elsewhere in Mexico, there were murals here as well.

An example of an old loom.

More murals....

and a close up of a section of the mural.

Even the flowers in the house gardens were spectacular.

This dog really has a cushy life.

An example of the hats and baskets woven by the people in the towns around the lake.

The next day was the day to circumnavigate the Lake and investigate each of the unique villages. Well, we don't know what happened but we didn't see them.  I mean, we drove through them, there WERE villages but we did not see droves of charming inhabitants proudly displaying their unique wares -- or anything else.  "What village was that supposed to be?  Pottery?" Lee would ask. No clue. Eventually we found a big market in Tzintzuntzan where apparently all the denizens of all towns bring their stuff.  Very efficient.  Wish we'd known it before driving the extra 80 miles.  Oh, well.

Some of the colorful items for sale in the market.

Steve & Lee debating which vase to buy.

The Church of San Francisco is part of the former monastery complex of San Francisco.

This is the Church of La Soledad, which contains a wax figure of Christ displayed in a glass coffin. It is believed by Mexican folklore that the arms and legs of this statue are growing.

The adobe brick behind the plaster facade is evident here. The buildings are from the 16th and 17th century.

The inside of the Church of La Soledad is undergoing renovation.

By each pew are two crossed sugar canes with fruit attached and a flags on top.

We have no idea why.

An example of the intricate tile work on the floor ofthe churc.

This is one of the olive trees planted by Vasco de Quiroga, which have supposedly never borne fruit. 

That same town had some impressive archeological ruins.  It became apparent that the twig (or limb) that had impaled my ankle had done a tad more damage than originally thought.  I opted out of the pyramid tromping and settled in with my Kindle in the shade.  A parking attendant  kept me company while we discussed his life history in Spanish. If I understood him (dubious) he went to the US for 8 months each year to work the fields and pick tobacco in North Carolina but really prefers California. He works construction the other 4 months in Mexico.  He parks cars, washes them and obviously entertains people like me to earn extra money for his visa that allows him to pick tobacco every year. Oh, and did I have any U.S. Dollars that I could sell him?  Very nice kid.  Yes, all you politicians who think the Mexicans are lazy, rapist, commies why don't you ask your sons and daughters if they'd like to work the tobacco fields for 8 months, do heavy construction (with few power tools) for another 4 and work every weekend parking and washing cars. I bet they'd love it.

Some artifacts from the pre-Hispanic city of Tzintzuntzan.

The city had a population of between 25.000 & 30,000 when the Spanish arrived in 1520.

This is one of the five yacatas or semi-circular pyramids that faced out over the lake area. On each of these there was originally a temple made of wood, in which the most important rites of the Purepecha people and government took place.

This gives you a better idea of the scale of what remains of the pyramids. Many of the stones were taken to build the churches previously shown.

After a great lunch at an amazing restaurant we headed back to Casa Searles to ready ourselves for the next round of Mardi Gras celebration.  But that will have to wait for the next blog.....

Our lunch was prepared on a traditional open air kitchen in the restaurant.