A
set of colonial cities are on a road going north-west from Mexico
City. This road was named Road of the Independence. These
cities played a very important role during the fights for Independence
from 1810 to 1821 (the cities of Dolorès
Hidalgo and Querétaro,
for example), and they were the born places of famous fighters
of the movement of independence (as San
Miguel de Allende). Finally, they are among the ones whose
center - not to say the entire city- is particularly well conserved
or restored. They also benefit with a measure of protection of
the historic buildings. Prepare for a 700 km (437 miles) trip
to tour the most noticeable cities. You will then admire numerous
colonial marvels of this magnificent country.
The bus is the land transportation that suits better here. It
is well organized, comfortable and cheap.
Right picture : dance
of old men in Michoacán
Coming from Mexico City, you will
cross awesome landscapes : waterfalls, plateaus, valleys, wooden
mountains…. Stop at the Mirador des Mil Cumbres to enjoy
the view of the Ranges of Sierra Madré Occidentale.
The State is famous for the Monarch
Butterflies coming from the Great North from October to March
every year. They come to protect themselves from the winter and
lay. The state is also famous for craft and gastronomy. Three
villages of this state are part of the program Pueblos
Mágicos.
The state of Michoacán
spreads over a 59,864 km2 area (15,000,000 acre) in the center-west
of Mexico.
It is surrounded by the states of Colima,
Jalisco, Guanajuato,
Querétaro, México
and Guerrero. This state has
the more lakes with Pátzcuaro
Lake, Zirahuén Lake, Camécuaro Lake, Cuitzeo Lagoon
and part of Chapala Lagoon
located at the very east of Jalisco
State.
Because of the topography and the climate, it is a state rich
in farming (especially production of cereals, fruits and vegetables.
The spa resorts, like Los Azufres, San José Purúa,
Araró, Zinapécuaro, Cointzio and Huandacareo, are
much appreciated.
Characteristics of the population :
Michoacán state has a big majority of mestizo population
and three ethnics have their roots in this state : the Náhuatls,
the Otomíes and the Purépechas
(or Tarasques). These last ones with roots very close to the Pre-Hispanic
ones, stand out with cultural values, artistic qualities and craft
creativity.
The indigenous of Michoacán represent 7.2% of the inhabitants
of the state and 3% of the mestizos in Mexico.
It ranks just after Oaxaca, 18%,
Veracruz, 13% and Chiapas with
12%.
Left picture : monarch butterfly
Most of the Purépechas
live on the plateaus and Pátzcuaro
lake shore and some in «la Cañada de los Once Pueblos
y en la Ciénega de Zacapu». These 4 areas comprise
17 municipalities : Uruapán,
Paracho, Cherán, Nahuatzen, Charapan, Ziracuaretiro, Tingambato,
Nuevo Parangaricutiro, Pátzcuaro,
Chilchota, Quiroga, Zacapu, Los Reyes, Tingüindín,
Tangamandapio, Tangancícuaro and Tancítaro.
Most of the Náhuas are concentrated in Aquila, on the coast
of the state. The Otomíes live in the east, mainly in Zitácuaro.
History of the state :
Danza de Viejitos
- Jarácuaro, Michoacán - Compañía
Kaambal.
The dance of the old men (viejitos) is a very popular
dance in Mexico. It is danced with masks
in Michoacán State.
Craft
You can find pottery, basketry, clay pots and platters, jewel boxes,
lacquered and enameled trays, ironworks, stone sculptures and pieces
of architecture, crocheted table cloths as well as embroidered shirts,
figurines made from maize paste, blankets, wooden furniture brightly
painted, leather items, fabrics with Pre-Hispanic pattern embroidery,
dishes and items made from vegetable fibers. There are also cardigans,
rebozos huanengos (shawls) and belts.
Gastronomy
There
are diverse jellies made from natural fruits, coco or chocolate
jam, capirotada (a dessert made of wet bread pudding with
peanuts and cheese).
The carnitas consist in braised or fried pork served with
corn tortillas and guacamole. Taste also the sopa tarasca,
maybe the best soup of tortillas, at least the original one and
the uchepos, succulent tamales from fresh, non-dry corn.
In Pátzcuaro, try the
pescado blanco, white fish dipped in an egg and fried in
olive oil with garlic and try also the charales as appetizer, small
fried fish, or in soup.
In Morelia the specialty
is the enchilada de plaza, with cheese, potatoes, carrots,
onions and chile and served with boiled chicken.
Right picture
: soon in the pot !
Traditional Mexican cuisine - ancestral, ongoing community culture, the Michoacán paradigm.
Inscribed in 2010 on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Traditional Mexican cuisine is a comprehensive cultural model comprising farming, ritual practices, age-old skills, culinary techniques and ancestral community customs and manners. It is made possible by collective participation in the entire traditional food chain: from planting and harvesting to cooking and eating. The basis of the system is founded on corn, beans and chili; unique farming methods such as milpas (rotating swidden fields of corn and other crops) and chinampas (man-made farming islets in lake areas); cooking processes such as nixtamalization (lime-hulling maize, which increases its nutritional value); and singular utensils including grinding stones and stone mortars. Native ingredients such as varieties of tomatoes, squashes, avocados, cocoa and vanilla augment the basic staples. Mexican cuisine is elaborate and symbol-laden, with everyday tortillas and tamales, both made of corn, forming an integral part of Day of the Dead offerings. Collectives of female cooks and other practitioners devoted to raising crops and traditional cuisine are found in the State of Michoacán and across Mexico. Their knowledge and techniques express community identity, reinforce social bonds, and build stronger local, regional and national identities. Those efforts in Michoacán also underline the importance of traditional cuisine as a means of sustainable development. Consult the website of Unesco and see the slideshow and the video.
Magic
villages
This program of tourist
development in Mexico has the objective of
the enhancer of the Mexican heritage, including the folklore, gastronomy,
music, dances, craft, adventure and extreme sport, the everyday
rural life, the urban architecture and environment. It is a strategy
of development off the traditional tourist circuits. These cities
or villages are located in areas close to the tourist sites, with
easy road access and they present a value of historic and/or religious
interest. Of course, the local government and the inhabitants adhered
to this welcome program. In the state
of Michoacán, 3 villages are part of this program :
Tlapujahua (2580 m
or 8,464 ft)
À 107 km (66 miles) from Morelia
À 138 km (86 miles) from Mexico
city
À 83 km (51 miles) from Zitácuaro
Tlapujahua
was founded at the sixteenth century by Bishop Antonio de Morales,
successor of Don Vasco de Quiroga. It is the birthplace of Ignacio
López Rayón, a famous insurgent. Its name means “in
the spongy lands” in Náhuatl.
Craft : You can find pottery, blown glass, textiles,
artistic lamps, objects made from straws and the famous Christmas
spheres that are exported to the USA, England, Romania and Japan
among other countries.
Recommended visits :
Chapel of San Peter and San Paul dating from the eighteenth century.
Ex-convent of San Francisco dating from the sixteenth century.
Museum of the Rayon Brothers
Chapel of the Virgin of Carmen
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