24 Jun POR LOS CAMINOS DE MICHOACAN … TESTIMONIOS – IMPRESIONES – EXPERIENCIAS – AVENTURAS
…de la meseta tarasca un viaje que comparto con todos ustedes
escrito por Eric Marchand
Fuimos el domingo 22 de julio 2012 al 7mo Festival Internacional de Globos de Cantoya, y la verdad fue todo un descubrimiento. Salimos de Patzcuaro a las 10 de la mañana y llegamos a las 11:15, en el trayecto disfrutamos de los bellos paisajes de la meseta tarasca. Cuando llegamos a Paracho nos informaron que los vuelos de globos de Cantoya partían desde el patio de la Casa de la Cultura en pleno centro.
Nos quedamos impresionados por el tamaño, las formas y los coloridos de los globos, algunos en forma de estrella, de esfera, de montgolfier, de guitarra, otros como gotas, etc., parecían OVNIS que despegaban silenciosos y majestuosos rumbo al cielo inmenso. Hay globos de todas las medidas, los pequeños miden 1 metro de ancho, los hay de 2 o 3 metros pero vimos unos gigantes que podían medir 5 o 6 metros de alto!! Estas estructuras construidas con papel multicolor pueden llevar horas de trabajo en equipo. De hecho para tener una idea de su fabricación nos metimos en un taller de fabricación en el cual hicimos nuestro primer globo de Cantoya!
Una emoción indescriptible se asocia al ver un globo despegar, es un acto mágico, gratuito, un regalo a la belleza efímera ya que tarde o temprano en pleno vuelo se les acabara el calor y bajaran, o una corriente de aire los sacudirá y la llama del mechero encenderá el globo que se consumirá en segundos. El invitado especial este año era Brasil que presento modelos muy estables que se perdían en el azul del cielo, esquivando los vientos y jugándose de las corrientes de altura. Realmente es toda una experiencia asistir a esta presentación, además pudimos presenciar el baile de unos gigantes tradicionales, las Mojigangas; así como danzantes de Veracruz con sus penachos de color.
Regresamos a Patzcuaro a final de la tarde y en nuestro camino nos detuvimos a visitar el extraordinario templo de Santa Maria Huiramangaro del siglo XVI que se encuentra en la comunidad del mismo nombre a altura del cruce con la carretera Patzcuaro – Uruapan viniendo de Pichataro. En la gran tradición michoacana de los artesones con sus techos historiados esta iglesia es maravillosa, mágica, los colores pasteles de los frescos, la madera antigua, la arquitectura en la luz tenue y el ambiente me se hizo viajar en el pasado, un espacio donde el tiempo se detuvo, un testimonio artístico de gran calidad, tenia la impresión de haberme transportado en un templo de la India. Fue un día magnifico en la meseta P’urepecha, les recomendó ir a descubrir esta región y sus tradiciones ancestrales.
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VISIT TO A FESTIVAL IN PARACHO AND NEARBY VILLAGES
A trip to see “Globos de Cantoya” in a Festival in Paracho,
on 23 and 24 of July 2011, by Georgia
Well, five women (3 gringas and 2 Mexicanas) and a 10-yr old angelita (Mexicana) made the trip to Paracho for the Festival Nacional de Globos de Cantoya. The following is a rather lengthy trip report. Skip it if you’re not interested or save it for future reference.
We left Lake Patzcuaro at 9:30 AM Saturday taking the back roads from Eronga to San Isidro, and then to the Paracho area.
I mention this route so others on this list know that taking back roads is okay and to give you options about things to do/places to see in conjunction with next year’s festival…..or for that matter this coming week’s Festival of Guitars.
As we arrived at the entrance to Paracho, we decided to visit some of the nearby villages. Our first stop was Ahuiran famous for handmade rebozos. After visiting a shop on the main street before the plaza (with two wooden figures on the second floor advertizing rebozos for sale), my neighbor Cristina mentioned that she was familiar with a local family. We drove to the house of Rosa Silva Pascual, Calle Maramoros #310, where we were met with hugs and showned a number of finely made silk and cotton rebozos at a better price than the first shop. You might be curious about prices. I bought a beautiful silk/cotton one that was normally priced at $1500.
Next was Nurio, famous for its restored church. A multiple wedding in the church and festival outside kept us from touring other than the recently restored capilla or chapel. We cruised to Cochucho, where there was another festival. We stopped to see the church but didn’t want to shop for pots, so we headed to Patambam with a brief bypass at Ocumicho.
In Patambam, we visited two pottery shops. We bought several pieces from Martin who makes those dishes with area’s scenery at much more reasonable prices than sold in the fancy hotel at the exit from the national park in Uruapan.
Patambam and the next village San Jose de Garcia are famous for the pineapple-pine cone pottery pieces in green and/or gold. These weren’t on our shopping list, so we headed to Tangancicuaro to find a restaurant. Note: there was no restaurant in Patambam and we only saw a Pemex with a sign for hamburgers, tortas and the like. Unfortunately, we couldn’t find a restaurant open in Tangancicuaro. It was about 4:30 PM by this time and in a HEAVY downpour.
From there we headed toward Carapan but stopped in Chilchota where there was a festiva,l and I said a Mexican festival without food would be like a fish out of water. Sure enough, there was a long row of stands offering all sorts of hot and freshly made dishes. Thanks to a previous tip from the Warshauers, I realized that the stand behind us was full of bottles of Cosecha Purhepecha salsas, and several bottles came home with us.
Finally we made our way to Paracho, checked into the hotel and went to the main plaza to see the hot air balloons. We were amazed and thrilled by large and small creations, especially as the day passed into the night.
Dinner was had across from the square in an indoor food market. Pozole, tortas, and tacos al pastor were appreciated.
We looked for a recommended breakfast place run by “Piojo” who cooked for several years in San Francisco, Calif. Wouldn’t you know it, he is closed on Sundays and even though we ran into him in front of his restaurant, we couldn’t talk him into cooking for us. His loncheria is located two blocks behind and one block south of the plaza (directions given with your back to the church. It’s on a Carranza street).
We then watched balloons being made and a few balloons head into the atmosphere and bought several embroidered items at stalls in the main square, went to Zacapu for ice cream made by the Luna family (once again a swarm of people in line to buy bolas en conos o canastas caseras), then to Santa Fe de la Laguna to visit and buy some pottery items from Nicolas Fabian Fermin/Maria del Rosario before three in the group heading back to Morelia from Quiroga by bus and the rest of us drove back to Arocutin.
I am not going to count the number of villages we visited. You can jot them down. Better yet, head out to to the middle of Michoacan and report back to the rest of us about your aventura!
Georgia
