Run to the Hills
Everything seemed more expensive in Zihua so I refused to fill up before we left. In my mind, there was a gas station not too far along – a common mis-remembering after this long on the road: false memories. From Mazatlán to Zihuatanejo, the individual stretches of road were becoming one. It was time for a change of pace, of scenery, and of temperature too. It was the 6th of January and we wouldn’t see the ocean again until the 14th. We were headed up.
It was the first toll road of the trip and not an inauspicious one. We were travelling through what was on paper, a ‘delicate region.’ The way was better, but not terrific. With new max speed came overzealous drivers and a whole new array of dangers. Plus, there was the tolls. I’m glad we took the sure thing, just a word of warning not to expect miracles on the toll way.
Obviously, the scenery was changing, in gradients as we carried ever higher. First we passed through a ‘cactus layer.’ The jungle was gone and everything was dry as we followed a canyon snaking its way inland. Then it was on to an agricultural plateau, wide spaces with higher peaks all around. Every now and then we would have to slow down and contribute more funds to the toll highway. We were happy to making tracks and avoiding topes (or worse), but do be prepared to pay for that convenience.* There was also a renewed appreciation for safety. Now back in Michoacán, the secondary highways in these parts were not recommended for casual travel. The city of Uruapan should be avoided altogether.
I find it hard to impress on casually interested listeners what elevation means. At home, we just don’t have it. I live in a province of all mountains and I still never get to these heights. The high elevation towns, the top of a ski hill, even the highest mountain pass in the entire country are all well below the mountain valleys where entire civilizations thrive. The destination was Pátzcuaro, a city of the Purépecha Empire and later a Spanish capital. I knew it would look different, become colder overnight – I just didn’t appreciate to what degree.
The city itself is beautiful to wonder around. We met travellers at our hotel, in love with Mexico, who were staying there for a couple months. That’s probably a tad long, especially in the middle of winter. While the days are plenty warm, when the sun goes down you need to bundle up. Oh yeah, forget the notion of indoor heating as well. Although our hotel room (yes, that) had a fireplace, it was only really the six layers of blankets that kept us warm as temperatures dropped to around four degrees. The high ceilings, stone walls and tile floors, just want to stay cool. In the middle of the day our room still felt like a cave. Thankfully, the showers had hot water again.
As I say, there are no distinct sites to mention. Find a charming hotel centrally (they’re all very affordable), get a hot chocolate (or a unique tequila ice cream if the sun’s out) and move from square to square, people watching. Marvel at the various old churches, which are really unique. It doesn’t feel like a tourist place, which is nice. Not a living museum, very much alive.
On our way out, we took a boat tour to the island town of Janitzio. It feels a bit touristy – and in many respects it is – but get there early and do a loop of the island away from the crowds: another experience unlike any other. At the same time, we were feeling ill-effects of altitude: namely, we just couldn’t eat. We had something similar, on our travels in Peru, and we dismayed to see it return (we were around 2200 meters this time – certainly far from extreme, but you never know how it will affect you until it does).
Next up was Morelia, capital of the state and our first big city since Mazatlán. It’s a short drive and an easy next stop if you’re heading east towards Mexico City. Again, there was little on the agenda other than to see what there was to see. Looking back, I would have had one or two firm options to pursue, some cathedral to enter or old mansion to walk through. But with a trip of this length, you have to learn to be kind to yourself and take care not to overcommit.
This was all the truer when we experienced our first rain since November 8th on our way through Nevada (little spitting in Colima notwithstanding). The thing was, it looked and felt like a winter day back home. The sky was grey at times, the trees bare of leaves, most people wearing a few more layers. Yet, at the same time, it was perfectly warm out (I don’t know why/how but it was warmer than Pátzcuaro). I felt my whole system discombobulated: was I in Spain, was it truly winter, might the altitude make me ill if I eat this whole pizza?
Initially, there was a bit of (overblown) concern about security. Our hotel was adamant about removing everything from our vehicle, had their front door locked, and the ‘big-city’ feel of the place had us wondering if we had picked the wrong part of town (some stolen gear in Pátzcuaro didn’t help matters). We hadn’t – the whole place feels this way at first. Grey blocks of what would once have been stately homes, feel cold and uninviting no matter what you do. It makes for a tough place to navigate at times – every street corner tends to look just like the last. Gradually, we found the interesting candy market, the arches of an old aqueduct, the blocks around the cathedral, the leafy Jardín de las Rosas. We even walked a good few kilometers south of the center to visit the zoo. Why not?
Looking back, I suppose I wished we’d better seized the opportunity of a fascinating city. I’m also ok with what we got out of it. This was a transitional phase of our trip, after all. Very new, lots of uncertainties and that damn altitude. Still, we weren’t quite finished with Michoacán. We had monarch butterflies to observe before tackling the big, national capital. It was a time of classic cities, mountains air, and a whole lot of history. Sometimes all you need to do is be there to soak it up.
*There’s a government site that help you coordinate routes, on on what stretches you will encounter tolls, and what you can expect to pay, but Toll Guru has a more user friendly option.
