Dia De Muertos, Morelia, and the Case of the Missing Party

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Mexico celebrates Halloween, the way Americans celebrate Thanksgiving. They get a day and a half off. This year Dia De Muertos was on a Thursday, so we didn't have school on Thursday or Friday.

I decided to stay in Pachuca on Wednesday night. I went out with my neighbors. My friends told me about a party that they were going to after work. I met them around midnight... and one of their dad's drove us to the party. But it ended by the time we got there. So I ended up eating tacos with her and her dad until 2am. It wasn't a party, but free food was involved, so that made it awesome.

On Thursday, I made my way towards Patzcuaro, Michoacan. It is supposed to be a huge party to celebrate dead relatives. But because most travellers to Mexico don't have dead relatives in Mexico, they celebrate by going to travel destinations like Oaxaca and Patzcuaro. Oaxaca is currently a war-zone, so it's not conducive to the general viajero. Patzcuaro seemed like a great option.

My good friends, 'the frenches' aka the french teachers who have lived here for several years, told me that I ought to go on Thursday, because nothing happens on Wednesday. My roommate went a day early and found a hotel for us on Thursday night.
After eight hours of bus travel, of which I have become an expert since those fourteen hour stretches in South America, I arrived in the sleepy lakeside village.

I met my roommate at the dock. There wasn't anybody around, except for a group of Japanese girls, who I impressed with my limited Nihongo skills "Watashi Wa Joshua Heller", "Pizza Ya Wa Doko De Ska." (I know how to ask important questions like "Where is the Pizza?" in seven languages.)

I found my friends, and we went in search of the festividades in the city center.

When we arrived we just saw the remnants of a good time, handles of vodka, party cups, chips... but no people. I was able to locate the pizza (in an old colonial mansion across from the plaza de armas.) I did not locate any party. So we went back to the hotel, and slept... pretty well I might add.

The following day we went to Tzintzuntzan, only thirty minutes from Patzcuaro, not the 19+ hours you'd might expect, because it sounds like it could be in China. There were ruins of an ancient civilization, and enough handicrafts to make your mom go bonkers, but no goddamn tacos.

We went back to Patzcuaro, to take a bus to Morelia. Standing room only.

We got into Morelia, and found a youth hostel. I really like staying at hostels, because you can meet people from all over the world... plus this hostel had Cinemax. It was too early for soft-core porn, but I watched "A Mighty Wind" and "National Lampoon's European Vacation." I forgot how great "Vacation" is and, how well it holds up the oft-accurate stereotype of the American traveller. I was easily able to compare and contrast the vacationers in Morelia with those from the film. I think it was because Chevy Chase was staying at my hostel.

Morelia looks like it could be a city in the middle of Spain, but with far better food. I found, for the first time since my arrival in Mexico, a legit burrito. Tortilla de harina, beans, steak, lettuce, salsa. It was legit, but there are far better burritos in the whitest regions of California. It filled my heart's yearning for a burrito, though.

My favorite regional Mexican dish that I 've eaten in Pachuca, is a Moreliana. Tostada, beans, lettuce, chicken. Morelianas are from Morelia, but I walked all over the city and couldn't find a single one. There were rumors that they might have them at the Mercado de Dulces... but I didn't find them. For shame.

On Saturday night I looked at google world with a Romanian dude, and then went out with some white-people from English speaking countries. I had a lot of fun but not in a crazy way that is worth talking about.

I left the great state of Michoacan on Sunday around 1pm... and didn't get Pachuca until late. I ate an over-salted open-faced turkey sandwich at Sanborns, and went home.

This Thursday night, my amazing mexican super group, Los Extrangueros, will be performing at a battle of the bands. Then I'm going to a music festival on Saturday.

myspace.com/losextrangueros
coronamusicfest.com

Peace.

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Comments

[Gadi]

Aifo HaPizza
You are extremely white, except for the super dark jew hair. Don't front.