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sarahg

Apr 10, 2005, 7:08 PM

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Day trips from Morelia

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We'll be in Morelia the last week of April and would like to visit Patzcuaro and environs. Would you recommend bus, taxi or rental car? I'm fairly fluent in Spanish and we've visited Patzcuaro once before so at least will have some vague familiarity with the area.

Last time we visited we took the bus up from Zihua.

Thanks for any advice and any "must do's or see's". Hasta pronto!

Sarah

jennifer rose

Apr 10, 2005, 7:30 PM

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Re: [sarahg] Day trips from Morelia

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For two or more people, it's less expensive to take a taxi to Patzcuaro from Morelia than the bus, when you figure in the cost of cabs to and from the Morelia and Patzcuaro bus stations.

But even better would be a rental car, since that would give you the freedom to more easily visit Santa Clara de Cobre, Tzintzintzun and Ihuatzio, the other towns along the lake, and maybe even hie over to Zirahuen, Uruapan or Tacambaro. Still, it's going to be hot season, you'd definitely be more comfortable with your own wheels than someone else's.

Miguel Angel Nunez is an anthropologist living in Erongaricuaro who also works as a tour guide in and around Patzcuaro. I can recommend him highly. His e-mail is casadetierra@hotmail.com

Luis Miguel Lopez is another tour guide based in Morelia, who can arrange transporation or anything else you might want. His website is http://www.mmg.com.mx/

Both are bilingual.

sarahg

Apr 10, 2005, 7:39 PM

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Re: [jennifer rose] Day trips from Morelia

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Thanks Jennifer. Again you prove to be a wealth of knowledge. About how long a drive is it from Morelia (Casa Camelinas) to Patzcuaro? Is Patzcuaro and some of the other towns doable in a day or should we allow a night in Patzcuaro to be able to see more?

We're trying to prepare ourselves mentally for the heat, but being up here in the blustery NW makes it kind of hard. At least it's a dry heat, right? When I was in Paraguay I told myself I'd never make it through another summer, but somehow I did.

Vamos a ver.

jennifer rose

Apr 10, 2005, 7:52 PM

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Re: [sarahg] Day trips from Morelia

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Patzcuaro is 36 miles from Morelia. Whenever I go over there, I usually make the trip in about 45 minutes. The road from Patzcuaro, indeed from Uruapan, is safe to drive at night.

Doing all of the towns mentioned in a day is stretching it, but Patzcuaro and some of the lake towns is easily doable. There is a certain magic to early mornings and late evenings in Patzcuaro, which (except for the late evening) you might miss by commuting from Morelia.

It's a very dry heat during our hot season, which fortunately oniy last until about the end of May, or whenever the rains come.

BTW, this afternoon while I was having coffee at a local shopping center, I made it a point to notice if anyone was wearing shorts. Not a soul, except for small children.

sarahg

Apr 10, 2005, 8:06 PM

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Re: [jennifer rose] Day trips from Morelia

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So, inquiring minds want to know, were you wearing shorts?

Also, we've only a short time this visit, but would a trip with a realtor to see various lugares without the intent to buy this trip, be considered rude or is that an okay thing to do? Here in our neck of the woods, which is a rather touristy destination spot, realtors are always taking out lookers that may not be buyers. We don't want to offend and are seriously considering buying sometime in the near future.

Thanks again for all your help.

Sarah

jennifer rose

Apr 10, 2005, 8:20 PM

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Re: [sarahg] Day trips from Morelia

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No, I wasn't wearing shorts. I never wear them outside of the house.

Tierra Colonial Real Estate, http://www.tierracolonial.com, has started charging a retainer to show properties. Armando Manzano, http://www.armandomanzano.com, I've heard, has started prequalifying buyers in an attempt to sniff out the tire-kickers. If I were in the real estate business, I wouldn't want to waste my time showing houses to curious people who have no intent to buy. Having been in the position of a real estate seller, nothing struck me as more of a waste of time and invasion of privacy than providing the home and garden tour to the curious. But hey, that's just my opinion. And I have started taken a rather sharp stance toward visitors to "like to look at houses and get decorating tips" or who "want to see what their money might buy if they were buying."

In Patzcuaro, there are home and garden tours on an irregularly scheduled basis. There are photos of properties for sale on the Internet.

(This post was edited by jennifer rose on Apr 10, 2005, 8:33 PM)

sarahg

Apr 10, 2005, 8:27 PM

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Re: [jennifer rose] Day trips from Morelia

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Yes, I agree that just looking to check out homes for decorating tips or to get a sense of value is a waste of time. I think we were thinking more along the idea of seeing what various neighborhoods/areas have in terms of housing options. We'll probably just try to get a sense of things as best we can in our short time and if we really likethe area, will obviously need to make another trip down when we have more time and the committment to really look. Who knows, if we were to go out with a realtor now, knowing how poorly my partner does at altitude, we could end up impulse shopping and be really sorry!

As an aside, I take it women do not wear shorts out and about. How about capri length pants?

Sarah

jennifer rose

Apr 10, 2005, 8:39 PM

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Re: [sarahg] Day trips from Morelia

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Not many people wear shorts in Morelia, unless they're jogging, working in the yard, or running out for a quick errand in their own neighborhood. Or are tourists, who might as well have on a Hawaiian shirt, a camera dangling from their neck, and a fanny pank. I can think of a couple of old men who wear shorts, but they're always very careful to wear kneesocks with them.