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MazDee

Sep 17, 2005, 8:37 PM

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Zacatetas (city) Visit

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I am going up to Zacatecas (from Mazatlan) to cool off, I hope, and see what I am told is a beautiful city. This will be my first trip, and I am travelling alone. I have this idea of finding a summer haven someplace in this country out of the humidity in Maz. I will be staying at Posada de la Moneda (thanks Esperanza and others) from Sept 19 to 23. I would love to buy a coffee or cocktail for somebody if there is anyone there who could orient me in Zacatecas. Maybe there is a gringo gathering place like we have in Maz. I am working on espanol, but well, it is sloooow going! I need help. Thanks, Diane

Miguel Palomares

Sep 18, 2005, 9:57 AM

Post #2 of 26 (2998 views)

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Re: [MazDee] Zacatetas (city) Visit

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Hi, Diane. I may be mistaken, but I do not think you will run into many Gringos in the lovely city of Zacatecas. If you do, they will be tourists. There seems to be a small gaggle living in Jerez, about 50 miles west of there, but not in Zacatecas itself. Why those folks choose the grim little town of Jerez over the beautiful city of Zacatecas remains a mystery to your revolutionary hero.
From Tzurumutaro, Michoacan, "The Village of the Darned."
_______________________________________

The nuts and bolts of moving to Mexico:
http://michaeldickson.blogspot.com/
The dark side of living in Mexico:
http://mexicopeeks.blogspot.com/
Scintillating life in a Mexican pueblo:
http://tzurumutaro.blogspot.com/
http://tzurumutaro2.blogspot.com/

MazDee

Sep 18, 2005, 11:16 AM

Post #3 of 26 (2992 views)

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Re: [Emiliano Palomares] Zacatetas (city) Visit

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Thanks, Pal. Oh well, I will get along on my own with some help from the tourist office. I am really looking forward to it. After Zacatecas I am going to Patzcuaro to visit some friends who just moved there. They rented a house in a compound owned by the Buddhists, 5 acres of trees, etc. practically in the middle of Patz. Looks wonderful from the pics. Maybe you know the place. Dee

Miguel Palomares

Sep 18, 2005, 12:28 PM

Post #4 of 26 (2987 views)

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Re: [MazDee] Zacatetas (city) Visit

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I do know the place. It is a big compound with some nice rentals. The manager, Deb Peacock, is an amiga of mine and the Rose of Morelia's, Jennifer. Deb also manages a very nice guesthouse elsewhere in Patzcuaro. I believe it is a B&B. She can be reached at deb_peacock@yahoo.com
From Tzurumutaro, Michoacan, "The Village of the Darned."
_______________________________________

The nuts and bolts of moving to Mexico:
http://michaeldickson.blogspot.com/
The dark side of living in Mexico:
http://mexicopeeks.blogspot.com/
Scintillating life in a Mexican pueblo:
http://tzurumutaro.blogspot.com/
http://tzurumutaro2.blogspot.com/

Rick

Sep 18, 2005, 2:41 PM

Post #5 of 26 (2972 views)

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Re: [MazDee] Zacatetas (city) Visit

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In Reply To

I am going to Patzcuaro to visit some friends who just moved there. They rented a house in a compound owned by the Buddhists

Buddhists? Could you elaborate?

MazDee

Sep 18, 2005, 4:15 PM

Post #6 of 26 (2958 views)

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Re: [Rick] Zacatetas (city) Visit

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I do not really know the story, maybe Palomares does. It is my understanding that someone willed or gave the place to a Buddhist order to use as a retreat but that it does not accommodate enough people for most retreat purposes. So, they rent out the buildings.

jennifer rose

Sep 18, 2005, 5:04 PM

Post #7 of 26 (2953 views)

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Re: [MazDee] Zacatetas (city) Visit

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The Buddhist place is owned by the Shamabala organization, and its two rentals -- the large house and the casita -- are currently occupied by long-term tenants.

For a delightful B&B, may I suggest El Refugio http://www.elrefugioenpatzcuaro.com.mx/ ?

MazDee

Sep 18, 2005, 5:17 PM

Post #8 of 26 (2945 views)

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Re: [jennifer rose] Zacatetas (city) Visit

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Yes, my friends from Mazatlan just rented the house. I will be staying with them next week.

Marlene

Sep 19, 2005, 7:52 PM

Post #9 of 26 (2896 views)

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Re: [MazDee] Zacatetas (city) Visit

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It sounds like you will have a great trip inland, Dee. Make sure you keep an eye out for our Mazatlan artist friend Sergio Navarro. They moved to Patzcuaro a couple of months ago, are renovating a house and settling in nicely, loving every moment. They even wear sweaters at night there at this time of year! LOL

julian3345

Sep 20, 2005, 8:16 AM

Post #10 of 26 (2868 views)

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Re: [Emiliano Palomares] Zacatetas (city) Visit

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There are people from the US and Canada living in Zacatecas, but they are teaching at the university or otherwise involved with normal non-tourist life itself. I don't know of any "gringo watering hole." Those of us who live in Jerez often visit the capital city, but are happy to return to our small, friendly, quiet town which is listed as one of the 100 prettiest colonial towns in Mexico. Perhaps Palomares has confused Jerez with Fresnillo? Joan

Miguel Palomares

Sep 20, 2005, 8:42 AM

Post #11 of 26 (2860 views)

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Re: [julian3345] Zacatetas (city) Visit

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You mean Fresnillo is worse?! Actually, in all honesty, your revolutionary hero has never seen El Centro of Jerez and has no business dissing it. His lovely senora and himself in August of last year, while passing time in the beautiful city of Zacatecas, decided to see what the big deal was in Jerez. So, the intrepid pair set out on a blazing August Saturday in a Chevicito without air-conditioning. We got to the outskirts of Jerez, and joined an endless procession of cars creeping down a narrow (and truthfully uninteresting) street toward El Centro. After about half a hour stewing in the Chevicito, the less-intrepid couple decided enough was enough.

We did a U-ey at the next opportunity and returned to Zacatecas. Maybe there was something worthwhile at the end of that wagon train of slow-moving cars. I do not know.

But there must be some reason people elect to live there when the lovely Zacatecas is about 40 or so miles away. What might that reason be?

Some friends here in the stunning area of Lakesides Two, Bob and Dale Marlin, resided a while in Jerez before packing up and coming here. They have bought a house here and have dug in. Color them smart.
From Tzurumutaro, Michoacan, "The Village of the Darned."
_______________________________________

The nuts and bolts of moving to Mexico:
http://michaeldickson.blogspot.com/
The dark side of living in Mexico:
http://mexicopeeks.blogspot.com/
Scintillating life in a Mexican pueblo:
http://tzurumutaro.blogspot.com/
http://tzurumutaro2.blogspot.com/

julian3345

Sep 20, 2005, 9:44 AM

Post #12 of 26 (2848 views)

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Re: [Emiliano Palomares] Zacatetas (city) Visit

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Jeepers...there are usually very few cars on the streets of Jerez on Saturday, so I'm surprised you were stuck in traffic, but the one way street system would put you a block north of the busy central area which includes a beautiful main jardin, arcaded businesses, museums, a santuario, a parrochia, other plazas and jardines and blocks of colonial houses. I prefer Jerez to Zacatecas because it is flat (I ride a bicycle everywhere), has a very picturesque location near the sierra and a more temperate climate than Zacatecas. There is also about a 2,300 ft difference in altitude. Zacatecas is about 8,200 ft alt...Jerez is about 6,400. There are DIRECT flights to northern and southern California and Dallas, TX from the ZAC airport...40 miles away. Jerez is NOT set up for tourists and living here is something like re-visiting one's childhood. Although there is a fragile veneer of modernity, the reality is more like 60 years ago in California. Joan

Miguel Palomares

Sep 20, 2005, 10:25 AM

Post #13 of 26 (2839 views)

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Re: [julian3345] Zacatetas (city) Visit

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Jeepers, indeed. Now you got me wanting to move there. Sounds like a nice place. We now have a car with AC, so the next trip to Zacatecas will include a jaunt to Jerez.
From Tzurumutaro, Michoacan, "The Village of the Darned."
_______________________________________

The nuts and bolts of moving to Mexico:
http://michaeldickson.blogspot.com/
The dark side of living in Mexico:
http://mexicopeeks.blogspot.com/
Scintillating life in a Mexican pueblo:
http://tzurumutaro.blogspot.com/
http://tzurumutaro2.blogspot.com/

(This post was edited by Emiliano Palomares on Sep 20, 2005, 1:35 PM)

Miguel Palomares

Sep 20, 2005, 1:40 PM

Post #14 of 26 (2818 views)

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Re: [jennifer rose] Zacatetas (city) Visit

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The manager of the "Buddhist place" in Patzcuaro asked that I post this info:

Within the expat community in Patzcuaro, Casa Werma/Quinta las Flores is sometimes referred to as the Buddhist monastery, retreat or compound. It is not really any of those things. It is a beautiful adobe-walled property with 5 acres of gardens and 2 rental houses. The property was 'willed' to the Shambhala community of Boulder CO. The previous owners were friends of Trunkpa Rinpoche who visited this property as their guest. The Casa Grande and Casita are rented short or long term -- one does not need to be Buddhist. Currently both houses are occupied -- CG for a year and the casita until November. A few people within the Shambhala community have come down to do their own private retreats or just spend time here -- but there is nothing formal. As for Buddhist centers; there is a Casa Tibet (Tibet House) in Morelia -- about an hour away and also in Mexico City. There is a Shambhala retreat center in Tepotzlan, about 40 minutes outside of Mexico City. Should any one have inquiries, please send them to quintalasflores@yahoo.com
From Tzurumutaro, Michoacan, "The Village of the Darned."
_______________________________________

The nuts and bolts of moving to Mexico:
http://michaeldickson.blogspot.com/
The dark side of living in Mexico:
http://mexicopeeks.blogspot.com/
Scintillating life in a Mexican pueblo:
http://tzurumutaro.blogspot.com/
http://tzurumutaro2.blogspot.com/

(This post was edited by Emiliano Palomares on Sep 20, 2005, 1:41 PM)

jerezano

Sep 21, 2005, 7:51 AM

Post #15 of 26 (2775 views)

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Re: [MazDee] Zacatetas (city) Visit

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Hello Diane;

Zacatecas is indeed a beautiful city. As Julian points out in one of her posts here Zacatecas is over 8000 feet high and is consequently much colder than you are probably used to. Suggest you bring sweaters. Also, you might find the altitude a bit bothersome.

Zacatecas center is built on the bottom of a rather narrow canyon so everything from city center is UP. It is a lot like San Francisco. Not a good place for bicyclists at all. Not really a good place for walkers either. Taxi's are reasonable. You will want to park you car and leave it as direction for strangers is unbelievable. Everything is either up or down, narrow and blocked streets, no way to get a sense of North, South, East or West.

Many excellent restaurants. Many at high cost.

The tourist office is right down town in front of the Cathedral. Unfortunately, they usually don't have much information on Zacatecas itself. Loaded with beach resort information. There are city tours available; they usually include a tour of the mine Eden and a ride from the Eden exit by swinging, suspended cable across the city to the Museum of "The Taking of Zacatecas" the deciding battle of the Mexican Revolution on La Bufa, the landmark mountain of Zacatecas. There are tours available to Jerez and to La Quemada.

Zacatecas has many world-class museums. You should not miss the tour of the Guadalupe convent.

As a gringo living in the gringo gaggle in Jerez, I can assure you that you will enjoy your trip to Zacatecas.

One other thing. Zacatecas food tends to be very picosa. Be careful with the local specialties.

Adios. jerezano.

TigerTonio

Sep 21, 2005, 8:24 AM

Post #16 of 26 (2767 views)

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Re: [jerezano] Viva Zacatetas (city)

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Cold to the point where one needs sweaters? Hilly like San Francisco? Zacatecas sounds like my kind of town!

You mentioned the "swinging, suspended cable cars". I first read about Zacatecas and the cable cars in Patricia Schultz's 1,000 Places to See Before You Die. One of the highlights mentioned in the book is the teleférico cable car ride -- the only one in the world that traverses an entire city. Yikes...and WOW.

Julian has also kindly given me some good Jerez/Zacataces info via pm (thank you).

This is an area on my must-see list.

jerezano

Sep 21, 2005, 8:26 AM

Post #17 of 26 (2767 views)

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Re: [Emiliano Palomares] Zacatetas (city) Visit

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Hello Revolutionary Hero,

Julian has offered many reasons why there is a gaggle of gringos here in the "grim" little town of Jerez. One she forgot to mention is that Jerez has been designated by Mexico as a National Monument. Why? Because on a small scale it offers colonial architecture as beautiful as can be found in Zacatecas itself. Remember that Zacatecas during the apogee of the Silver boom was the largest and most prosperous city in all Mexico. So, it has an outlandish number of colonial mansions and public buildings. Jerez on the other hand has always (until recently) been a prosperous country cousin type of place. Agriculture is our main business. Twenty years ago Jerez was the third largest city in Zacatecas. Today it is the 11th. So there are cities which are now more prosperous. Agriculture is not known for its prosperity.

But if a person likes living in a small town instead of a big city, yet close enough to a big city to enjoy all the advantages available by a two-hour round trip. Jerez offers that. Not at all like Patzcuaro where every weekend the place is overrun with tourists. But, of course, some people enjoy that.

You mention Bob and Dale Marlin. Please give them my best the next time you see them. Also, please remember that they did not leave Jerez because they did not enjoy life here. They liked it here very much and lived here for years. But Dale, as you know is an artist, a painter. While the artistic life here is strong with about 15 very active and some quite well known artists it cannot compare with the artistic life available in Patzcuaro. That is why they moved.

Please come back and see us when you and your wife and your air conditioned car are in the mood. We would like to welcome you to our own little backwoods home.

Adios. jerezano, a resident of 18 years.

TigerTonio

Sep 21, 2005, 8:31 AM

Post #18 of 26 (2764 views)

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Re: [jerezano] Zacatetas (city) Visit

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Jerezano & Joan: Thanks for sharing this information. I, for one, cannot wait to get up there and check those areas out!

MazDee

Sep 21, 2005, 1:14 PM

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Re: [jerezano] Zacatetas (city) Visit

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I am here in Zacatecas now, and it is as beautiful as I had been told! The weather is perfect, a little cool in the morning and evening, beautifully sunny and clear the rest of the time. I went on a tour to La Quemada and Jerez yesterday. There was not the opportunity to look around enough to form an opinion about living in Jerez, but it did have a pretty centro. The ruins at La Quemada were fascinating. Today I took another trip with the same company to El Eden Mine, La Bufa, and a ride on the Tereferico. Great! I am the only English speaking tourist to sign up with them these past 2 days and they sent an English speaking guide along just for me! I highly recommend this company, which I think is called OTours. The tours are less than $20 US and last 4 to 6 hours. If anyone would like more details please PM me.
I think Zacatecas would be a wonderful place to live, but there is that about the hills! Way worse than San Francisco! Seems like you can´t find a city block that is level. However, I have not overruled it as a place to spend a couple of months next summer.
I am having a great time and want to thank everyone who contributed info and ideas about Zacatecas.

MazDee

Sep 21, 2005, 1:25 PM

Post #20 of 26 (2741 views)

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Re: [MazDee] Zacatetas (city) Visit

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Oooh, forgot to mention that after a day or 2 more here, I am going over to San Luis Potosì. Haven´t decided whether to go on a day trip, or actually moving over there for a night or two. I do think it will be easier to get a good bus from SLP to Morelia (thence Patzcuaro) than it would be from Zacatecas. So, send your advice on SLP- Hotels, restaurants, and must-see places! By the way, when I get home I will write about my favorite spots if you want to hear them. Thanks again, Dee

LindaM

Sep 22, 2005, 7:14 AM

Post #21 of 26 (2703 views)

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Re: [MazDee] Zacatetas (city) Visit

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MazDee, We've lived in SLP for 4 months. I'll share what little I know. I would advise staying downtown so you can easily walk around the plazas to see the gorgeous churches and colonial architecture. Be sure to notice the crystal sailing ship chandelier down near the altar in San Francisco church. There's an identical one in a church outside el centro and was, at one time, one in the main cathedral - all gifts from the King of Spain for all the silver and gold that was being sent from here. The FONART store across from San Francisco plaza has a nice representation of the area art and the prices are good - 30% off right now. Friends have stayed at the Panorama Hotel and liked it. I'm told a tour bus that looks like a trolley car leaves from there for a city overview tour. The natural history museum is closed on Monday, the mask museum is closed for renovation. If you like mercados visit the Mercado de la Republica. It's very large and interesting and safe (I never felt too safe in San Juan de Dios in Guadalajara). It's walkable if you take Hidalgo (the main pedestrian shopping street) and walk and walk and walk - or a cab will cost you 25 pesos (cabs here all use meters). If you walk, the first mercado is Mercado Hidalgo. It's much smaller and mostly food. Keep going past it for 3-5 blocks and you'll know Republica by the overhead walkway or by all the stairs going up to it (parking is below). As far as restaurants I'll tell you we've been rather disappointed. We've tried all the high end "recommended" restaurants and won't be back to any of them. We spent 500 pesos on lunch (no appetizer, no desert, no alcohol) yesterday and my paella was not even edible. A restaurant I would recommend, an easy cab ride down Carranza, is El Angel. I had the most innovative and delicious chiles en nogada I've ever had and it was only 90 pesos. The only other restaurant I can recommend is at the Westin Hotel. It's not in el centro but nowhere takes more than 15 minutes by taxi. It's the most beautiful restaurant I've ever been in - very elegant. We haven't had dinner there yet but Sunday brunch was a delight - 125 pesos, unlimited champagne included! I did look at the dinner menu and the entrees were 100-160 pesos. There's also a lovely Japanese restaurant Musashi on Himno Nacional. We had good tempura shrimp there. They have tappanyaki tables if that's something you like. Hope this helps and hope you enjoy your visit to SLP.

MazDee

Sep 22, 2005, 11:49 AM

Post #22 of 26 (2682 views)

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Re: [LindaM] Zacatetas (city) Visit

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Thanks for the very complete response Linda! I won't waste my money on fancy restaurants unless I do the Sunday brunch at the Westin. That's usually my favorite meal of the week anyway. I will try the Panorama Hotel because I want something very central so I can walk. Thanks for the tip on discounts at Fonart and all your other info! Dee

toddmc

Sep 22, 2005, 12:23 PM

Post #23 of 26 (2677 views)

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Re: [MazDee] Zacatetas (city) Visit

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So, MazDee while you are there, give us a review of your Zacatetas Hotel!
Please?

We plan on being there in October, and after reading this thread, we also want to check out Jerez.,
Jerezano any lodging recommendation for Jerez in the 30-75 dollar range?

Thanks
Todd

*************************
Our new life in Patzcuaro: http://lifeinthecorazon.blogspot.com

MazDee

Sep 22, 2005, 12:59 PM

Post #24 of 26 (2672 views)

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Re: [toddmc] Zacatetas (city) Visit

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I am at Posada de la Moneda. The location could not be better and I would stay here again. It is nothing fancy, but my room is comfortable enough. About what I would expect for $450 a night ($500 double). There is a restaurant, but there are many places to eat within a block or two. (Next door is Gorditas Dona Julio, delicious when you want a small bite!) That's all I have time to write this time... Have fun, Dee

jerezano

Sep 23, 2005, 5:30 PM

Post #25 of 26 (2637 views)

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Re: [toddmc] Zacatetas (city) Visit

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Hello,

Here in Jerez the Hotel Leo is about $45-$50 a night and has a good restaurant. It claims to be a 4 star hotel but lacks the travel agency etc. However, it is quite comfortable and modern. It is a bit far from the Civic Center however. There are several comfortable, clean, family type hotels in the $20 to $30 us dollar range much nearer the center. Parking can be a problem. All hotels will be full during Easter Week, Navidad, and almost full Patriotic week (Sept 15 celebrations). Most other times no reservations needed.

Adios. jerezano.

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