A Lot to Tell

Where to start? First off, Josh is sure to have better photos to post of our friends and the festivities from this past weekend, but consider this the preview.
We jumped in the Toyota minivan with Annie, Super, Panzon, and baby Elena on Friday afternoon to make the four hour drive to Patzcuaro, Michoacán. The scenery along the way was something to be seen... mountains and volcanoes and large stretches of fields with corn and agave growing. Super is known to be a great judge of the best places to stop for food, and so, very close to Patzcuaro he proclaimed that he had found the place, and we stopped by a small house with a few tables set outside and a couple of steaming pots over hot coals. We were told that they had just sold the last of their chicken and mole, but somehow Super managed to talk them into selling us the portions they were making for their dinner that night. We had no idea that this exchange had happened until we were all loaded back in the van, driving the last stretch to Patzcuaro!
We met our friends Jose and Naomi (who drove in from Querétaro) in the center of town where there were stands of all kinds with people selling clay figurines, knitted hats and scarves, wood carvings, jewelry, pottery, food, food, food. There was a constant stream of little kids walking around with little carved calabezas (pumpkins) lit up, and they were all asking for "treats" (money).
We spent the weekend camping at a place just outside of town called Quercus - sans Annie, Super and Elena who checked into a nearby hotel after discovering that they had forgotten their sleeping bags. Josh and I adopted Panzon for two nights. He slept in between us in the tent and giddily squiggled around in his sleeping bag out of excitement to be doing something so novel.

On Saturday, the actual Day of the Dead, we spent much of the day exploring more of the town, and then later boarded a boat to the island of Janitzio. Janitzio was full of more artisan vendors, as well as booth after booth with food. I ate enchiladas and gorditas and drank atole and a michelada... I was completely full of starch.
We walked uphill to the cemetery where there were candles everywhere, with flowers, altars, and food. Though this did not happen so much so at Janitzio, we found the following day at a cemetery in Tzintzuntzan that many people had camped out all night with food and drink next to their loved one's grave(s). Among many of the gravestones were makeshift tents and remnants of campfires, along with boxes of food. Here and there, there were still people sleeping close to the graves. I just could not get over what an amazing and distinct celebration this is. And I felt like we had found one of the greatest places to experience it all.

Marigolds everywhere.

Annie and Elena cuddling

Pan de Muerto- bread that they sell for the holiday

Josh, Jose, and Naomi purchasing cordunas

To end, Annie and crew left on Sunday after we all caught breakfast at another roadside stand. More enchiladas! Naomi, Jose, Josh and I explored more of Tzintzuntzan (hoping this is the last time I have to type that name), and tried to visit the ruins of the P'urépecha people, but we were turned off when we found out that on Sundays everyone was allowed in for free- unless you were from somewhere other than México. Later on we bought cordunas (tamales with poblano peppers, cheese, corn, and perhaps meat) and headed up to our campsite to eat them by a campfire, spending a long time pondering our directions upon return to the states next summer. The following morning we parted ways on such a nice note. We had breakfast (eggs, tortillas, beans, bread, salsa, fresh-squeezed juice, coffee... $16 for all of us) and great conversation before Josh and I headed out by bus, and Naomi and Jose drove their three hour trip back to Querétaro.

The altar created by us, as an ode to our family and friends (Naomi's great idea)