Patzcuaro

We love the town of Patzcuaro and the surrounding area and are glad to be back. The RV park we stay in has great views of the town, Lake Patzcuaro, and island of Janitzio.
A bit of history. Bishop Vasco de Quiroga is credited with founding the town of Patzcuaro in the 16th century. He implemented a plan where area villages were each assigned a different skill, and to this day their descendants have continued the tradition. Hand-beaten copper wares come from Santa Clara de Cobre, guitars from Paracho, baskets and green-glazed pottery from Tzintzuntzan, prize-winning masks from Tocuaro, and so on. We hope to visit as many of these places as possible.

 We spent today in town, checking out the newly remodeled town plaza and enjoying the sights.

It was market day and the smaller square near the market was bustling.

The Day of the Dead is  a holiday celebrated throughout Mexico. The holiday focuses on elaborate ceremonies and gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember those who have died. Day of the Dead originated with the Tarascan, or Purepecha, Indians who have many descendants in this area. The island of Janitzio has been singled out for its impressive ceremonies, probably due to its indigenous roots and unique setting.
We saw many signs of the importance of Day of the Dead to the area today while in town.

Some were very simple....

And some quite elaborate.