THE DAY OF THE LIVING IN PATZCUARO
If you have been watching Breaking Bad or Better Call Soul, you’d probably associate the Mexican state of Michoacán with Chrystal Meth barons and murderous gangs. True, the place does rank high on the Mexican violence scale, but Michoacán has much more to it than just death.
Actually, forget about what I wrote above. Michuacan is mostly about death. Surprisingly it loves every bit of it.
So much it made a ritual out of it. We went to visit the source down in a small town with the easily pronounced name of Patzcuaro.
As a guest of the Mexican Ministry of Tourism, I visited Patzcuaro a few years ago. Nestled in the middle of the cool volcanic highlands of Central Mexico, the historic town is a small gem of some epic proportions.
How epic?
How about the place ranks in the 100 Historic World Treasure Cities list by the United Nations. That’s how epic! It also ranks 7th on Mexico’s Pueblo Magico list. Just so you’d know.
It got there because it’s beautiful, exquisitely charming and very, very dead. Pixar studios may have brought the ancient custom to worldwide fame with their latest masterpiece Coco. Bond may have turned it into the meanest opening scene of any 007 movie, but Patzcuaro is the true genesis of the – now famous – “Day of Dead”. It is the place where it all started.
You’re dead. Let’s celebrate
The day of the dead is a Mexican holiday celebrated especially in the Central and South regions of the country. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember passed relatives. The aim is to help support their spiritual journey in the world beyond.
Since the celebration is in early November and we visited in January, and since we were quite alive at that time, we went on to see the other – less macabre – corners of Patzcuaro.
House of Dreams
There is something very dream-like about Patzcuaro. Perhaps it’s the red-white painted houses, the quaint allies or the early morning mist that covers the main square. Perhaps it’s all of the above. Either way, the place has some true surreal qualities. It also has one old Californian lady who manages to capture that spirit in a special place she called Mansion de Los Suenos.
I don’t remember her name, but I do remember her face and her story. How she visited Patzcuaro many years back and vowed to one day own a hotel in the town.
In 2000 she realized her dream by purchasing on old town mansion and then poured in her passion, creativity (and perhaps also some mind-enhancing drugs. I didn’t have the courage to explore deeper on that point). Beautifully painted rooms of psychedelic magic gave the place the same unreal qualities of the town surrounding it. I spent a night there in a room I will never forget.
Welcome to the real world
But magic is fleeting. The Day of the Dead is no more an obscure and exotic ritual, and Patzcuaro is no longer a forgotten pariah. Even the House of Dreams has shed some of its uniqueness. Last I’ve seen it shed some of its original and bold ambiances in favor of a more marketable (and dull) décor.
Based on the time that has passed I can only guess the old North American is no longer with us (forgive me if I’m wrong).
Who knows, she might have her picture hanged on a pedestal and her spirit watching Patzcuaro from the world beyond.
