Lago Patzcuaro and Janitzio Island

On one of my day trips from Eronga I rented a flat-bottomed canoe and paddled my way from the end of the canal at Steve and Maureen's place into Lake Patzcuaro and over to Janitzio Island in the middle of the lake. It was about two hours of paddling each way. Going to the island was pretty smooth since the winds were calm in the morning. Along the way I passed fishermen casting and pulling in the nets, and they even let me on to their boat to see there catch and take a rest from paddling.












looking out onto the canal leading out to the lake with Janitzio Island barely visible in the distance












Paddling down the canal and turning around to take a picture of Eronga at the end of the canal












Reaching the lake and looking toward Janitzio Island












Paddling closer to Janitzio and seeing fisherman pulling in their nets












Stopping to talk with the fishermen












Fishermen after they pulled their catch into the boat












Being invited onto their boat to see the catch and have a rest












Fisherman laying out their net again












Finally reaching Janitzio Island

I arrived on the back side of the island and pulled the canoe along side the boats of the fishermen I had just met. Then, I hiked up to the top of the island to see the huge statue of Jose Maria Morelos, a central figure that advanced Mexico's struggle for independence from Spain.












Passing an indigenous woman walking up to the statue












Looking back over the water and seeing a boy canoing out into the lake

















The huge statue of Morelos, You can actually climb around the inside of the statue up to the fist where there is a beautiful view of the island and lake












Inside the statue looking down from the top of the stairs, about where the shoulders are












Looking up from the shoulder at the Morelos defiantly raised arm












View of the Island below from Morelos' shoulder, between his arm and head












Looking out onto the island and Lake Patzcuaro from Morelos' fist












View towards the other large islands on the lake












Looking over to Eronga, in the very corner of the lake












Agricultural land around the lake that was once lake bed












Rooftops of Janitzio with Lake Patzcuaro in the distance












Broken windmill












View of the tourist goodies coming down the front side of the island. Nothing says “I'm a tourist!” like a big straw hat












Walking around to the backside of the island to get back to the canoe












Passing a dock with the other islands in the distance












Rusted boat

Returning back to Eronga was a tough paddle into the wind which had picked up enough to make it a choppy ride back home. Thankfully I made out of the open water and back to the canal without too many problems, then made the last push to get back to the house.












Frayed basketball net