Bernie's Travels: Morelia, Mexico

From Steve and Maureen's place in Eronga I traveled around the opposite side of Lake Patzcuaro and made my way to Morelia the capital of Michocan. Morelia was impressive to say the least. The comfortable disorder that is Mexico seemed to disappear in Morelia. The city was orderly, impressively clean, and had an air of sophistication. So far it is the biggest city I have seen in Mexico that doesn't seem to have the seedy underbelly that cities tend to naturally have. The architecture in the center was impressive and stately, originally designed to reflect Spanish architectural styles. Beyond the great architecture there were plenty of terrific parks, open spaces, and fountains. The old aqueduct is still intact and also adds unique character to the city.

To get around the city I either walked or took the cool mini-buses running around the city. They used to be old Volkswagen vans but most have been replaced with modern Nissans. There was more traffic than appears within the photos, but the cars actually stopped at lights and waited for them to turn. This is an oddity in Mexico where traffic laws are more like suggestions rather than enforced norms. The theme of order even translated to the markets which were by far the most organized I have seen in Mexico. Another photo that captured life in Morelia was the crew of workers cutting grass in the median with weed-wackers, in the rain.

At night the city was a fantastic sight, and quite a show. On a Thursday night the city blocked off the main thoroughfare that passes in front of the impressively huge cathedral, blared classical music from over a dozen large speakers that were synchronized with a great fireworks show. Throughout the show they progressively lit the cathedral which made it look even more impressive than in during the day. The rest of the city's main attractions were also lit up at night which made for an great view.

In Morelia I was actually feeling a little odd about bouncing around so much from place to place, and a little homesick. I decided to go an see a movie to distract myself. I saw the latest Batman movie in a state of the art theater, in English (with Spanish subtitles), and for only 3 dollars. Have to Mexico! I guess I can't feel too bad living so good for so little.