December 1, 2006
Just north of Morelia is the town of Cuitzeo. It is Michoacan's newest addition to the list of mexican "Pueblos Magicos". The main attraction is an Augustian convent that dates from 1550. It is truly an impressive building and we spent a very enjoyable hour wandering the passageways and viewing the small art and historical museum inside. They are currently in the process of restoring the frescoes that cover the walls and ceilings as well as some of the stonework inside, so it will probably be even more impressive in the coming years.
These photos were from another nearby church:
To our eyes, the town itself didn't appear so magical. But the "pueblo magico" designation refers more to preseving the indigenous culture than to the town's architecture.
This is a photo of a field of agave, grown to make tequila. In the low-lying dry areas, these farms can be huge. The blue agave (Agave azul tequilana ) has long bluish green spiny leaves with sharp points and a large heart (called piña or pineapple) from which the juices are extracted and then distilled twice. One liter of distilled tequila requires between 6 and 8 kilos of agave pulp.
Nearby is the town of Huandacareo-- an interesting town in itself but one of the main attractions are it's thermal pools. There is a whole cluster of "balnearios" on the west end of town, like this one where we spent a very relaxing afternooon:
