Mexico Travel: Exploring
Quiroga, an Authentic Market Town in Michoacán
Brilliant sunshine greeted me again on another
gorgeous day in Mexico’s colonial heartland.
After a restful night of sleep at the venerable
Hotel Catedral, I enjoyed a delicious buffet breakfast
and then took the elevator up to the rooftop terrace
which offers the most amazing view of Morelia’s
main square, the Plaza de Armas, and its cathedral.
The historic Hotel Catedral right on the main square
of Morelia
I always like to find out more about the places
that I am staying at, particularly when they are
16th century mansions with outstanding colonial
architecture. I walked downstairs to the reception
area, located in a historic courtyard with a modern
glass roof and gorgeous arcaded walkways on the
upper floors. Blanca, one of the hotel employees,
was so kind and gave me a tour of the Hotel Catedral,
formerly a mansion of Count Pereda that was located
on the “Calle Real”, the Royal Road
of Morelia.
Blanca, my guide, on the rooftop terrace of the
Hotel Catedral
The Hotel Catedral has 61 rooms and six of them
actually have a terrace facing the cathedral. All
rooms come with flat-screen LCD televisions, free
wireless Internet and free safes. The rooms are
equipped with work tables which is perfect for the
many business travelers that visit the city. Bathrooms
are modern and feature glass-enclosed shower stalls
and marble countertops.
Architectural details at the Hotel Catedral
Some of the rooms face towards the interior courtyards
and are very quiet while others face outside and
allow you to watch the street life of Morelia. It
was a real shame that the Cathedral Suite was booked;
I would have loved to see the suite with the best
views. Morelia is particularly beautiful at night,
which has earned it the nickname “La Ciudad
Iluminada” (the illuminated city) when numerous
churches and former convents are lit up and create
an almost magical experience. Every night the city
of Morelia launches fireworks from the cathedral
and the street-facing rooms and suites at the Hotel
Catedral certainly would have the most magnificent
views of this spectacle.
Gorgeous view from the rooftop terrace of the Hotel
Catedral
Shortly after my tour my expert guide, Rodrigo
Muñoz, arrived for our driving tour today.
We were going to visit the Lake Pátzcuaro area.
Located less than an hour from Morelia, this lake
is surrounded by a various historic towns and one
of the main attractions is the Island of Janitzio,
famous for its Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)
rituals.
Balloon vendor on Morelia's Plaza de Armas, in front
of the Hotel Catedral
We took the main roads through Morelia, and many
of the historic, pink-coloured cantera stone buildings
were shining brilliantly in the early morning son.
As a designated UNESCO World Heritage site, Morelia,has
more than 1100 buildings that were built between
the 16th and 19th centuries. As we got out of the
city I started to appreciate the mountainous terrain
that surrounds Morelia. In short succession we drove
past two mountains that had been quarried for their
rock. The sliced-open mountains impressed me with
their black, dark brown and reddish coloration,
all due to the volcanic rock that prevails in the
area.
This quarry shows off the volcanic rock in the area
surrounding Morelia
Our first stop was in the country town of Quiroga,
a historic trading post that was settled during
Prehispanic times. The town was officially established
in 1831 and its main street is a colourful collection
of stores and stands that sell many different handcrafted
items, from wooden carvings to miniature guitars,
leather goods and earthenware. Quiroga is a bright
kaleidoscope of Mexican arts and crafts.
Colourful guitars for sale in Quiroga
One of the biggest attractions in town are the
“carnitas” vendors. At their street
stands they sell slow-roasted pork that, still dripping
with fat, is rolled up in tortillas. We stopped
at one of the most colourful street vendors from
“Carnitas Carmelo”, and the gentleman
quickly gave us two free samples of this succulent
local delicacy. He was very gregarious, insisted
on having a picture taken with me and sent a greeting
out to all the expatriate Mexicans in the United
States who can now order his carnitas over the Internet.
Carnitas Carmelo, to the right my expert guide Rodrigo
Muñoz
We walked by several carnitas stands, most of which
featured the last name “Carmelo”. Apparently
the entire extended Carmelo family is in the carnitas
business. Rodrigo explained that “tripa”
(intestines) is also a popular street food. Some
street vendors offered “barbacoa”, barbecued
beef with various optional condiments. “Chicharrones”,
fried pork skin, is another popular local snack.
We also had a look at a boiling pot of “morcilla”
(blood sausage).
Orange juice is squeezed manually in Quiroga
Fresh juice was being squeezed manually from recently
picked local oranges. Rodrigo also explained another
dish to me: “corundas”, which are corn-leaf
pockets that are eaten without meat but with tomato
sauce and sour cream, similar to a “tamal”.
Although I usually eat mostly vegetarian cuisine,
I have to admit the carnitas were absolutely delicious
and I can see how someone can get hooked on them.
Purepecha ladies sitting on the main square of Quiroga
The colonial facades on the main square were facing
an open area with a garden and a grandstand. Local
native women from the Purepecha tribe were sitting
on benches around the square, showing off their
traditional colourful dresses. Then we walked on
to a side street where we visited the fruit and
vegetable market. Rodrigo introduced me to a collection
of Mexican fruits, some of which I had never seen
before.
Delicious looking star fruit
“Carambola” for example, is the orange-coloured
star fruit, which is usually cut open and eaten
with yoghurt. “Granada” is a tropical
fruit from China that, when opened up, reveals a
slimy greenish ball in the middle that supposedly
is very sweet and tasty. Even Mexican apples were
on display and Rodrigo added that they were sweeter
and juicier than the apples from northern climates.
The unusual painted ceiling of the church in Quiroga
Steps away we stopped at the parish church of Quiroga
where a mass was being held. The building itself
was rather simple, but it had a fascinating wooden
ceiling that was hand painted with numerous square
pictures of Catholic symbols and images. Outside
the church was a street market that featured all
sorts of handicrafts, clothing and souvenirs. The
locals were out in full force, shopping for all
the necessities of life. As far as I could tell,
I did not see any other tourists in Quiroga. This
town will give you a great look at real daily life
in Mexico.
Brightly painted wooden platters in Quiroga
From Quiroga we drove to our next destination:
Tzintzuntzan, the former capital of the ancient
Purepecha empire.
