Pátzcuaro is a small town near Lake Pátzcuaro in the Mexican state of Michoacán, about one hour drive from Morelia. In the language of the Purépecha (native language within this region) the name means "place of the stones". The image of the town and the surrounding cities and villages is characterized by one thing in particular: White facades with red pedestals, red tiled roofs and the same typefaces and colours for information signs.
I visited Pátzcuaro together with Nicte. From Morelia you can either take a bus or a shared taxi to Pátzcuaro which result in the same price. It is a requirement of the city administration that the colours of the facades are kept uniform in white and red. This is why also companies have to adapt their logos and paint their company name in red and white. We visited several churches including the oldest one of the city. The roof as well as the floor is constructed mainly out of wood so it emitted a strong smell of old wood. After trying the delicacies of the city and stopping at a viewpoint we finally went to Lake Pátzcuaro. There are some inhabited islands in the lake that can be reached by boat. These and the surrounding towns and villages are famous for the extraordinary celebrations around the Día de Muertos. Millions of people come here every 2nd of November or already some days in advance to celebrate the dead. The people spend the whole night at the graves of their relatives, they light candles, build impressive ofrendas (altars with all kinds of food and drink) and keep singing and dancing for hours.
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