Visiting Janitzio Island (Patzcuaro, Mexico)
Lissette doesn’t usually do the writing on this blog. But she is in this case – Lissette stayed in the Pueblo Magico town of Patzcuaro for 3 weeks while I spent some time with my mother in San Miguel de Allende. One of the places she visited during her stay was Janitzio Island.
———–
I was curious about Janitzio Island and its huge statue but it seemed that everyone tried to discourage me from going. “It’s very commercial”, “It’s dirty and full of people selling the same kind of stuff”.
But I was in Patzcuaro for 3 weeks so what did I have to lose? And I had told Frank that I would be adventurous while he was gone. So I decided to make an excursion to Janitzio Island.
I’m glad I did.
You can take a collectivo to the boat (Muelle San Pedrito on Google Maps). But I wasn’t sure where the stop was so I decided to take a taxi from the hotel. It took about 10 minutes, the taxi dropping me off at a parking lot next to the pier. There you have vendors and stalls selling all kinds of things.
There’s a booth where you go to buy your ticket. Buying your ticket (I can’t remember how much but it was very inexpensive), they tell you which boat you’ll be taking. I must have a face that says “I have all the time in the world” because my boat was loading construction materials and didn’t look like it was going anywhere anytime soon.
But finally we left, the boat chugging over the brown water. It was an overcast day. Over my 3 weeks in Patzcuaro (this was in October) it had rained almost every day. But still, it was pleasant and there’s something to be said for overcast skies making for dramatic photos.
It doesn’t take long for Janitzio Island to appear in the distance. As you get closer you see fishermen appear with their nets. I had read that it was purely for show (and tips) and had seen some fantastic photos online and hoped to get my own. Unfortunately the fishermen must have spotted the faces in our boat (mostly full of locals) and thought that we weren’t worth the effort. These (below) were the best photos I got…*
*Note: That didn’t stop a guy in a separate boat coming alongside our boat asking for tips for the fishermen show.
Before you knew it we were at the dock and everyone was getting off. The boat ride had taken about 20 – 25 minutes.
Then I saw this.
You would think that all our travels through South East Asia and Eastern Europe would have gotten me over my fear of dogs. They haven’t. I turned to the people getting off behind me and said, like a big baby, “I’m afraid of dogs”.
That’s how I met “my Mexican family”.
I would end up spending the rest of the day with them. They were a local couple, with them was their grandson and a niece who lived in California. She would talk to me in English, everyone else in Spanish. The wife had just finished battling cancer and was a bit weak. But we helped each other, holding hands going up the ramp, safely passing the dogs who honestly wanted nothing but to say hi and get a few sniffs in.
Janitzio Island is famous for the 40-meter (131 feet) statue of José Maria Morelos. Morelos (1765 – 1815) was one of the leaders of the Mexican Independence movement and was executed by the Spanish leaders. In 1933, it was decided that a statue would be built here in his honor. Some say it resembles the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio. But what came to mind for me was the Statue of Liberty in New York (purely because of the interior of the statue).
It took a while to climb the steps to get to the statue with the Mexican family. Frank could probably have done it in 15 minutes with his long legs but between the 4 of us it took maybe 30 minutes. Suddenly we were right there within the statue.
I thought the statue was impressive: I enjoyed the murals representing the life of Morelos. And the views over the lake are fantastic.
Outside the statue are more views on the lake and you get a great perspective on the statue which makes you appreciate just how massive it is.
La Danza de los Viejitos (Dance of the little old men) is a traditional folk dance in Michoacán. The dance is supposed to be performed by four men that represent fire, water, earth, and air. The Mexican family had told me about it and were looking forward for the show which was at such and such time near the statue – but the show started an hour late and there were only 3 old men, one of which appeared to be a child in costume. Oh well.
Below: video of the dance as well as Mariachi on the boat
We finished our visit, walking through a cemetery and down to the pier. There are quite a lot of colourful murals along the way which add a lot of colour to the town.
When you get back to the pier you take whichever boat is available for the return trip.
The photos and experience above might not convey great beauty or exceptional experiences. But I enjoyed it: taking the boat, touring the statue, watching the old man dance…but the highlight were the people I met along the way, especially the Mexican family who took me under their wing. Altogether I spent a few hours talking with them and the experience warmed my heart. We gave each other big hugs when saying our goodbyes back on the mainland.
I was determined to take a collectivo back to town. The signage wasn’t obvious and I popped into a store by the pier asking about where to take it. The lady gave me instructions: it was at the parking lot, I just hadn’t seen the sign. I was taking a few last photos of the lake when a little girl ran up to me “my mom says the bus has arrived. It is right there”, pointing at the bus.
But my experience didn’t end there. Coming back towards Patzcuaro, I didn’t know where to get out. When asking the driver of course everyone rushed to help. They pointed the way back into town “follow that lady across the highway, you’ll be safe”.
Maybe what made this day special was not so much Janitzo itself, it was the experience of meeting and interacting with everyday Mexicans who, I’m convinced, are the nicest people I’ve ever met.
A little plug: I stayed for 3 weeks at Victoria’s Hotel Casa Encandada. Gorgeous place and they even do longer-term rentals. Plus it’s pet-friendly.
Related: The Pueblo Magico town of Patzcuaro
Related: 30 photos showing you why you should visit Morelia
Leave a Reply