Howard

We enjoy old colonial towns in Latin America and having been to more major and/or touristy places of Oaxaca, San Miguel, Gunanjuato, Zacatecas, San Christobal, and previous visits to Mex. City, we had planned a trip for Morelia - 4 nights, Patzcuaro - 4 nights, and Mexico City - 2 nights, flying into and out of Mexico City from Washington, DC. This was in late November.<BR><BR>We wound up staying in Morelia for the planned four nights, stayed in Patzcuaro for 2 nights instead of the planned 4, went to Queretaro for 2 nights, and spend the last 2 nights in Mexico City.<BR> <BR>All of the places were nice...there were not too many sights to see in Patzcuaro, which is why we cut the stay short.<BR><BR>On a quick trip, two FULL days in each of Mor/Patz/Quer would be sufficent, with one of the days in Patz devoted to sights outside of town.<BR> <BR>Instead of giving a blow by blow description, here are some highlights:<BR> <BR>Went to a professional soccer game in Morelia - the Morelia Monarcas vs. America (of Mexico City). We were sitting adjacent to the cheerleading section of fans for Morelia. It was a ton of fun.<BR> <BR>The trip to the butterfly sanctuary. It made for a long day trip from Morelia, but was pretty amazing.<BR> <BR>An invitation to a private party in Patzcuaro. The day we arrived there, it was a holiday - commemorating the Mexican Revolution. In the morning there was a big parade through town. Walking around after that, we heard live music from a courtyard. We just stooped for a moment at the netryway to look and listen for a moment, and the people invited us in. They insisted we eat, drink and dance with them. It was a blast - we stayed a couple of hours. It was the staff (teachers and administrators) of a school. Some of them spoke English, some didn't, but they all were extremely hospitable, and it was great.<BR> <BR>A visit to Tzintzantzun (sp) outside of Patzcuaro. This is a small town about 10 miles from Patzcuaro, noted primarily for its indigenous ruins. This is not a major sight, so we were not expecting too much, but the ruins are in a nice setting overlooking Lake Patzcuaro, and are not bad. What made this half day excursion very nice were two other things: nearby the ruins is a church/monastery complex from colonial times. It is not set up as a tourist site, though it it open to visitors. The building swere set a good distance back from the main road, and it was very atmospheric. Also the special craft of the town is furniture making. We really liked a piece sitting in front of one store - it would have made a great coffee table. It was one piece of solid wood with a very interesting shape - it turned out to be a support structure that goes on top of a column to support the roof of a building. The person who worked at the shop spoke excellent english, so we had a very nice conversation with him. The "table" was only $95 dollars - had we been home we would have bought it, but the shipping costs would be prohibitive from Tzintzantzun to Washington DC.<BR> <BR>Waking around the pedestrianized streets of Queretaro. There are a bunch in the center, and they are very nice and lively. I would probably rec. Queretaro over the other places we visited.<BR><BR>Going to the Zocalo (main square) in Mexico City ont he night of our return there - it is a huge square and was full of people - a great urban experience.<BR><BR>A dinner at a fancy restaurant - the San Angel Inn - in Mexico City, on our last night. Most often we eat at moderate places, but since it was a last night, we splurged, and the food and service were excellent. (I can't think of the name of the place of the top of my head) Although it was a fancy place, the bill was not really that bad - about $75 for two. A comparable place at home would be much more.<BR><BR>If you have any questions, feel free to ask.<BR><BR>Howard

leslie

I am interested in visiting the butterfly sanctuary. Did you drive there in your own car? How long does it take to get there from Morelia? Did you take a tour? Did you see many butterflies? Are there other things to see in the area besides the butterflies?<BR><BR>Thank you for your help

Howard

We took a tour there from Morelia. We don't normally take tours, but this was the most convenient way to go - as we did not want to rent a car. The drive to the sanctuary took about 3 hours. WEe went directly to the sanctuary, stayed for 3.5 hours or so (hike of about 45 minutes each way, then staying at sanctuary site), and stopped for early dinner at a nearby town.<BR><BR>You can take a bus to that town from Morelia (sorry - I forget name, but its in any guide book), then have someone drive you to sanctuary - its maybe 8 miles away. This is quite doable, but would entail spending the night. The town has some small hotels - not much to see in town, we walked around a bit in the center. A friend of mine did stay overnight on her trip, and there is an interesting "house museum" woth seeing if you stay. The bus would be fine - but we didn't want to take a day and a half or so. (you have to change busses so the time for the trip will add up)<BR><BR>You do see an incredible number of butterflies - well worth the trip. The area is pretty - the sanctuary is located at about 10,000 feet elevation. <BR><BR>You can probably do other hiking around the area. On the way, we did pass a National Park area that features hot springs. In general however, other than the natural beauty of the area, there are not many "sites" in the vicinity.

Susan

Sounds like you had a great trip, Howard. We were in that area last March and really enjoyed it. The butterfly sanctuary is amazing - so many butterflies! There was actually snow on the ground outside the sanctuary and with the trees, it reminded me of parts of Canada. (I'm Canadian.) <BR><BR>Where did you stay in Mexico City? We'll be there for a few days this coming March. <BR><BR>I'm glad you had a good trip.

Howard

Susan - yes, it was a very nice trip.<BR><BR>We stayed at the Hotel Majestic - it is right on the Zocalo. It is an older hotel (built in the 30's) but it is nice. There are rooms that face the zocalo, which can be a bit noisy, but there are great views. Even if you do not stay there, there is a rooftop reastaurant, from where the veiw of the zocalo, catherdral, etc. is amazing. I would recommend stopping by, even for something to drink. The rooms there are about $85 a night.<BR><BR>Hope you ahve a great trip,<BR><BR>

Susan

Thanks Howard. The Majestic does interest me, but with my Canadian dollar, $85 USD is a little beyond my budget. But we'll be sure to go there for a drink.

marilyn

Susan, you might try the Maria Christina, at 31 Rio Lerma in Mexico City. It's a colonial style hotel with a restaurant, bar and small garden, just across Reforma from the Zona Rosa. The rooms vary in size but are all clean and fairly comfortable. Rates in the $30 to $60 range. Have been comfortable there on trips for over 20 years.

Susan

Thanks Marilyn. I'll definitely keep that in mind. Another hotel that I've heard good things about is the Gillow, in the Centro Historico. I'm thinking that I'll wait until we're in Mexico to book (we'll be on Isla Mujeres for a week before we go to Mexico City) - I've always had mixed results when I call hotels from Canada!

Sandy

Susan,<BR><BR>We stayed at the Gillow last July and loved it . . . BTW, it's pronounced Jill-o. We did not have reservations, we too like to wait and we didn't have any problems getting a room.<BR><BR>We had a large room (rm 106) with two double beds, color tv, phone, small balcony for about $49. The lobby is very nice and there is a restaurant. We ate breakfast there and not only was it inexpensive but it was delicious.<BR><BR>We would definitely stay here again.<BR>Sandy

Susan

Thanks Sandy. It's nice to have first hand feedback on a couple of hotels.