Gringo Meet and Greet Pátzcuaro

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

Lots of activities going on.  We finished the week going to the gym, being there at 7:30 when they open in the morning.   It's the same 10 people who come and the average age is 25 but they don't mistreat us.  In fact, there are two oscillating fans on the wall and yesterday it was a bit hot.  I was using the dumbbells when a girl came up and asked if I could turn them on.  I told her I had no idea how to turn them on and she said, "just climb up there and turn the switch in the back".  I had to climb up on the rack of dumbbells to do it.   I got down and she said, "can you turn on the other one too?".  I told her, "sure I'm only 100 years old".   She didn't get it.  

Thursday night we went to a gringo meet and greet.  I'm not too fond of those things as it's all gringos.  Although Marti did say Mexicans go too, Toñio chimed in with, "maybe one or two".  Off we went to Restaurante Lupita up the street from the main plaza.   The charge is 125 pesos and it includes two drinks and lots of really good hors d'oeuvres so it was well worth the price.  Salmon, empanadas de mole, blue cheese with dill, sopes de chicharon and frijoles, the list goes on and they didn't stop.  So that was dinner as well.

The crowd isn't very big.  It is estimated that 250 gringos live in Pátzcuaro and I really don't know how true that is.   Very nice people who walked right up to us and introduced themselves and asked who we were and where we were from.   It turned out to be a good time with some excellent jazz music to boot. Lots of networking going on but I had a feeling it is the same crowd every month.  We'll go back in June. We exchanged some details with others who were interested in Mexico travel as well as rving.   Driving home in the dark isn't my thing in any country, too many bright lights but we made it safe and sound.

There are some wonderful markets in Pátzcuaro as well.  Huge markets that really don't match the size of the town but I guess people come from all over.  In one plaza, where they sell mostly pottery and clayware,   we heard most of the people speaking in their language of P'urhépecha and in their native dress.  Very interesting and you wonder like anyone else in any country what they are saying and if they are talking about you.

Food is everywhere and I'm not sure where we get the idea that people live in extreme poverty in Mexico.  People, mostly indigenous were buying up the place.   Well, I won't go there but we are on a slow downhill slide with our new president and unfortunately, you are not receiving all the news in English regarding the destruction of our universal healthcare system.  But, as you can see, I was very willing to try food along our route.