Some days they play so well together, some days not so much.
Just out on the edge of town is a hill called Cerro el Estribo that was said to be a nice hike. Ali and I prefer to hike downhill, so we grabbed a cab to the end of the road, and then got to work. Four hundred and sixteen steps further to the top.
We’re at over 7,000 feet elevation here, so I’m going to use that as a bad excuse as to why the kids beat us to the top by over a hundred stairs. Honestly, I have no idea what would ever tire these two out.
After hitting the top we walked back down all the way into town. A good couple of miles worth of cobblestone roads. By the time we got back to the bus in the late afternoon Ali and I could have flopped down face first in the grass and fallen asleep. Instead, immediately upon our return, Ouest asked, “Will you jump rope with me?”
As parents we walk a fine line between protecting our kids and letting them do things that we know are going to hurt them. We just have to judge how bad it is going to hurt, and if the lesson is worth it. This game below started out differently. At first they tied the one end to Ouest’s bike and then put the looped end around Lowe’s handle bars. I started to step in and then caught myself. I told them I didn’t think that would work and to be careful, then let them try it anyway. It didn’t take long for Ouest to make a turn and for Lowe to crash down when his handle bars got ripped sideways. He got right back up, still eager to find a way to make this game work, so then I gave my two cents and tied a bowline around the neck post for them. It wasn’t perfect, Lowe would occasionally run over the line, but they didn’t crash again, and they had a lot of fun.
There is no shortage of things to see and do around Patzcuaro. Today we visited the nearby town of Quiroga. It was about a twenty minute drive up the road in a kombi bus. It only took about ten minutes for Ouest to tell me her stomach hurt. She was sweating and I noticed she was yawning nonstop as well. Pretty much any sailor knows what this means. Motion sickness. Ali handed us a bag and I tried to get her comfortable. We only had ten minutes to go.
Then Lowe started to cry out. His stomach hurt. Sweaty, pale, and coughing. Oh, this is not good.
Come on guys, two minutes, I can see the town up ahead.
We made it, the doors opened, and the four of us spilled out onto the shady sidewalk, breathing in the glorious fresh air. In all of our years of travel the one mystery that still astounds me is how no other culture wants fresh air circulating through their buses. They just sit there stewing with the windows all closed up tight. Our kids collapsed in a heap on the sidewalk with most of their clothes now off of their bodies. Grandmothers wearing eight layers of sweaters in the eighty degree heat walked past us and I could just sense their admonishments to get some clothes on our kids before they freeze to death.
Anyway, when the color returned to the kids’ cheeks, we gathered ourselves and headed up the street toward the Sunday market.
I didn’t go into our Quiroga visit expecting much. I knew they were known for their carnitas, so that sounded good, but I was completely unprepared to find out just what carnitas really mean to this town.
All along the street were a dozen or more carnitas stands and hundreds of people lining up to buy. All the sellers were chopping off chunks of glorious pork and handing them out as samples. And not just a little bite with a toothpick in it, but instead an entire taco’s worth, complete with tortilla. Lowe was shoveling the meat in his mouth as fast as the different vendors were handing it to us. I finally settled on this guy, ordered up half a kilo, and watched as he chopped it up for me. The lady next to him frantically packing a bag with our tortillas and all the toppings.
Man, I am no foodie, but I’ve gotten pretty familiar with my carnitas over the years down here, and I have to say that this was the best I’ve had. Ali agreed wholeheartedly. Lowe packed his mouth until it was coming out his ears. And Ouest, well, she’ll eat just about anything wrapped in a tortilla calling itself a taco.
For the gringos out there who think Chipotle carnitas are actually good—you really have no idea.
After getting the meat we walked back to the drink section for strawberry horchata, and then it was the job of those ladies to find us a table behind them to sit at. It took us a couple minutes to figure out this system, but we’d have it dialed in the next time.
Lowe’s almost ready for a pedal bike—something like this I think.
Face painting. Just in the last couple of days I introduced Ouest to Mujer Maravilla, also known as Wonder Woman. So you can imagine how excited she was to see a picture of her at the face painting stand. She spent the rest of the day deflecting bullets with her bracelets and throwing a rope over my head to get me to tell her the truth about where the bank robbers were. Oh, and she also flew around a bit in her invisible airplane. Go Lynda Carter.
When he gets big enough to actually use tools and build things we are all in trouble.
14 Comments on “Carnita Carnage”
If you would just feed your kids junk food, they wouldn’t have so much energy, and you could keep up with them. :o)
What’s your budget looking like lately?? I haven’t seen a summary in a while. wondering what it cost to drive around Mexico in a big bus per month/week on average. Do you have it listed someplace else??
https://www.bumfuzzle.com/2014/04/24/travco-costs/
Their budget can be found under “Adventure Costs” at the bottom of the screen.
One of the things that really blew us away in Quiroga was we sat down on the far side of the plaza after telling which vendor what we wanted – they came over and gave it to us, but we only paid when we stopped off at the vendor on our way back to the main street. The trust! It was so cool. And yeah, we ARE foodies and that was the best.
Are you planning on going to the guitar town too? There are some great shops there – I’m sure you know. We had fun listening to a guy talk about making a guitar for Santana, seeing his work in progress and all that.
Yeah, I’ve always liked that too. At taco stands, even if they are super busy and have no way of keeping track of you or what you are eating, they don’t expect you to pay until you leave. Then they ask how many tacos you had, and if you had drinks. Lots of trust.
No guitar town. Hitting the road again tomorrow.
Looks like Lowe is planning on making his bike look like the ones in the previous picture all by himself.
I think I’ll just buy him a welder and some steel tubing and let him go to work.
Pat, thank you for these incredible posts of the MX we don’t get to see or hear about very often. Your pics really bring these towns to life. I am salivating over the carnitas, inspired by your adventurous kids and impressed with both of your parental stamina. My work travels have taken me to many remote places in the world, including in MX. Your posts really capture the spirit of these special little places. Thank you!
Thanks for the comment, Edan. Always nice to hear that our love of Mexico is coming through.
Ahhh, Patzcuaro. I don’t think I have ever heard another Gringo mention this town. I lived there for 6 months or so when I was in my early 20’s, what a beautiful spot of Mexico. I miss it. Man, I can’t believe I missed Quiroga. That food looks amazing; I miss true Mexican food. Now if only I can dial in my trading skills and make the lifestyle jump.
Great pictures, your son seems to have really grown since the last post! I can#t show the pictures to my carnivorous wife, she who drool all over me, and I would probably have to by tickets to Mexico tomorrow. (Maybe I should show them to her?)
we came across a carnitas town just north of queretero and i want to say san juan del rio but that is probably wrong. just about 16km north of Queretero – whole town on the west side of the highway. and streets full of carnitas. i think a little closer to Queretaro was the 10000 mole store also. enjoy!
Very long time reader, but never commented, but this time I felt the need. I really did laugh at this part..
” and tied a bowline around the neck ”
One more thing you don’t need to know to sail around the world.
Don’t tell the armchair sailors out there that I know what a bowline is, they’ll never believe you.