Zacualpan

We wanted to go back to the bustling town of Las Varas so that Pat and Gail could use the ATM and get some anti-itch stuff for the noseeums here. The hot weather has brought them out early and they are hungry. Chris wanted a haircut and we needed to check on buses to San Blas where we are going next week.

Well, no point in staying too long in Las Varas when there are other towns we can visit, one being Zacualpan. We heard that this is a small town with 4,000-5,000 people. Most of the people living there are farmers or support the farming community. There is a pretty square and a lovely church.

So, we caught a combi to Las Varas watched a young man with 10 fingers juggle machetes, and then took another combi to Zacualpan. The towns are not that far apart. We went past fields of tobacco, beans, tomatoes, cucumbers and watermelons until we came to the arches at the entrance of the town.

It is a small town but does have a well-kept and active square. The bandshell in the middle was brightly painted and the old stone benches were also painted by individual families. A sign advertised the old hacienda that had once been in this area and owned by the Santana family.

It was lunchtime and there was a taco stand with delicious beef, chorizo or goat fillings, as well as a goat stew, soup called Birria. We filled ourselves with the tacos and a Jamaica (HIbiscus flower) drink and listened as the animated waitress told us about the scary spirits who came out at night. Also about the old coins that were hidden inside the walls of the adobe houses. Treasures yet to be found!

She also told us that there was a museum and we went looking for it after grabbing a Michoacan ice cream bar. The museum was actually an outdoor garden with several large stones with petroglyphs but the area was locked. We think that it was on the site of the old hacienda.

Chris noticed a girl cutting hair so he asked if he could get a 2 finger scissor, rather than razor, haircut. His hair was 5 fingers long. Haha. She did a great job with his hair and charged him 40 pesos, or $2.80 Cdn.

Gail and I walked around the outskirts of the town and everyone was friendly. The houses were definitely very old, many of them just one room. Lots of tractors and farm implements were on the rough cobblestone streets.

The church with its stained glass windows and loaded with flowers, was airy and very nicely taken care of.

The kids were all starting to come home from school and the old ranchers were meeting up with their buddies in the square.

We jumped on a combi and headed back to Las Varas and then Chacala. It was a great way to spend a few hours away from the beach.Leggi altro