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Parícutin Volcano (Volcán de Parícutin)
Well where do I begin about my time in Michoacán, Mexico to see the Parícutin Volcano (Volcán de Parícutin). After a 6 hour flight (including layover) from Louisiana, I arrived in Mexico City around 9pm, then I took a 5 hour bus ride (that left at 1am) to Pátzcuaro. Arriving at my host's home around 6am. It was a very long day to say to least.
First, my Couchsurfing host was amazing! I thought I was going to be sleeping on the couch but my host has a very nice 3 bdrm house and I had my own master suite. This is my first experience trying it because I want the local experience and what better way than to stay with a local host. Also, this is a very economical, backpacking $37/day 'world tour' and it helps with my budget. Of course the cost of living is lower in Mexico by comparison to the US which is always a budget-friendly plus (the exchange rate was .059 during my stay). |
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| My Room at Host's Home |
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| Host's Neighborhood (same as the mayor) |
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| Host's Neighborhood (same as the mayor) |
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Overcast, cold (16C/60F), and rain every day but the sun came out a few times. The frequent, sporadic downpours prevented me from getting out and walking the city as much as I normally do when I travel.
I try to learn a little of the language for every country I visit because I think it's the culturally-considerate thing to do. I wish I could magically be fluent in all languages but I get by with the basics and knew enough Spanish to get by.
I always only use public transportation when I travel and the bus system in Michoacán, is very efficient. Aside from missing my stop once and having to buy another ticket back, I had an easy time navigating. It felt like I spent more time on buses than anything else - lol.
My trip to Angahuan, Mexico to see the Parícutin Volcano was long as well. It is in the most remote city I've ever traveled to. It was about a 4 hour bus ride from Patzcuaro (from Patzcuaro to Uruapan, then another bus from Uruapan to Angahuan), and then I took a very old/small cab to the trail. I'm good with directions and can do a good job getting around almost anywhere, but I absolutely needed a guide to find the volcano or I would've gotten lost. So after haggling about the price I paid 400 pesos/approx. $20 for 2 horses for the guide (who was only about 10 yrs old) and me. I was a little disappointed because I wanted to hike the trail but I didn't let that ruin my day. It was my first time on a horse and it took about 45 minutes to reach the volcano via cobblestone and dirt road. Besides my guide's very 'gassy' horse in front of me it was a pleasant experience - lol.
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| Mine & the Guide's Horses on the way to the volcano |
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| Arriving close to the base (volcano in the distance) |
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| Arriving close to the base (volcano in the distance) |
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| Church Altar |
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| Church Altar |
It was cloudy and overcast so it was hard to see anything, but I got a decent photo of the volcano - I'm not a fan of filters/photoshopping and like to capture images exactly the way I see them (so most of my pictures are cloudy but captured exactly the way I want to remember them). Then I managed to climb over very sharp lava rock for about 20 minutes before reaching the church, at the base of the volcano, that managed to survive the eruption - it was somewhat of a spiritual experience being in a place where so many people unsuspectingly lost their lives and/or homes (the eruption buried 2 towns that had to be evacuated).
After the horse ride back to the cab I saw the locals having a street party and I just had to get some video of this. Here I am in an impoverished city, where the people make about $3/day, with houses made from clay & dirt (somewhat feeling sorry for the people), and they were celebrating, dancing and drinking in the street like it was New Year’s Eve! It was my first enlightening moment of this journey. They didn't think of themselves as impoverished or lacking - they love their life just like I love mine. This moment was worth the trip here and absolutely made my day! These are the organic events that can't be captured in a travel guide book - you just have to experience them for yourself.
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| Locals Celebrating |
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| Locals Celebrating |
Oh yeah I almost forgot, the Mexican Police searching my bus with machine guns, on the way back to Pátzcuaro, wins the 'culture shock' award for this trip! Apparently this is common so no one else was bothered by it. I was the only non-local on the bus and the older gentleman sitting next to me just laughed when he saw the concerned look on my face. I wanted to take a picture of the event but decided to err on the side of caution for obvious reasons.
Not having steady wifi or cable tv is allowing for more productive use of my time. I've frequently lost track of the date/time since starting this journey and love the new experience. There's something so peaceful about not having to be constantly glued to my calendar, phone, or email. So I'm praying my way through this entire journey and keeping my spiritual eyes & ears open for what God has for me during this new chapter of my life.
For those who don't know me I've done well for myself throughout my 20-year career, but I'm by no means wealthy. I still have fears, bills, & responsibilities like everyone else. My biggest fear is not having steady income anymore since I quit my job - solely relying on my savings during this journey. I know it's possible but scary at the same time. At least during the planning of this journey I managed to reduce my expenses from $150/day to $67/day ($37/day - 'world tour', $30/day - bills) - which I think is a huge accomplishment. Aside from the financial peace of mind steady income provides, I enjoy being a productive person and my career has always provided that security blanket for me. So I'll be keeping my eyes open for new opportunities during this journey too.
Thank you Michoacán, Mexico for being part of this journey - you didn't disappoint.
Life is a journey... Next stop is Panama to see the Panama Canal.
#EnjoyingTheJourney #WorldTour #WondersOfTheWorld
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