February 7, Uruapan, Michoacan, Mexico

We are now up in the mountains of Michoacan State in the small city of Uruapan which is known for good coffee (no, no Starbucks in sight), avocados, and its national park full of springs, waterfalls and manmade water features on a hillside just above town. This morning we had the delightful good luck to be here on market day. Half a mile of stalls fulls of clothes, household goods, CDs, fruit, fish (trout), marimba players, spices, good luck charms, hardware, you name it. The indigenous women wear traditional dress, straight out of National Geographic. Colorful pleated skirts on top of embroidered skirts, woven black rebozos to carry their children or their purchases or their sales, or in one case that we dont understand, a doll, braided hair amplified with yarn braids. Both Tom and Amy, with much recent Mexico time under their belts, were shocked to see traditional dress, for the most part women wear the latest global urban styles. The men wear Western gear in this part of the country - cowboy hats, Western boots, bola ties, and they tend to drive big trucks. Very agricultural.
It is very interesting to be here with Amy who knows a great deal about this state and whose Spanish is really good. She will ask anybody a question and get an answer that I can sort of piece together, very sort of. She and Tom and are totally into street food and I am following their lead til I get sick. My lunch was grazing from street vendors. Young coconut with salt and chile, a tamale, and a churro. Also a bite of the local gazpachos which is fruit salad.
It is pleasure to be in cool spring weather away from the hot beach where on a boat without air conditioning the only relief is predawn or after dark and even then it is hot and humid. We got in a couple of day sails which provided relief. Will enjoy this while we can.