Conexiones - The Journey Continues

Here's the latest on the Conexiones study abroad trip from former KNME intern Kaycie Robinson:

Another weekend, another excursion! We went to Patzcuaro, which is a
smaller city about an hour outside of Morelia. Patzcuaro, just like Morelia, is
known for amazing architecture. Patzcuaro is also known for the adjacent lake
appropriately named Lago Patzcuaro, which has the island town of Janitzio at its
center. The island itself is pretty much an enormous hill, and houses are
splattered haphazardly anywhere there is or was space. To get to Janitzio,
you have to take a ferry from Patzcuaro, and to get the best view, you have
to climb the island.

After a climb reminiscent of the first 20 minutes of our journey up
the volcano, we reached the top of the island with its incredible view and giant
statue honoring the history of the area. The very next day, we left our cabañas
at 6AM to get to the village of Jaracuaro to attend the fiesta of San
Pedro. With the sun just beginning to hint at the new day the procession of San
Pedro began. A wooden Saint Peter was being carried on the shoulders of four
men. His throne consisted of finely crafted wood adorned with fresh corn stalks.
Offerings of bananas and bread baked in the shape of rabbits draped the
throne, and the Saint himself was adorned with two woven capes with offerings of
both pesos and US dollars pinned to the back. Two marching bands and villagers
carrying candles entwined in ribbon followed the Saint on the journey
through town to the church in the center. The streets of the town were decorated
with colorful sawdust that formed a sort of red carpet for the Saint as he was
carried past.

Different forms of ephemeral art lined the streets, ranging from
carefully cut paper to glistening decorative balls. Once the Saint was carried
into the church a special mass followed.

After the mass, people attending the fiesta were invited to eat at the house of the carguero, who is the man in charge of the fiesta. We ate traditional fish soup (fruits of Lake Patzcuaro) and corundas, which are similar to tamales. It was extremely interesting to note the presence of corn on San Pedro´s throne: this was visible evidence of the blending of Catholic and Indigenous religious traditions. Also interesting to note is the fact that US dollars adorned the shawl of the Saint. In rural Michoacan, many young men leave their villages to find work in the US. The experience was one of cultural understanding and an excercise in forcing ourselves out of evaluating cultural traditions based on our own ethnocentric perceptions.