notes and reflections

The Purapechan Indian ruins (450-600AD) on the outskirts of the town of Tingambato, about midway between Patzcuaro and Uruapan, contain a step-pyramid, the tumbled walls of dwellings and meeting rooms, a tomb and altars but what interested me most was the ballfield. I had been dimly aware that ancient Mexican cultures played a form of ball but had no idea what it was.

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The town of Patrzcuaro lies about 46km from Morelia, along the southern shore of the lake of the same name.  There are three significant islands in the lake and all of them have buildings of one sort or another on them but the largest and most heavily populated is Janitzio.  This is a steeply humped island with a dominating hollow statue of Jose Moreali, one arm raised in Soviet-style imitation at its crest. Narrow street crowded with white-walled, red-tiled roofed homes ascend to the island´s crest, densely packed together and, from the water, giving the island an appearance much like the small, picturesque, bayside fishing villages of Italy or Portugal.

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