on tour ❖
marty sarbey de souto, ctc
Mexico’s Colonial Circuit HOLA! YOUR GROUPS MAY have been to Mexico before – perhaps to one or more of the many beach resorts like Acapulco or Cancún. Or perhaps they’ve cruised the Mexican Riviera down to Mazatlán and Puerto Vallarta. But if they haven’t been to the lovely interior towns of the Spanish Colonial region, then they haven’t really seen Mexico. This is the area of cobblestone streets, lovely homes featuring hidden inner patios with tiled fountains and bougainvillea in bright oranges, pinks and purple. This is where the small artisan towns are located, rich in the heritage of making pottery, glassware, embroidered linens, copperwares, colonial furniture and straw goods. This is the historical area, home to Mexico’s movement for independence from Spain. Here you’ll find murals of Diego Rivera and Jose Clemente Orozco, folkloric ballet, local markets and mariachi bands. MAKE THE COLONIAL CIRCUIT By flying into Guadalajara (or Léon or Mexico City) one can make the colonial circuit. This should include the aristocratic university town of Morelia (named for Morelos, the priest and revolutionary leader in the War of Independence). And it can include the interesting town of Pátzcuaro, once the capital of the Purepechan Indian empire (now referred to as the Tarascans). It is here that Lake Pátzcuaro is located and the best known Day of the Dead ceremonies are celebrated Nov. 1 on Janitzio Island in the lake. I found the best selec6 June 2010
tion of woven tablecloths, placemats, napkins and other tablewares in shops on the square in Pátzcuaro. Your itinerary most certainly should visit Guanajuato, a city built in a narrow canyon on different levels with zig-zag
take classes at the Instituto Allende and School of Fine Arts. The trip can begin or end in the country’s second city of Guadalajara. Its central colonial section of the city, its fine university, Orozco murals and folk-
Consider interior towns like Morelia, Guanajuato and San Miguel de Allende streets and connecting tunnels. In fact, parts of the city are connected by an elevator much in the style of Lisbon, Portugal or Salvador da Bahia, Brazil. For two-and-a-half centuries, its rich Valenciana silver mine provided 20% of the world’s silver, and many colonial structures built from this wealth still remain intact. The city is also home to Diego Rivera’s birthplace and the popular Cervantes Festival the last two weeks in October, complete with galloping horses and medieval costumes. Strolling student minstrels give the town a youthful spark. THE BELL RINGER The tiny town of Dolores Hidalgo is the place to stop to buy local pottery and to remember Father Hidalgo, who rang the bells and issued his famous “grito” (cry for independence) at his parish church on Sept. 16, 1810. And no trip would be complete without a night or two in San Miguel de Allende, an entire town declared a national monument and popular with “expat gringos” who winter there and
loric dance performances make it a popular spot for visitors. And its huge Mercado Libertad, a four-block, threestory covered marketplace, is THE spot for shopping – everything from leather goods to piñatas. The nearby town of Tequila makes for an interesting side trip as does the community of Lake Chapala with over 5,000 American and Canadian residents who have retired there. And while Guadalajara boasts many top-notch hotels, I found it most attractive to have my group stay in the artisan suburb of Tlaquepaque (“Tlackuh-pock-eh”) instead, but this will only be possible with relatively small groups. Although most North American tour operators seem hell-bent on offering Mexico resort packages, there are a few who still (or again) are offering itineraries for colonial Mexico – among them, Globus and Collette. Marty is founder and chair of the travel industry training program at Berkeley City College in Berkeley, Calif., where she teaches all aspects of group travel. You can reach her by e-mail at josemarty@yahoo.com. For information on her latest book, How To Plan, Operate, and Lead Successful Group Trips, click on Premier Tourism Marketing’s educational website, groupuniversity.com. LeisureGroupTravel.com